Is Satay Sauce Gluten-Free?

on January 9, 2023

Satay sauce is a popular sauce that is most commonly used in Malaysian cuisine and is made from a combination of peanuts or peanut butter coconut milk and spices and is most frequently used as a dipping sauce for grilled meat and vegetables.

Satay sauces can contain gluten in some cases while others may be completely gluten-free unfortunately it will depend upon the specific brand of satay sauce that you are purchasing as some manufacturers use wheat based ingredients such as soya sauce which can contaminate the product making it unsuitable for people with a gluten-free allergy.

To determine if the satay sauce is gluten-free it will be necessary to check the ingredients list on the packaging or alternatively contact the manufacturer of the product who will be able to confirm whether the product is gluten free.

How To Tell If A Satay Sauce Is Gluten Free?

The easiest way to get a gluten-free satay sauce is to look for one that has a gluten-free label on the front of the packaging which typically means that the product has been tested for the presence of gluten and found to be less than 20 parts per million.

The other alternative is looking at the ingredients list on the packaging. The reason for this is that in most countries around the world, manufacturers are required to state the presence of any allergens including gluten. Gluten can come in many forms however generally you should be looking for wheat, rye or barley grains or their derivatives which includes things like malt extract.

Most manufacturers will either state the presence of these ingredients within the ingredients list itself however some manufacturers will also place a general statement at the end of the ingredients list confirming which allergens are present in the product.

However, there are one or two exceptions to this that are important to understand. The first exception is that products such as glucose and dextrose which are derived from wheat are actually safe for coeliacs to eat. The reason for this is that the level of processing of the wheat results in any gluten that was present being removed.

But this does cause some confusion among the uninitiated because companies are still required by law to state that their product does contain wheat even though it is not a problem for coeliacs.

The other significant exception which can cause confusion is when manufacturers state the product may contain gluten. This statement means that the ingredients within the product do not have gluten but may have been manufactured on the same equipment as products that do contain gluten.

This is largely done to prevent any potential legal action should there be some sort of problem, but the reality is that products with this statement are safe for coeliacs to eat in most cases.

However, if you have doubts about a particular brand of satay sauce you can also directly contact the company to confirm the product’s status or alternatively make your own satay sauce at home using gluten-free ingredients.

Can You Make Satay Sauce At Home?

Satay sauce can easily be made at home and there are many different ways to do this. Below is a recipe for gluten free satay sauce which does not take very long to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Place the peanut butter, coconut milk, tamari, honey, lime juice, garlic, and chili flakes into a saucepan.
Gently heat the saucepan over medium heat ensuring that you stir the mixture regularly until it is combined. This will usually take 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and allow the sauce to cool to room temperature.

The sauce will last for approximately a week in a fridge as long as it is stored in an airtight container.

What Other Sauces Are Likely To Be Gluten Free?

Sauces and dressings are often the most likely sources of gluten in a dish. As a result of this you may be wondering what sauces are most likely to contain gluten-free. Here is a list of the most common examples;

Mayonnaise and dressings based on mayonnaise can often contain gluten so it is therefore important that you check the ingredients carefully.

BBQ sauce Is another source that in most cases does contain gluten however there are gluten-free alternatives.
Worcestershire sauce is another traditional sauce that contains gluten.
Soy sauce is another source that is notorious for having gluten present in it though there have over the last few years been increasing numbers of products available without gluten.

There are many other types of sauces that are likely to be gluten-free, so you can check the ingredients list or contact the manufacturer to confirm the gluten content of a particular brand or recipe.