There are some condiments that will NEVER go out of style – like Asian sweet chili sauce! If you knew you could make it yourself, your very own spicy sweet chili sauce customized just the way you like it, and when you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry, wouldn’t you want to give it a try?
This is truly The Best Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce that I’ve ever had, and the only recipe you’ll ever need for it!
Imagine a steaming hot spring roll, an egg roll, fried chicken, grilled chicken, chicken wings, chicken nuggets, crab rangoon, wanton, fried calamari, cheesy toast etc. etc. Now imagine the same without that ever present, faithful sidekick – the dipping sauce? Not quite the same, is it? Whether it’s game day, or you’re eating out or you have friends over, sometimes a great appetizer or snack just isn’t the same without that beautiful condiment – the dipping sauce.
Although that’s not always the case – I recently made some Mini Cheesy Chicken Pies and Pork Sausage rolls, which I thought were perfect without any condiments. But for those moments when you do need one, an easy to make, insanely delicious, homemade dipping sauce might just make all the difference!
And one of my absolute favorite dipping sauces is Thai Sweet Chili Sauce! I used to ALWAYS have a bottle of sweet chili sauce in my fridge, and use it on pretty much everything. It’s my go-to condiment.
This really is the Best Thai Sweet Chili Sauce you’ll ever have! It’s one of the most popular posts on my blog with dozens and dozens of great reviews on here and on Pinterest. It’s ridiculously easy to make, but I’ve also provided ingredient substitutions to make it even easier for you.
What is Sweet Chili Sauce?
A simple to make, thick, sweet and spicy sauce with a delicious garlicky kick. You can actually see pieces of chili and garlic suspended in the sauce in the pictures in this post. Sweet chili sauce is a classic condiment in Asian cuisine, especially Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.
Yes, it’s readily available in any supermarket or grocery store worth its salt. But if you know me, you know that I love to make whatever I can, whenever I can, from scratch. And this is one of those things that really is simple enough that you can make yourself at home easily. Plus you know exactly what goes in it, so it’s healthier, and with this recipe, you know that the results are going to be glorious! 🙂
So on one of my trips to the grocery store, I looked at the label on the sweet chili sauce bottle and the ingredients were – sugar, water, pickled red chili, vinegar, garlic, salt and xanthan gum. That sounded simple enough, and all I needed was to find the best ratio of those ingredients.
How can I make Sweet Chili Sauce easily?
Sweet Chili Sauce is easy. We’ve already established that. 🙂 It comes together in just 10 minutes and you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
One of the ingredients to make sweet chili sauce is pickled red chili. It’s pretty time consuming to make your own fresh chili paste and pickle it to make sweet chili sauce. But thankfully there is a readily available ingredient, which is a shortcut to help you make authentic sweet chili sauce.
And that’s SAMBAL OELEK! It’s an Asian chili sauce made with red chili peppers and vinegar. I always have a bottle of it in my fridge because I use it all the time when cooking curries or stir-fries.
Sambal Oelek used to be a little tougher to find, unless you had easy access to an Asian grocery store, but now you can easily find them in most supermarkets too. Just check the Asian food aisle in your local supermarket. There are two types of Sambl oelek –
- Regular chili sambal oelek that I use for this recipe and,
- Chili garlic sambal oelek
For the most authentic flavor, use the regular sambal oelek. But if that’s not available, you can use the garlic version too. Just make sure to cut down the amount of garlic cloves in the recipe by half.
Another ingredient that I use to make sweet chili sauce is soy sauce OR fish sauce. Both of these ingredients help season the sauce and add another level of flavor to it. I love adding fish sauce for a more authentic Thai or Vietnamese flavor flair with a nice little umami kick too.
I LOVE those chili and garlic pieces suspended in the sauce…
CHECK OUT THE STEP BY STEP RECIPE VIDEO BELOW
What if I can’t find Sambal Oelek?
Don’t you worry! I tried different substitutions and found that you can still make delicious sweet chili sauce at home without sambal oelek. There’s a subtle difference in flavor and appearance with each substitution, but in the end, you still have a really flavorful sweet chili sauce!
Dried Chili Flakes
Dried chili flakes will make this sweet chili sauce a tad spicier. Instead of 2 ½ tbsp to substitute the sambal oelek, I only add about 2 tbsp of dried chili flakes, and a little extra vinegar (about 1 tbsp). You may need a little extra seasoning too, but that’ll be a personal preference.
Fresh Chili
I’ve made this with fresh chili too. Again, I only use about 2 tbsp of ground (or finely chopped) fresh chili. Make sure to find the red chili peppers for this sweet chili sauce recipe.
If you make this with red jalapeno, the spice level will be less, and you can use 2 tbsp of the peppers (with or without seeds).
If you have access to Thai red chili (the small red chili), you can use even less. These peppers are spiceeeey! It’ll be better to remove most of the seeds, and ONLY use the chili for to make the sauce. I typically only use about 1 ½ tbsp of ground Thai red chili peppers.
And ALWAYS remember to use gloves when handling fresh chili, especially Thai red chili peppers.
Cayenne Pepper
I haven’t made sweet chili sauce with ground cayenne pepper (chili powder), but you could if you wanted to. It won’t look the same as the authentic sweet chili sauce, because there won’t be any flakes in the sauce, and you’ll end up with a colored thick sauce with pieces of garlic suspended in it. But the flavor should be pretty good (though not as good as with sambal oelek).
Can I make sweet chili sauce with a sugar substitute?
Absolutely!
- You can use honey, but it’ll change the flavor significantly, so as long as you’re OK with that, go for it. The sauce may require a little extra cornstarch to make it thicker as well. Adding honey will make this recipe not vegan.
- If you want to use brown sugar, you can do that too.
- If you want to use rice syrup (brown rice syrup), that’s also great. I haven’t made this sweet chili sauce with rice syrup before, but it should change the flavor.
Can I make this sweet chili sauce gluten free?
The only ingredient with gluten in this sweet chili sauce recipe is soy sauce. You can easily substitute the soy sauce with gluten free tamari sauce. Using soy sauce or tamari sauce will still make sure this recipe vegan. Alternatively, you can leave out the soy sauce and just season it with more salt.
I have also recommended using fish sauce instead of soy sauce for the more authentic Thai/Vietnamese flavor. Nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce) and Nam pla (Thai fish sauce) are naturally gluten free, but not vegan.
Can I can sweet chili sauce?
I’ve had many readers ask me this question. The one obstacle for canning this sweet chili sauce is the use of cornstarch to thicken the sauce here. Since recipes using cornstarch or cornflour are not recommended for canning, you will need to substitute the cornstarch if you’re planning on canning it.
Cornstarch can create lumps in the sauce during the canning process which can interfere with the process itself AND the final outcome.
There are TWO options for those of you who want to can this sweet chili sauce.
- Can the sauce WITHOUT the cornstarch, and then thicken the sauce later, before you use it.
- Substitute the cornstarch with Clear Jel (my recommended option).
Using Clear Jel for canning sweet chili sauce
You can use Clear Jel for this recipe and get great results! Make sure to use the cook type clear jel and NOT the instant type.
I’ve found that I have to use just a little extra Clear Jel than cornstarch to thicken this sweet chili sauce. For every 3 tsp of cornstarch (1 tbsp), I use 4 tsp Clear Jel (1 tbsp + 1 tsp).
Since Clear Jel is a modified cornstarch, it should be gluten free. But check with the manufacturer to be sure.
Are there any Sweet Chili Sauce substitutes?
There isn’t really a substitute for sweet chili sauce. You could mix some sriracha with honey for a sweet and spicy substitute, but that’s just not the same.
But the good news is that this sweet chili sauce can be cooked in just 10 minutes (or less), and it’s ready to be enjoyed as soon as it cools down. Plus, with all the substitutions available, you can readily make this sweet chili sauce with what you have in your pantry.
I can say with plenty of conviction that this really is the BEST SWEET CHILI SAUCE you can make at home! 🙂 While the most authentic Thai sweet chili sauce requires that one special shortcut ingredient (sambal oelek), you can make it without sambal oelek too, as I’ve shown you guys here.
This sweet chili sauce makes for a great edible gift during the holiday as well! And now that you know how to make the recipe safe for canning, you can make the sauce last longer too.
This is definitely a recipe that you should add to your repertoire. Imagine telling your friends that wicked sweet chili sauce is all homemade? Plus it looks so pretty with that vibrant red color. That counts for something too right? 🙂
I love this sauce on everything! You can use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, or even other snacks like the recipes I’ve linked to below.
Szechuan Salt and Pepper Shrimp (Salt and Pepper Prawns)
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken kebabs
![Spicy Thai Chicken Kebabs - With aromatic peppery authentic Thai Flavors these Black Pepper and Thai Basil Chicken are perfect for a backyard summer BBQ [ad]](https://www.theflavorbender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Spicy-Thai-Chicken-Skewers-1326-464x700.jpg)
Baked Mushroom Fries (Vegan friendly)
Caramelized Apple, Fennel and Pork Sausage Rolls
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Ingredients
- ½ cup rice vinegar unseasonsed
- 3/4 cup water
- 4 oz white sugar (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
- 5 garlic cloves chopped finely
- 1 tbsp soy sauce gluten free soy sauce or salt if you'd like to keep the recipe gluten free or soy free, OR 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper optional - halve it or leave it out if you like it less spicy
- 2.8 oz sambal oelek a generous 2 1/2 tbsp (please see recipe notes)
- 4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch (see recipe notes)
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Add the vinegar, water, sugar, garlic cloves, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper (if using) in to a non-stick pan. If you're using dried chili instead of sambal oelek, add it to the pan at the same time.
Heat over medium heat while stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
Add the sambal oelek and mix through. Let it cook for about a minute.
Mix the cornstarch and water into a smooth slurry and add this to the sauce as well.
While stirring frequently (to prevent the sauce from burning at the bottom), simmer the sauce for a further 2 - 5 minutes or until it reaches a desired thickness. Remember, the sauce thickens as it cools as well. If it thickens too much, add a little extra water to thin it out. If you're using Clear Jel, the sauce will thicken mostly only as it cools down.
Pour into glass jars with air-tight lids (OR heated and sterilized jars to store for longer).
- Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Sambal oelek substitutions
- 2 tbsp dried chili flakes + 1 tbsp extra rice wine vinegar
- Finely chopped red chili (red jalapeno or Thai red chili - please read blog post for details)
Cornstarch substitutions
- For canning, use 5 ½ tsp of Clear Jel, dissolved in 3 tbsp water.
Please read the blog post for more ideas on substitutions for other ingredients.
I love this recipe. Made mine with fresh chillies and soft brown sugar. Its quite possibly the best sweet chilli sauce recipe I have ever tried and will be my ‘go to’ from now on
Dried chilli works well in this recipe as a sauce, i used jam sugar in another batch to make a chilli jam and it turned out wonderful but if you want a thicker sauce you can use arrowroot instead of cornflour ( sauce remains clear) and is perfevt for canning.
This is so good and easy. I always have a bottle of this in the frig. It goes on just about everything i eat.
Hi:) I’m just wondering, when you say 20kcal I’m assuming you don’t mean the whole thing is 20kcal so how much is 20kcal?
Thanks
Ruby
Hi Ruby!
The recipe is 32 servings / 32 tablespoons. Each serving is 20 calories (kcal). Hope that helps.
If u can tell it stays fresh upto how many days??
Hi Moon!
This will last for at least a week in the fridge. We always finish ours before that 🙂
I used this recipe however additionally sauteed diced red and green peppers with a diced red onion along with the flavors together with the additional ingredients was really yummy. Thank you
This sauce was so flavorful and so good! We I poured it over cod and baked it and everything came out perfectly! I reserved a little to drizzle on top before we are it. I will be making this again and again. Thank you!!
It’s so good!!!! Instead of cornflour, I used a low-sugar pectin to thicken it up so it’s more like a soft jelly but still very very yummy! The reason I used pectin was because I made a huge batch and canned them. THANks for sharing the recipe.
Can I substitute the sugar with honey? I am eating paleo.
Hi Misty,
Yes you can do that. But the taste will be a little different from classic sweet chili sauces.
I use about 3/4 cup – 1 cup of sugar for this recipe. So I would recommend using 1/2 cup (less sweet) or 3/4 cup (sweeter) of honey for this recipe. As honey is a liquid, you may have to cook the sauce for a little bit longer to get the right consistency. Just keep an eye on the sauce and you’ll be ok! 🙂
I hope that helps. I’d love to know how it turns out!
Just made this recipe yesterday and I loved it! My husband also said it was the best. I also wanted to find out if it could be canned and discovered that while cornstarch does not work well in canning recipes…Clear Gel and a couple other canning substitutes for cornstarch can be used instead. I have ordered some Clear Gel from Amazon. It is difficult to find in stores. Will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for a delicious substitute for store bought choices, with a little more zing, and no extra fillers and stabilizers.
This sauce looks amazing! May I ask what brand of sambal oelek do you buy?
Thank you Nancy! This sauce is pretty addictive 😉
I use Huey Fong Sambal Oelek Chili Paste, which is my favorite brand of sambal oelek.
Great idea! I tweaked the recipe a little: replaced the white sugar with brown sugar and maple syrup, added a teaspoon of Vegeta (Polish veggie stock powder), stirred in two Kaffir lime leaves and used roasted garlic instead of raw ones. It’s not as sweet but definitely has a deep, savoury, umami flavour from the roasted garlic, brown sugar, maple syrup and Vegeta. The lime leaves and rice vinegar then gives the flavor a bright lift! Can’t wait to have this in an omelette sandwich and as a dipping sauce for deep fried spring rolls.
The Vegeta was a substitute for fish sauce and soy sauce to keep this recipe vegan, gluten-free and contains no refined white sugar or high fructose corn syrup (sometimes found in bottled Thai sweet chilli sauces here in the US). Love this idea and will never buy from the store again. It only took 20-30 mins to make this.
The recipe calls for 4 red chilies. So I got sweet mini peppers. I have no idea what kind of peppers to use for this. Help!
Hi Marcia
This recipe calls for any red chilis. Red jalapenos will be less spicy, but thai red chilis will be the best (spicy) option. Peppers don’t work in this recipe as they won’t provide the heat necessary for a traditional sweet chili sauce. If you are unable to find fresh red chili, the best option is to use Sambal oelek (which you can easily find in the asian aisle of supermarkets or in your local asian stores). Hope that helps! 🙂
Can this be canned ?
Hi Karen!
I haven’t canned this myself. But I have been told that the sauces thickened with cornstarch don’t can very well. However, I was also told that the sauce can be canned WITHOUT cornstarch, and then thickened before you use the sauce instead. I hope that helps.
Dini
Can I use dried chili?
Hi!
I haven’t tried dried chili with this recipe. I don’t think it will have the same texture as the dried chili won’t soften too much in the sauce. The taste may stay the same, but I cannot be sure.
I love being able to make my own sauces and we’ll love this one!
Wow. So so good. Never buy shop bought again
All You need to know Is” Yummy D” This is so dang good!!! Why on earth would you ever buy jarred sweetened chili sauce when you can make this recipe. Sambal Olek has been a staple in my house for many many years. Many thanks Flavorblender for posting!
Can’t wait to try this. I hate buying the shop bought stuff, never know what’s in it, but this recipe looks fab. Thanks for sharing x
Great recipe! Made this tonight and mixed it with some cauliflower for a main dish and it came out great. I doubled the recipe and substituted with red chilis- I suggest starting with only a couple red chilis and working your way up. I like spicy but using 5 chilis was even a bit much for me. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks so much!
LOVE IT!!!!!!
Hello! How much cream cheese i should be placed in order to make it creamy??
Thanks for your ideas and lovely post!!
Xx
Hi Shirley!
I don’t have a set amount of cream cheese to add to make it creamy, because I just add as much as I want for my personal taste. Another serving option is to turn out a tub of spreadable cream cheese and pour some sweet chili sauce on top and serve it as is 🙂 (As you can see in my recipe here – http://www.theflavorbender.com/2016/01/mango-jalapeno-jam-cream-cheese-dip.html
I hope that helps!
Dini
How did I miss this one? Love it! Thanks Dini 🙂
Living in a rural area I have to substitute things all the time. One of my most favorite things is red chili paste in a tube,it’s the perfect heat level and available. I’ll let you know how it works.
About how long does this keep in the fridge for ?
Hi Katie!
Honestly, we finish every batch in about 2 weeks, but this can keep for maybe up to a month or even longer – if the glass jars are sterilized before you put the sauce in there.
Hope that helps!
Dini
I have to make this for my kids! They love Spicy Chili and I hate buying any processed bottled ones. Love this pinning for tomorrow
What is sambal oelek ? Where would I find it?
Hi Lulu!
Sambal Oelek is a paste or sauce made out of fresh chili and vinegar. You can find it in an Asian store, or in the Asian food isle in some supermarkets 🙂 I’m not sure where you live – but I buy mine from the local Asian store, but I have seen them at Hy vee and Walmart too (in the USA). I have also bought them from Woolworths and Coles in Australia. I hope that helps!
If you cant find Sambal oelek, you can substitute it with fresh chilli ground up with a splash of vinegar, but use 1 tbsp less than the recipe as it is likely to be more spicy than sambal oelek.
What is corn flour? I have read that it could be cornstarch…or corn meal (masa) depending on the culture. My instincts tell me that for this recipe it is cornstarch. Please confirm,. The recipe looks delish! Thanks!
Hi Rebecca!
Yes! Your instincts are right 🙂 Corn flour is corn starch. Thank you so much! I hope you try this recipe and love it!
Great Dini, thanks for the quick response! Can’t wait to try it. FYI I haven’t looked for the Sambal Oelek in my local grocery yet….but if all else fails, one can purchase from Amazon. Just in case someone else cannot find it. I love trying new and interesting things and from the description of this ingredient it sounds like something I would love to experiment with.
No problem Rebecca! I hope you do find Sambal Oelek. I love Sambal Oelek, I always keep a jar of it in the fridge and use it for day to day cooking! If you can’t find it, you can use fresh red chilis and grind them into a paste. It will be spicier, so you will have to use slightly less of it!
I am not sure if you live in the US, but if you do – I easily found Sambal Oelek at Hyvee.
Hi Dini! Well….I finally got around to making this sauce to serve with some oven fried chicken strips I made this week….all I can say is WOW!! Fabulous sauce I will make again and again. My hubby flipped for it…now I am thinking up more ways to use it. Love the idea of pairing with cream cheese for a dip or a spread. Thank you!!
I live in N.E, England and I have not heard or seen Sambal Oelek! and in your recipes can you give the weight of a cup of whatever please or will any size cup do ??
Hi Allan!
You should be able to find Sambal Oelek in an Asian Grocery Store, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute with fresh red chilli that has been ground into a paste. You can use the same amount – but it will be quite spicy, so I suggest using a little less (about 50 – 55g)
The cup I used for this recipe measured 240mL, but you can use a 250mL cup as well (250mL is the standard cup measurement in England). 250mL of water is about 250g water too. Once you measure the water, measure 1/2 that amount for the Rice wine vinegar.
I hope that helps Allan! 🙂 Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any more questions.
That gif is killing me, haha! I have GOT to make this sauce. I feel like I’m going to want to dip everything in it!
I can think of so many ways to use this, I doubt it would last any time at my house. Bookmarked it!
I love that you used sambal oelek instead of Thai red chilis and that means this recipe is hassle-free. Wohoo! I am saving the recipe and going to try it soon. I love Sweet Chili Sauce a lot and this is one of the things I make sure I always have in my pantry. Thank you for sharing, Dini. x
We use Spicy sweet chili sauce a lot and your recipe is perfect as I currently have loads of both dried and fresh chilis in my pantry. You sound like my boys as they love it hot!!!
That’s perfect!! 🙂 If you’re using Fresh chilli then it’s even better! You can grind them in a mortar and pestle with a little vinegar and use it in place of the Sambal Oelek! (PLUS they would be spicier too!! Which is even BETTER for me too! :D)
That looks insanely good!! I would love to eat it with a spoon! 🙂
I absolutely LOVE sweet chilli sauce! A perfect dipping sauce!