If you're looking for a spicy and savory dipping sauce for your seafood, look no further than this Thai green chili sauce for seafood (Nam Jim Talay). You'll want to try this green seafood sauce if you love seafood. Make this simple sauce using two different methods!
This spicy green sauce goes great with seafood like Thai BBQ shrimp recipe, grilled meat like Thai grilled pork spare ribs, Vietnamese spring rolls, and sticky rice. It's a staple sauce in the Isaan region of Thailand (Northeastern) and adds a unique flavor to any dish. You can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store or the Asian markets.
Also, explore more Thai sauces you'll love, like this easy Thai tamarind dipping sauce, Prik Nam Pla, Nam Prik Pao, Thai sweet chili dipping sauce, and Jeow Mak Len sauce.
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this Thai green sauce
- What is Nam Jim seafood sauce?
- Thai green seafood sauce vs Thai red seafood sauce
- Ingredients for green Thai sauce
- How to make Nam Jim Seafood
- Kitchen tips for making the perfect Thai green seafood sauce
- Thai dishes to serve with Nam Jim Seafood
- Variations on the Thai Nam Jim Talay
- Substitutes
- How to store your green seafood sauce
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Thai recipes you'll love
- More Recipes to Try
- Thai Green Chili Sauce for Seafood (Nam Jim Talay)
- More Thai Sauces
- Pairing
Why you'll love this Thai green sauce
This green seafood sauce is the perfect condiment to take your seafood dishes to the next level. It's made with fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and a touch of heat from jalapeno peppers. The combination of flavors is simply irresistible.
- Green seafood sauce is delicious. It's packed with flavor, easy to make, and healthy, making it the perfect addition to any meal.
- The sauce is incredibly versatile. You can use it as a dipping sauce for shrimp, crab, or lobster or drizzle it over grilled fish or roasted vegetables. It's even great as a spread on sandwiches or a salad dressing.
- It's easy to make. You only need a blender or food processor to combine the ingredients, and you'll have a delicious sauce in no time!
- The best part, it's healthy. It's packed with fresh, nutritious ingredients like herbs, garlic, and lemon juice. Plus, it's low in calories and fat, making it a guilt-free way to add flavor to your meals.
What is Nam Jim seafood sauce?
Nam Jim Seafood Sauce is a traditional Thai dipping sauce often served with seafood dishes. It is made with a blend of spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavors and is typically made with ingredients such as garlic, chili peppers, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar.
Thai green seafood sauce vs Thai red seafood sauce
When it comes to Thai seafood sauces, there are two popular options to choose from: green and red. Both are versatile and flavorful but have slightly different flavor profiles.
Thai green seafood sauce is made with green chili peppers, which give it a vibrant green color and a spicy kick. The sauce also includes ingredients such as garlic and cilantro, which add depth and complexity to the flavor profile. This sauce is great for those who love spicy food and want a bright, fresh taste. The green sauce is fiery than the red sauce, perfect for spicy food lovers!
On the other hand, Thai red seafood sauce is made with red chili peppers, giving it a deep red color and a slightly sweeter taste than the green sauce. The sauce also includes cilantro, green onions (optional), garlic, fish sauce, and crushed peanuts, giving it a savory, lightly crunchy flavor. This sauce is perfect for milder heat and a more complex flavor. The crushed peanuts serve as a buffer for the heat of the red chili peppers.
Ultimately, the choice between green and red Thai seafood sauce comes from personal preference. Some people prefer the brightness and spiciness of the green sauce, while others prefer the depth and sweetness of the red sauce. Try both and see which one you like best!
Ingredients for green Thai sauce
To make Thai green seafood sauce, you will need the following ingredients.
- Fresh Thai green chilies. The spicy chili peppers are the main ingredient in this hot sauce's vibrant green color. And spice!
- Garlic cloves. Fresh garlic will give a better flavor than garlic paste. Thai cuisine hardly uses garlic paste, or at least not in my Thai family recipes.
- Cilantro leaves. Use the steams and the leafy parts. The stems add an extra punch of flavor, while the leafy parts add to the lovely green color.
- Fish sauce. Use a high-quality fish sauce for this recipe. I highly recommend Red Boat, Megachef, Squid premium version, or Three Crabs brand. They are light and perfect for this savory dish. Soy sauce is not recommended for this recipe.
- Sugar. Use palm, white, monk fruit, or brown sugar.
- Lime juice. Use fresh lime juice for best results, but lemon juice works too. It doesn't have the same tangy lime zest as the lime juice. Do a taste test before serving to see if more sourness is needed.
- Water. Add a little bit of water to the sauce for a thinner consistency.
How to make Nam Jim Seafood
Making Nam Jim Talay Using a spice grinder or small food processor
- To make Nam Jim Seafood Sauce, start by mincing the cloves of garlic Thai chili peppers.
- Combine the chilies, cilantro, garlic, and other ingredients (sugar, fish sauce, and a little water) in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, adding more fish sauce or sugar as necessary. That's it! Serve the Thai green seafood sauce with your favorite dishes, such as grilled shrimp, fish, or scallops.
Making Nam Jim Seafood Using a Mortar and Pestle
- Combine the chili peppers, garlic, and cilantro in a small mortar and pestle. Pound until smooth paste forms.
- Add fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Use the pestle to grind the liquid with paste until the sugar dissolves.
- Adjust the flavors as needed by adding more lime juice for sourness, fish sauce for saltiness, sugar for sweetness, or chili peppers for spiciness. The sauce is ready to use once you're happy with the flavors!
Enjoy the delicious and aromatic flavors of this amazing Thai green seafood sauce!
Serve Nam Jim Seafood Sauce alongside grilled or steamed seafood, or use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or other appetizers. Enjoy this Thai-style green chili sauce!
Kitchen tips for making the perfect Thai green seafood sauce
Thai green seafood sauce is a delicious and spicy sauce perfect for flavoring any seafood dish.
- Use fresh ingredients. Fresh ingredients are key to making a great Thai green seafood sauce. Use fresh lime juice, cilantro, green chilies, and garlic.
- Chop the Thai chilies into small pieces before blending to blend all the big chunks well.
- Balance the flavors. Thai green seafood sauce should be spicy, sour, sweet, and salty. Make sure to balance these flavors with the ingredients you use. For example, you can add a little sugar to balance out the sourness of the lime juice. Add a little water if the sauce is too salty.
- Use a spice grinder or a small food processor. If you don't have a small food processor, double up on the recipe and freeze some for later use. See note below on storage.
- If possible, use a mortar and pestle. To get the best flavor from your ingredients, use a mortar and pestle to grind them together. This will release the oils and flavors from the herbs and spices. If you don't have a set, don't worry; getting this sauce wrong is hard. A food processor works just as great, and I prefer it when I'm busy!
- Chop the Thai chilies into small pieces before adding them to the spice grinder to blend all the big chunks well.
- Adjust the spiciness. Thai green seafood sauce is supposed to be spicy, but you can adjust the level of spiciness to your liking. Use fewer green chilies if you want a milder sauce, or add more if you want it spicier.
- Let it sit. After making your Thai green seafood sauce, let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before using it. This will allow the flavors to meld together and become even more delicious.
With these tips, you can make a delicious and authentic Thai green seafood sauce that will take your seafood dishes to the next level!
Thai dishes to serve with Nam Jim Seafood
Although this sauce is popular with seafood, its usage is not limited to just seafood! Try this delicious sauce with the following recipes.
- Kai Jeow, Thai omelet
- Bacon-wrapped Enoki mushrooms
- Thai BBQ pork spare ribs
- Moo Ping
- Khao Jee
- Thai shrimp cakes
- Sticky rice
- Vietnamese spring rolls
Variations on the Thai Nam Jim Talay
You might see two versions of this Thai seafood sauce. The green seafood sauce and the red sauce. Both use similar ingredients, but the red sauce uses red chilies, while the green sauce uses green chilies. The red sauce often has crushed peanuts to add a slightly crunchy nutty flavor to the seafood sauce.
Substitutes
- Use Jalapenos or green Serrano peppers, which are fine as substitutes if Thai green chilies aren't available.
- For less spicy peppers, use Japanese Shishito or Padrón Pepper peppers. They are mild and have a sweet flavor that mixes well with the Thai green seafood sauce. Both can be found at Trader Joe's.
How to store your green seafood sauce
- Store any leftover Thai green seafood sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will help to preserve the freshness and prevent any contamination. It is important to use the sauce within a few days of making it, as fresh ingredients tend to spoil quickly.
- You can also freeze the sauce! Store it in a glass jar with a lid and place it in the freezer. It will last for up to 3 months. Just make sure to thaw it in the refrigerator before using it.
Frequently Asked Questions
The green color in Thai green seafood sauce is from the Thai green chilies and cilantro used in the sauce. There shouldn't be any artificial color added to this green sauce.
There are two versions of Thai seafood dipping sauce: green and red. Both are similar. The green sauce is made with Thai green chilies, while the red sauce is made with fresh Thai red chilies and has chopped roasted peanuts added to it.
Yes, you can! Freeze your Thai green seafood sauce in a small glass container with a tight lid. Your sauce is good in the freezer for up to 3 months!
More Thai recipes you'll love
- Thai basil fried rice
- Kaffir lime leaves and substitutes
- Thai green curry paste
- Nam Prik Pao, Spicy Thai chili paste
- Choo Chee salmon, a creamy fish in curry sauce, using coconut cream.
- Pad Mee Thai rice noodles recipe
More Recipes to Try
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Thai Green Chili Sauce for Seafood (Nam Jim Talay)
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
If you're looking for a spicy and savory dipping sauce for your seafood, look no further than this Thai green chili sauce for seafood (Nam Jim Talay). You'll want to try this green seafood sauce if you're a seafood lover. Make this simple sauce using two different methods!
Ingredients
- 2-10 green chilies, chopped small. Adjust as needed for your spice level tolerance.
- 1.5 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, leaves, and stems
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon sugar
- 2.5 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
Making Nam Jim Talay Using a spice grinder or a small food processor
- To make Nam Jim Seafood Sauce, start by mincing the cloves of garlic, cilantro, and Thai chili peppers.
- Combine the chilies, cilantro, garlic, and other ingredients (sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and a little water) in a small food processor or spice grinder. Blend until smooth.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, adding more fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar as necessary. That's it! Serve the Thai green seafood sauce with your favorite dishes, such as grilled shrimp, fish, or scallops.
Using a mortar and pestle
- Combine the chili peppers, garlic, and cilantro in a small mortar and pestle. Pound until smooth paste forms.
- Add fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice. Use the pestle to grind the liquid with paste until the sugar dissolves.
- Adjust the flavors as needed by adding more lime juice for sourness, fish sauce for saltiness, sugar for sweetness, or chili peppers for spiciness. The sauce is ready to use once you're happy with the flavors!
Enjoy the delicious and aromatic flavors of this amazing sauce!
Notes
- Use fresh ingredients. Fresh ingredients are key to making a great Thai green seafood sauce. Make sure to use fresh lime juice, cilantro, green chilies, and garlic.
- Chop the Thai chilies into small pieces before adding them to the spice grinder to blend all the big chunks well.
- Balance the flavors. Thai green seafood sauce should be spicy, sour, sweet, and salty. Make sure to balance these flavors with the ingredients you use. For example, you can add a little sugar to balance out the sourness of the lime juice. Add a little water if the sauce is too salty.
- Use a spice grinder or a small food processor. If you don't have a small food processor, double up on the recipe and freeze some for later use. See note below on storage.
- If possible, use a mortar and pestle. To get the best flavor from your ingredients, use a mortar and pestle to grind them together. This will release the oils and flavors from the herbs and spices. If you don't have a set, don't worry; getting this sauce wrong is hard. A small food processor works just as great, and I prefer it when I'm busy!
- Adjust the spiciness. Thai green seafood sauce is supposed to be spicy, but you can adjust the level of spiciness to your liking. Use fewer green chilies if you want a milder sauce, or add more if you want it spicier.
- Let it sit. After making your Thai green seafood sauce, let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before using it. This will allow the flavors to meld together and become even more delicious.
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- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 2
- Category: Sauces, easy recipes
- Method: Food processor
- Cuisine: Thai
More Thai Sauces
More Thai sauces you'll love!
Pairing
Use your green seafood sauce on these recipes!
Suwanee says
You're on a roll, Alice! Nice job with tweaking to fit your need. This sauce is one of my top 5 favorite sauces on earth!
Alice Koh says
Just so YUMMM! I recreated this recipe and tweaked it a little by substituting the green chilis with mildly grilled green peppers and using only 2 of the green chilis for heat. This way, I can use it generously on my seafood, especially baked cockles and oysters. I LOVE ALL you dipping sauce recipes.
Maddie says
I made this for a sauce with baked oysters and it was divine!! My boyfriend loved it so much. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Suwanee says
Yes, it's perfect with the grilled shrimp indeed! (: Enjoy!
Lisa C says
Absolutely delicious and great to pair with the grilled shrimp and so many other dishes!
Suwanee says
It's a quite versatile sauce, isn't it, Tim? Enjoy!
Will says
I had this sauce once when I went to Thailand a couple of years ago. Tried to make/buy it but couldn’t. I am so happy I found this recipe.
Tim says
This sauce is our go-to BBQ dipping sauce! We love it on seafood but love it on grilled meat just as much. It is so easy to make and your recipe has just the right flavor balance! Tasty and just enough spicy for us.
Pat says
Wow! This sauce change the seafood game. It’s so flavorful and perfect for seafood. No more dipping shrimp and crabs in the butter!
Suwanee says
Thank you, Molly! Oysters are lovely with this green sauce!
Molly says
A wonderful sauce with incredible flavors. We used it w grilled oysters and it was amazing.
Lacie says
Ok, the sauce that ends it all for me! Delicious and loved how easy and adaptable it is.
Amelia T says
Sorry I forgot to review earlier. Love this tasty sauce!
Ong says
Look delicious 😊
Suwanee says
Thank you, Lizie! It's fun to see what you've been enjoying!
Lizie says
Another delicious recipe Suwanee!
Suwanee says
I'm delighted it turned out so well for your grilling, Jordan! Enjoy the green sauce!
Jordan says
We made this for our grilling, we had grilled shrimp, veggies kabob and firm tofu. We used 3 Thai Birds Eye chilies and the sauce was excellent! We also doubled up on the recipe for our large group and everyone really enjoyed it! Thank you!
Suwanee says
Yes, please do! (: You'll love it.
Cynthia says
I’m drooling! I need to start making this & keep it handy in the fridge! Thanks for the recipe!