BEST Sweet Chili Sauce
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This homemade sweet chili sauce recipe is guaranteed to become a favorite staple in your home! This Thai sweet chili sauce is versatile, quick and easy to make, is free of additives, and tastes WAY better than the store-bought stuff!
Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce
As with most everything, nothing beats homemade and Sweet Chili Sauce is no exception. Not only is it super quick and easy to make, it’s cheaper, is made without additives or preservatives, you know exactly where the ingredients come from, it’s fully customizable, AND it tastes better than the bottled stuff. That’s a win-win! This homemade sweet chili sauce recipe is sure to become your go-to from now on!
What is Sweet Chili Sauce?
Sometimes also referred to as Thai Sweet Chili Sauce or Asian Sweet Chili Sauce, it’s a simultaneously sweet, savory, tangy and spicy sauce incorporating red chilies, garlic, ginger, sugar and vinegar.
You can find bottled sweet chili sauce in most grocery stores but if you’re like me once you open the bottle it ends up sitting in the fridge forever and forgotten about until it’s time to toss it. One of the several advantages of making you’re own (besides no junk ingredients, fresher, tastier) is that you can regulate how much you make. This recipe makes about 1 cup which is usually enough for whatever you have in mind and if you need more you can simply double it. As quick and easy as it is to make there’s simply NO excuse to buy it!
One of the ingredients used in sweet chili sauce is pickled red chili. I’ve found that between using a chili paste like sambal oelek and adding some vinegar that same flavor is fully replicated. Most grocery stores carry sambal oelek but if you cannot find it you can use dried red chili flakes. Chili flakes are considerably spicier than sambal oelek so be sure to cut back on them unless you like it really hot.
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Ingredients
Sweet chili sauce often has all the “high notes” of sugar and white vinegar without the “low notes” of umami for balance. While this sauce does have garlic (a umami ingredient), we’re also going to add a splash of tamari (or soy sauce), which is a fermented product simply oozing umami. It adds depth and makes the overall flavor more interesting. If you’re gluten-free be sure to use tamari.
If you’re using a chili sauce like sambal oelek that will give your sauce a nice red color. Without it your sauce will not be as red. Is there another way to give it that aesthetically attractive red color? Yes, if you want a little red color boost you can use food coloring but if you’re going to I strongly recommend using natural red coloring (usually made from beet or paprika extract). You can find natural food coloring here.
Sugar Free Sweet Chili Sauce
You can easily make sugar free Thai sweet chili sauce by swapping out the sugar for a powdered/granulated sweetener of your choice, such as Swerve or erythritol.
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring regularly. Once the sugar is dissolved stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring continually.
Continue stirring for about a minute until the sauce is thickened.
Let the sauce cool completely then pour into an airtight jar and store it in the fridge.
How to Store It
You can store the sauce in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for two to three months. The sauce will congeal if you freeze it. But if you gently heat it up (on the stovetop or in the microwave) and stir it, its texture will return to normal.
Enjoy!
How to Use Sweet Chili Sauce
Here are a few things you can enjoy with your homemade sauce – either as a dip, marinade or added to it:
- Wontons, Steamed dumplings, and potstickers
- Spring rolls and egg rolls
- Chicken wings and chicken tenders
- Grilled, baked or fried chicken or salmon
- Grilled or battered shrimp or fried calamari
- Steamed or grilled vegetables
- Meatballs
- Fried or baked tofu nuggets
- Chicken/meat/seafood kabobs
- Mozzarella sticks
- Stir fries, fried rice and noodles
- Mixed with cream cheese and served with crackers
Be sure to try these other delicious homemade sauces!
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Srircha Mayo
- Plum Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Black Bean Sauce
- Adobo Sauce
- Aji Verde
- Homemade Ketchup
- Cherry Barbecue Sauce
- Kecap Manis
- Big Mac Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
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BEST Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- sugar free alternative: use granular sweetener of choice (e.g. erythritol)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine (can substitute dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (use more or less according to taste)
- OR 1-2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes (these are very hot, start with less and add more if desired)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce (use tamari for gluten free)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water (the sauce will thicken more once cooled)
- 1-2 drops natural red food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring regularly. Once the sugar is dissolved stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring continually until thickened, about 1 minute. Let the sauce cool completely, pour into an airtight jar and store in the refrigerator. Will keep for up to a week. Makes about 1 cup.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 17, 2019
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
This is the absolute best sweet chili recipe ever! I’ve been a professional chef for 20 years, and this beats any bottled sauce by a kilometer!
Thank you so much, Brettski, I really appreciate the positive feedback!
I made this last night and after letting the flavors bloom all night, I can say this sauce is IT. I really love that this allows me control the heat factor, too.
I did have a tip for the red color! I just started my journey into Asian cooking and when it came to sweet and sour sauce I was kinda horrified at the number of recipes telling me to just dump red food coloring in. I’m sure the “fast food” style Chinese places are using basic sauce like that in bulk, but I knew it had to be better than that.
Ketchup. I remembered an old comic routine where this Asian woman goes on about how her mom was obsessed with ketchup when she came to America and how she believed all Asians are obsessed with it. It’s a very funny routine, but turns out the joke is based in truth. Ketchup is basically a primitive version of the sweet and sour flavor profile, so adding it to the sweet and sour sauce not only gave it a gorgeous red color, it made it richer in texture, too. And it’s the best sweet and sour sauce I’ve ever had.
I applied the same thing to this sauce. I didn’t have anything that would naturally make it red and I generally want each ingredient to serve more purpose than color, so I reduced the sugar a bit and added ketchup. Tah dah! Sweet RED chili sauce and it’s beyond yummy. It’s getting drizzled on my eggs this morning.
Fantastic! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this, Christine, and thank you for the tip and insights about the ketchup!
Ketchup? Genius!
Not sure what I did wrong. Mine did not look this photo at all. It was foggy not clear, sour, and too hot although I used 2.5 not 3 tsp sambar omelet. I shredded the garlic and ginger on a mini grater, so looked like little worms lol.
This is excellent! Corn products trigger my IBS so anything with cornstarch is a no-no but I am able to get around that additive by using arrowroot powder in the same proportions in this recipe. Im now having to make many of my condiments myself and the flavors in this recipe are wonderful. Thank you, Kimberly!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Deborah, and I appreciate the feedback about the arrowroot, thank you!
Super sweet chili sauce, easy and delicious!
Fantastic, thank you so much Tori!
Going to try making this best sweet chili sauce this evening, but will try replacing most of the sugar with a mild flavoured(Irish spelling!) honey. I’ll be sure to let you know :)
We enjoyed the flavors of this Best Sweet Chili Sauce. We will back off on the dried red chili flakes and the rice vinegar a bit, but the rest was delicious. Looking for many other uses for it!
Awesome, BK, thank you so much for the feedback!
It is canning season :-) can this recipe be canned? I love canning everything :-)
Hi Amanda, this recipe has not been tested for canning. But it also contains cornstarch which is not recommended for canning.