By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 12, 2026
Serves 14
27 cal · 20 min
Little Dragon Cocktail
Recipe GLPRf60f01f02c7021
A vibrant, spicy condiment and dipping sauce with a bold blend of garlic, fresh green bird's eye chiles, fish sauce, lime juice, fermented padaek, and a touch of sugar. This Southeast Asian-inspired sauce is bright, funky, and intensely flavorful—perfect as a condiment for grilled meats, seafood, or vegetables, or as a dipping sauce for appetizers.
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Ingredients
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh garlic
3 to 5 finely chopped green bird's eye chiles
¾ cup fish sauce, preferably Squid brand
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. padaek (Lao-style fermented fish sauce), such as Panthai brand
¼ cup sugar
Directions
Place the finely chopped garlic in a clean glass bowl or jar.
Add the finely chopped green bird's eye chiles to the bowl with the garlic.
Pour in the fish sauce, stirring gently to combine the garlic and chiles.
Add the fresh lime juice and stir until well blended.
Stir in the padaek (fermented fish sauce) to incorporate its funky depth.
Add the sugar and stir thoroughly until the sugar dissolves and all ingredients are evenly combined.
Let the sauce rest for 5–10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Transfer to serving bowls or a squeeze bottle and serve as a dipping sauce or condiment alongside grilled proteins and vegetables.
Comments
This is a Laotian condiment or dipping sauce, not a cocktail, and that's a red flag for a Charlotte meal-planning service. Padaek (fermented fish paste) and bird's eye chiles will require a trip to an Asian market—Food Lion and Harris Teeter don't stock either. Fish sauce is findable at most chains, but padaek forces a special stop, adding real cost and friction to a weeknight. The 20-minute time is honest if you count stirring and resting, but this is a condiment meant to sit for days or weeks to develop flavor, so the stated time undersells the actual use case. Budget the specialty-store trip and plan to build this into meal prep rather than a same-night dish.
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