The Key To Cutting Sweetness In Savory Peanut Butter Dishes

Whether added to a warm bowl of peanut butter oatmeal, blended into a creamy, delicious peanut butter banana smoothie, or even spread generously on two pieces of toast for a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, this sweet, nutty, creamy spread is undoubtedly the ultimate breakfast staple. If you've ever spread peanut butter on your baked salmon, then you surely have a good idea about how beautifully it pairs with any savory dish. However, figuring out how to tone it down if you add a little too much and the dish turns out too sweet can be quite the challenge.

Ian Fujimoto, a content creator and former teacher who proudly calls himself a peanut butter lover, revealed in an exclusive talk that the best way to balance the popular spread's natural sweetness in savory dishes is to add a touch of salt or acidity. "Salt should be your first step, since you are going to salt your dish anyways," Fujimoto told Chowhound. "But if you've already salted your dish appropriately and it's still too sweet, then you'll need to move to an acid." Whether that acidity comes from freshly squeezed citrus, such as lemon, grapefruit, lime, or orange juice, or maybe a splash of apple cider vinegar, really just depends on what you have in your pantry. "What you choose is really more of a personal choice," Fujimoto explained. "Either way, you want to add your acidity little by little and taste as you go. This will prevent you from ending up in a situation where now your dish is too acidic and you have to balance that out."

One of the best aspects of peanut butter is how versatile it is since it fits perfectly into both marinades and sauces. "Some of my favorite ways to use peanut butter in a savory dish are to incorporate it into a sauce," Ian Fujimoto said. "Peanut butter has such a smooth texture that it blends beautifully into sauces. One of my favorite recipes is creamy peanut noodles," Fujimoto noted. "It is hands down one of my all-time favorites!" For example, because of its rich, hearty flavor, peanut butter adds a delicious, sweet touch to spicy noodles when mixed with soy sauce and red curry paste.

Peanut butter can also do absolute wonders for your over-roasted sweet potatoes if you pair it with a drizzle of honey. On the other hand, if you're looking for that special umami kick, simply mix it with a bit of lime juice and cayenne pepper and brush it evenly over your preferred chicken cut before it hits the grill. Peanut butter is also the unexpected topping you need on your next burger that's already in your pantry.

Ultimately, whether you use store-bought or decide to make smooth and creamy homemade peanut butter, Fujimoto emphasized that it all comes down to achieving the right balance in your savory dish. "The sweetness of peanut butter isn't really an issue," he concluded. "Recipes are about balance and complementary flavors... a lot of the most popular savory dishes have some sort of sweetener in them because it's complementary."