By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 2
103 cal · 10 min
Nuoc Cham
Recipe GLPRbf4b1e10943b36
This classic Vietnamese dipping sauce balances salty, sweet, sour, and aromatic notes in one simple condiment. Fish sauce forms the savory backbone, while lime juice provides brightness, sugar adds balance, and fresh garlic brings pungency. Perfect for serving alongside spring rolls, grilled meats, noodle bowls, or fresh vegetables.
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Ingredients
¼ cup Fish sauce
⅝ cup Water
3 tablespoon Fresh lime juice
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
1½ cloves Garlic cloves, crushed or minced
Directions
Pour the fish sauce and water into a clean bowl.
Add the lime juice and sugar to the bowl.
Add the crushed or minced garlic.
Whisk or stir vigorously for 1–2 minutes until all the sugar is completely dissolved. The sauce should be clear and homogeneous with no grains of sugar remaining.
Taste and adjust as desired—add more lime for brightness, more sugar for sweetness, or more fish sauce for depth. Serve immediately with your chosen dishes, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Comments
Nuoc Cham is a pantry-stable condiment that will be found at any major Charlotte grocer—fish sauce at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, and Walmart, lime and garlic year-round, sugar always on hand. The ten-minute claim is honest; this is literally mincing garlic, juicing lime, and stirring, and it takes under five. At roughly $1.50 per batch, the cost per serving is negligible. The real value is that this keeps refrigerated for weeks, so a single batch seasons dozens of bowls of rice, noodles, or grilled proteins, making it a genuine weeknight workhorse that justifies the minimal prep.
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