By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026

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Nuoc Cham

Serves 6

13 cal · 10 min

Nuoc Cham

Recipe GLPR9c47698370001c

3.8(1)
Vietnamese
Sauce & Condiment
10 min
13 cal
Servings: 6
No-Cook
SNAP eligible

A vibrant Vietnamese dipping sauce with a perfect balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavors. This traditional condiment features fresh lime juice, aromatic garlic, and fiery Thai chiles combined with fish sauce for a distinctive umami depth. Ideal for serving alongside spring rolls, grilled meats, or vegetables.

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Ingredients

4 tablespoons Sugar

6 tablespoons Fish sauce

2 tablespoons Lime zest

6 tablespoons Freshly squeezed lime juice

2 Garlic cloves, minced

4 Red or green Thai chiles, sliced into thin rings

Directions

  1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar and fish sauce. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.

  2. Add the lime zest and freshly squeezed lime juice to the bowl. Mix well.

  3. Fold in the minced garlic and sliced Thai chiles, stirring to distribute evenly throughout the sauce.

  4. Let the sauce rest for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Stir once more before serving.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff3.75

Fish sauce and Thai chiles will require a special trip—fish sauce is not stocked at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, or Walmart in Charlotte, though Kroger sometimes carries it and ALDI rarely does; Thai chiles are similarly sparse, best found at Asian markets or occasionally at the larger Kroger locations. The 10-minute stated time is honest for mincing and mixing, but you're budgeting a second stop on weeknight shopping, which adds real friction. At roughly $0.50 to $0.75 per serving (fish sauce and limes being the cost drivers), it's cheap enough, but the inconvenience of sourcing fish sauce regularly makes this a better weekend project or a recipe for readers who already shop at Asian markets. The sauce keeps well refrigerated for a week, so batch-making pays off, but that only works if you solve the shopping problem first.

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