The 2 Best Dipping Sauces For Your Thai Basil Beef Rolls

Thai basil beef rolls are a delicious appetizer if you want to eat (or serve) a lighter dish compared to similar starters like deep-fried egg rolls, and they also work as a refreshing meal. If you haven't taken a bite of Thai beef rolls before, its main ingredients are ground beef, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and fresh herbs like basil and cilantro wrapped in rice paper rolls. They're delicious on their own, but if you're someone who appreciates a condiment, we have an idea for two dips that pair well with these rolls and elevate the flavors.

"We recommend either a satay-style peanut sauce, or if that's not your thing, a sweet chili sauce will complement the Thai basil beef rolls perfectly," says Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, who created our recipe for Thai basil beef rolls.

You might be used to enjoying a satay-style peanut sauce on other Thai foods like pad Thai, while sweet chili sauce is a go-to dip for appetizers like spring rolls and coconut shrimp. But these contrasting condiments also pair well with Thai beef rolls.

If you haven't had a satay-style peanut sauce, it's a thick condiment that originated in Asia. The sauce has a combination of sweet and spicy flavors from its ingredients like soy sauce, honey, and chili paste, and nuttiness from the peanut butter. Those ingredients are an excellent contrast with the richness of the Thai basil beef rolls. For more texture with your Thai rolls, some recipes suggest using crunchy peanut butter or crushed peanuts. You can buy a store-bought version, or you can follow the recipe for homemade satay-style peanut sauce, which was also created by Rye.

Our second recommendation, sweet chili sauce, is a delicious pairing with these rolls because it adds "a lovely hint of sweetness and spicy zing," says Rye. It's a sweeter (and stickier) condiment to dip your rolls in, compared to the rich peanut sauce. It has garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, and chili flakes, which give equal parts sweetness and spice. The flavor combination pairs well with the vegetables like avocado, and herbs in the beef rolls in these Thai rolls.