Nam Jim Jaew dipping sauce is SO addicting, and goes SO well with literally everything! I LOVE this on grilled meats, ALL seafood, and even veggies. It's my favorite way to sauce up my Crying Tiger Beef and Thai BBQ Chicken (Gai Yang).
Once you've tried Nam Jim Jaew, also known as Crying Tiger dipping sauce, it's going to be hard to enjoy grilled meats without it. If you love dipping sauces as much as I do, try my Vietnamese Nuoc Cham, Smack Sauce, and Peanut Dipping Sauce too, or browse all of my sauces.
Crying Tiger dipping sauce is a loved Thai condiment known for its bold, spicy, and tangy flavors. It is traditionally served alongside grilled meats, especially beef, and it adds an extra dimension to everything it touches. You may also see it spelled nam jim jeaw or jeow, or simply called jaew sauce. This tiger sauce comes together in about 5 minutes with no blender or mortar and pestle needed.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 5 minutes: Just chop, mix, and serve.
- No special equipment: All you need is a cutting board and a mixing bowl.
- Bold Thai flavor: Sour, salty, sweet, and spicy all in one spoonful, with a nutty crunch from roasted rice powder.
- Goes with everything: Grilled steak, BBQ chicken, pork, seafood, sticky rice, and even veggies.
- Easy to adjust: Add more or less chili to make it as mild or as fiery as you like.
🌶️ Nam Jim Jaew ingredients
- Tamarind paste - I use Tamicon tamarind concentrate
- Fish sauce - Three Crabs is my favorite
- Palm sugar - I use Dragonfly palm sugar, but any Thai palm sugar works
- Roasted rice powder - I use Kim Tu Thap (Pyramide) thinh
- Thai chili flakes - I use Dragonfly chilli crush
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found on the recipe card below.
🍋 Substitutions & Variations
- Palm sugar - light brown sugar works in a pinch. Start with a little less and taste.
- Roasted rice powder - make your own by toasting uncooked sticky rice in a dry pan until golden, then grinding it into a coarse powder.
- Thai chili flakes - use less for a mild sauce, or more for that true crying tiger heat.
- Herbs - add chopped green onion or mint along with the cilantro for extra freshness.
🔪 How to make Nam Jim Jaew
- Step 1: Chop the cilantro, thinly slice the shallots, and juice the lime.
- Step 2: Combine everything in a small bowl and mix until the palm sugar dissolves.
- Step 3: Serve with your favorite grilled meats, seafood, or veggies and enjoy!
🥩 What to serve with Crying Tiger sauce
I put this sauce on EVERYTHING! It's a must with grilled steak and my Crying Tiger Beef, but it's just as good with BBQ chicken, grilled pork, shrimp, and even plain sticky rice. The tamarind and lime give it that sour punch, the fish sauce brings the salty umami, and the chili gives it just enough kick to keep me going back for one more dip.
My favorite way to eat it is family style, with a big plate of sliced steak, a basket of sticky rice, and some cucumber and cabbage on the side to cool things down. Make a double batch, because trust me, it goes FAST!
Hint: Taste before serving. Nam Jim Jaew should be a balance of sour, salty, sweet, and spicy, so add a squeeze more lime or a pinch more sugar until it tastes right to you.
💡 Recipe Pro tips
- Chop the palm sugar finely so it dissolves quickly into the lime juice and fish sauce.
- Slice the shallots as thin as you can so every bite gets a little bit of crunch.
- Stir in the roasted rice powder right before serving so it stays nutty and toasty.
💭 Nam Jim Jaew FAQ
Nam Jim Jaew, also called jaew sauce or Crying Tiger sauce, is a Thai dipping sauce made with tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, chili flakes, and roasted rice powder. It is traditionally served with grilled meats, especially beef.
The sauce gets its name from the Thai dish it is served with, Crying Tiger beef (suea rong hai). One popular story says the sauce is so spicy it could make a tiger cry. Today, Nam Jim Jaew and Crying Tiger sauce are used to mean the same dipping sauce.
Jaew sauce is tangy, salty, slightly sweet, and spicy, with a toasty, nutty flavor and a little crunch from the roasted rice powder. The tamarind and lime give it a bright sourness that cuts through rich grilled meats.
You don't need any special equipment like a blender or mortar and pestle to make Crying Tiger dipping sauce. All you need is a cutting board and a mixing bowl, which is one of the reasons it's my go-to sauce to eat with everything!
Roasted rice powder (khao khua) is uncooked sticky rice that is toasted until golden and ground into a coarse powder. It gives Nam Jim Jaew its nutty flavor and a little texture. You can find it at most Asian grocery stores or make it at home.
Tiger sauce is delicious with grilled steak, Crying Tiger beef, Thai BBQ chicken (gai yang), grilled pork, seafood, sticky rice, and fresh veggies like cucumber and cabbage.
🫙 Storage
Nam Jim Jaew tastes best fresh. If you have leftovers, keep the sauce covered in the refrigerator and enjoy it within a couple of days. For the best texture, add the roasted rice powder and cilantro right before serving.
🥢 More Sauce Recipes
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📖 Recipe Card
Nam Jim Jeaw | Crying Tiger Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Tamarind Paste
- 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Palm Sugar (chopped)
- 2 teaspoon Roasted Rice Powder
- 1-2 teaspoon Thai Chili Flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Shallots (thinly sliced)
- 5 stems Cilantro (chopped)
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Instructions
- Chop Cilantro, Slice Shallots, and juice Lime.
- Combine all the ingredients into a small bowl and mix until sugar is dissolved.
- Serve with your favorite proteins and enjoy!
Annalise says
this was the perfect addition to my steak, thank you
Ace says
delish