This easy Asian-style homemade sweet chili sauce recipe is lightly spicy and balanced with just the right amount of sweetness and tang. It’s the familiar dipping sauce often labeled as Thai-style, but made fresh at home. Use it as a dip, a quick glaze, or stirred into simple stir-fries.
Sweet chili sauce is one of those condiments that goes with just about everything. Sweet, spicy, and tangy, it’s similar to the sweet chili sauces you’ll often see labeled as Thai-style in stores. I love this sauce so much that I often use it in place of ketchup.
You’ll want to dip just about everything in this sauce. Try it with chicken wings, fried chicken, shrimp, crab, french fries, hot dogs, and even spring rolls.
Making sweet chili sauce at home takes just minutes and gives you full control over the sweetness, heat, vinegar, and garlic. There are no preservatives or stabilizers, and it keeps well in the fridge, making it perfect for small batches or bigger jars to share.
How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce
This recipe starts with fresh red chilies. You’ll need 1 cup of chopped fresh red chili, which is about 5 large chilies cut into ½-inch pieces. If you like your sweet chili sauce on the spicier side, you can add a Thai bird’s eye chili to the mix.
Add the chopped chili and 5 cloves of garlic to a food processor, along with ½ cup water and ½ cup rice vinegar (white vinegar works too)
Tip: No fresh red chili? Substitute with 2 tablespoons of sambal oelek!
Pulse just until everything is broken down. You’re not looking for a smooth purée here. A little texture from the chili pieces is what gives the sauce its character.
Transfer the chili mix to a small saucepan.
Transfer the chili mixture to a small saucepan. Add 1 cup sugar and ½ teaspoon salt, then bring everything to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
Use a heat-resistant silicone spatula to stir the mixture occasionally and to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to prevent it from burning.
In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in ¼ cup water to make a slurry.
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Bring the sauce back to a rolling boil, then slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture.
Stir for another minute. It will thicken very quickly at this point.
Allow the chili sauce to cool before transferring it to a jar.
This recipe yields about 1 ½ cups of chili sauce.
Keep the chili sauce refrigerated. It will keep for up to 6 months in the fridge (that is, if you don't finish it by then ... which is unlikely.)
Enjoy!
Ways to Use Sweet Chili Sauce
This sweet chili sauce is incredibly versatile and works well with everyday meals, snacks, and proteins; not just Asian dishes. Here are some ways you can use it in everyday cooking:
- As a dipping sauce for spring rolls, egg rolls, fried wontons, or chicken nuggets (it pairs perfectly with Dino Nuggets… just saying)
- Brushed on chicken (baked, grilled, or air-fried)
- Used as a glaze for salmon or shrimp
- As a dipping sauce for lettuce wraps
- To spice up teriyaki chicken or other stir-fried chicken dishes
- As a dipping sauce for chicken wings (grilled or fried. Great with plain or lightly seasoned wings, or even roasted chicken)
- Served with french fries or sweet potato fries
- Stirred into stir-fried noodles for a touch of sweetness and heat
- Drizzled over crispy tofu
How do you use sweet chili sauce? I’d love to hear! Leave a comment below or email me and let me know!
💡 Pro Tips for the Best Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce
Don’t over-blend the chilies.
You want some texture in the sauce, not a smooth purée. Small bits of chili give the sauce body and keep it from tasting flat.
Adjust the heat to your comfort level.
If you’re sensitive to spice, start with fewer chilies. You can always add heat later, but you can’t take it out once the sauce is cooked.
Taste and adjust before thickening.
Before adding the cornstarch slurry, give the sauce a quick taste. This is the easiest point to tweak the sweetness, tang, or saltiness.
Bring the sauce to a full boil before adding cornstarch.
Cornstarch only thickens properly when the sauce is boiling. If the heat is too low, the sauce can turn cloudy or uneven.
Don’t overcook after thickening.
Once the sauce thickens, remove it from the heat. Overcooking can make it too thick once cooled.
Remember it thickens as it cools.
The sauce may look slightly loose while hot, but it will continue to thicken as it cools in the jar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sweet chili sauce is usually more sweet and tangy than spicy. The heat level depends on the type and amount of chilies you use. If you prefer a milder sauce, start with fewer chilies and skip the bird’s eye chili. You can always add more heat later.
Yes. If you don’t have fresh red chilies, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of sambal oelek. The flavor will be slightly different, but it still works well and keeps the sauce balanced.
Sweet chili sauce thickens quickly once the cornstarch is added and continues to thicken as it cools. If it turns out too thick, stir in a little water while it’s still warm. If it’s too thin, bring it back to a boil and add a bit more cornstarch slurry.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this sweet chili sauce will keep for up to 6 months Always use a clean spoon when serving to help it last longer.
Easy Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh red chili chopped (about 5 large chilies)
- 5 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup water, divided ½ cup + ¼ cup
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- Thai bird's eye chili optional for extra heat
Instructions
- Add chili, garlic, ½ cup of water, and vinegar to a food processor. Blend to a pulp. Not too smooth; you’ll still want to see little bits of the chili.
- Transfer the chili mixture to a small pot. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a rolling boil, then simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to prevent burning.
- In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in the remaining ¼ cup water.
- Bring the sauce back to a rolling boil, then add the cornstarch slurry. Stir for another minute, until thickened. The sauce will thicken very quickly at this stage.
- Allow the chili sauce to cool before transferring it into a jar. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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