Southeast Asian Crack Sauce / Herb Salad

Let me show you how to make my favorite condiment to eat steak with! I’m not 100% sure what to call it, to be honest. It’s a fusion of your classic Asian Crack Sauce, served more in herb salad form. It’s super easy to put together and insanely delicious. The fresh herbs and lime add a ton of vibrance and tang, and the umami of the fish sauce perfectly balances with a little bit of sweetness and spice. This is typically served with steak, but this would also be incredible on really any kind of protein like pork chops, chicken, or even grilled oysters.

What is Crack Sauce?

Crack sauce is a very common term in Southeast Asian cooking, and every culture has its own slight variation. Vietnam has Nuoc Cham, Thailand has its Nam Jim Jaew, Laos has Jeow Som, and Cambodia has Tuk Trey. The common denominator is the use of fish sauce, sugar, lime, and fresh herbs!

My version embodies the essence of crack sauce but is transformed more into an herb salad through the preparation of red onions and cilantro.

How to make my Crack Sauce / Herb Salad:

1. Combine fish sauce and sugar in a mixing bowl in a 3:1 ratio. For every three tablespoons of fish sauce, add the juice from half a lime.
2. Chop up Thai chilis, add to the bowl, and mix well. If you like the sauce spicier, add more; if you can’t handle the heat, feel free to omit it.
3. Thinly slice a red onion, and rip up a handful of cilantro. Add to the sauce, mix, and serve with your favorite proteins. This last step is the most significant change from your standard crack sauce recipe. Most would have you finely mince your herbs, but I really enjoy the texture this gives the sauce instead.