Homemade sweet chili sauce is a sweet and spicy sauce from Thailand and gets its name from ingredients like sugar and red chili peppers. It’s an easy condiment that pairs perfectly with extra-crispy fried egg rolls or to use as your favorite salad dressing. Making it at home lets you customize the heat or sugar level without adding any extra fillers or preservatives.
What is sweet chili sauce?
Sweet chili sauce is a thick dipping sauce from Thailand and is also known as Thai sweet chili sauce or nam chim kai. It’s a popular condiment all over Asia and the US. Sweet chili sauce is often made from red chilis, vinegar, a sweetener, water, and, sometimes, garlic.
Known for its balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors, it’s the perfect sauce for dipping freshly fried coconut shrimp, lumpia Shanghai, and more.
Ingredients in sweet chili sauce
I made this recipe based on one of the most popular sweet chili sauce brands–Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce. This sauce mixes seven ingredients: sugar, water, pickled red chili, vinegar, garlic, salt, and xanthan gum (a thickener). This homemade recipe follows this list as closely as possible with ingredients you can find at home or your local Asian grocery store. For my homemade sweet chili sauce, I use:
- Cane sugar: Yes, this recipe calls for a lot of sugar, but to be fair, it does have the word “sweet” in the name. The sugar helps create a good balance for the vinegar and the tanginess of the sauce. You can adjust the level of sugar based on your preference, however, note that this may change the consistency.
- Water: This is necessary for a good sauce base.
- Pickled red chili: You can make your own pickled red chili, but it’s much easier to buy a premade jar at the Asian grocery store. I tested two different ingredients for this recipe (Sambal and Lao Gan Ma pickled red chili). The most authentic tasting sweet chili sauce was with Lao Gan Ma’s brand because it didn’t have any additives or change the overall flavor–it also wasn’t too spicy. You can use Sambal Olek in a pinch, but it will be a bit spicier.
- White vinegar: This adds a nice tanginess to the sweet and savory components. You don’t need to add too much since you’ll be getting some vinegar from the pickled red chilis.
- Minced fresh garlic: I recommend using fresh garlic because it offers a brighter flavor. I also noticed using garlic powder made the sauce a little grainy.
- Kosher salt: adds a good layer of saltiness to the sauce that enhances the sweetness.
- Cornstarch: To substitute for xanthan gum, a thickener, I used cornstarch that most people have at home and made a slurry with a 4:1 ratio of water and cornstarch. I learned that you don’t need THAT much cornstarch to thicken the sauce because it has a lot of sugar, and if you use too much cornstarch, it turns your sauce into an opaque gloop.
What to serve this sauce with
Ever since I was a child, my go-to sauce for lumpia Shanghai or any fried egg rolls is sweet chili sauce. The spicy and sweet combo works so well with every crunchy and flavorful bite of lumpia. Thanks to this homemade sweet chili sauce recipe, you can customize it based on your preference for sweet, spicy, and vinegary flavors.
Sweet chili sauce substitutes
If you can’t make sweet chili sauce at home or cannot buy a bottle at a grocery store, you can also use substitute sauces, like Kikkoman’s sweet and sour sauce. However, note that sweet and sour sauce will not be spicy, so you’ll need to add an ingredient to make it spicier, like chili pepper flakes or sriracha. Some people also recommend combining any hot sauce they have at home with a sweetener like honey.
How long does this sauce stay fresh?
Homemade sweet chili sauce will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Some tips to ensure your homemade sweet chili sauce doesn’t spoil too quickly are keeping the lid on tight while it’s in the fridge and always using a clean spoon to scoop out sauce whenever you want to eat it. Always check the jar before consuming, and if you see any signs of fuzzy mold or rancid smells, chuck the sauce and make a new batch.
Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp white sugar
- 9 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp pickled red chili
- 4 tsp white vinegar
- 8 tsp minced fresh garlic
- 2 tsp kosher salt
slurry
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- 4 tbsp filtered water
Equipment Used
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowl
- saute pan
- spatula
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the 10 tbsp white sugar, 9 tbsp water, 4 tbsp pickled red chili, 4 tsp white vinegar, 8 tsp minced fresh garlic, and 2 tsp kosher salt. Mix until combined.
- In a pan over medium heat, add the mixed ingredients and cook for 1-2 minutes just until the ingredients are warmed up and the sugar has dissolved. Stir while heating up so it doesn’t burn. The sauce SHOULD NOT be bubbling. If it gets too hot, lower the heat.
- On the side, combine the 4 tsp cornstarch and 4 tbsp filtered water to make the slurry.
- Carefully add the slurry and stir until combined. Bring the heat to medium until it begins to simmer and thicken. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the sauce thickens to the consistency of maple syrup. The sauce should turn into a translucent red-orange as it thickens.
- Note: You may need to cook it down longer if you make more than a 1-cup serving. Remember, the sauce will thicken as it cools down, so stop cooking before it reaches the desired consistency in the pan.
- Taste the sweet chili sauce and adjust the seasoning if desired.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool before transferring it into a container or serving.
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