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The Flavor Bender   ›   Recipes   ›   Recipes by Course   ›   Sauces and Condiments   ›   The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish

Author:

Dini Kodippili







Jump to Recipe


Updated: 7/17/2023
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Quick and Easy Recipes
Sauces and Condiments
The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Sweet strawberries with a kick of spice and fruity tanginess. Make it as a thick relish spread, or a sauce and can be used as anything from a spread to a BBQ sauce! 

The BEST fruity, sweet Strawberry Chilli Relish with a spicy, tangy kick. You can make it as a thick relish/spread or a smooth sauce to be used as a delicious glaze on grilled meat or BBQ sauce!

An incredibly versatile and easy to make relish, and a great way to use up those juicy summer strawberries!

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Sweet strawberries with a kick of spice and fruity tanginess. Make it as a thick relish spread, or a sauce and can be used as anything from a spread to a BBQ sauce! 

We used to have a small patch of strawberry plants in our backyard when I was little, which my father tended to with great care. When I was a little older, I remember how my parents told me this story of how the strawberries kept going missing one time and they couldn’t figure out what was happening for months.

They feared that birds or some animal was getting to them before they ever could. Eventually, my father apparently went out and got a bird net once and then set it up, only to find that the strawberries still kept disappearing.

And then one fine day he went out to the backyard and caught the culprit red-handed (literally), and it turned out to be a very small version of yours truly! I thought it was hilarious and although I have no memory of this, I guess it goes to show how my love for strawberries goes a long way back!

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - A great way to use up those sweet and ripe strawberries

You guys know that I have an obsession for combining sweet and spicy flavor profiles. Like this peach relish, spicy pineapple popsicles, spicy mango relish, sweet chili sauce, and even this spicy margarita recipe!

I think it’s a great way to challenge and enlighten your taste buds. I’ve always loved eating sweet and spicy tomato relish, so I figured it might work just as well with strawberries too.

Strawberries pair so beautifully with savory flavors like balsamic vinegar and black pepper, so I decided to make this beautifully bright red Strawberry Chilli Relish that you could use at home with whatever you fancy!

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - All the ingredients for an amazing Strawberry Relish with a spicy and tangy kick!
The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Just add all the ingredients! Easy Strawberry relish perfect to spread on everything!

I added some Aleppo chilli flakes, but you can add regular crushed chili (crushed red pepper) instead, but that’ll make this strawberry relish a bit spicier.

I sliced the strawberries for this recipe, but I have used chopped strawberries as well. The difference is that you get a chunkier spread with sliced strawberries and a smoother relish with chopped strawberries.

If you’re looking to make a delicious spicy strawberry sauce (like ketchup), or a base for a BBQ marinade, then I’d recommend that you chop the strawberries instead.

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Freshly cooked relish! Thick and chunky for spreads! Start with chopped strawberry for a smoother sauce! Easy Strawberry relish perfect to spread on everything!

This spicy strawberry chilli relish is perfect to use up that bounty of strawberries in the summer, even when they are overripe and soft – in fact those are ideal for this recipe!

I often use those to make strawberry jam, strawberry shortcake ice cream, healthy strawberry smoothie etc., but this strawberry relish is perfect too!

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Sweet strawberries with a kick of spice and fruity tanginess. Make it as a thick relish spread, or a sauce and can be used as anything from a spread to a BBQ sauce! 

With that bright red color and the bold, sweet and spicy flavor combo, this strawberry relish is perfect on ANY summer table. It’ll be right at home even on a Valentine’s day recipe menu as well.

Whether it be a grilled chicken, a perfectly cooked steak, a sandwich, a salad, your breakfast, dessert recipes or just straight up from the bottle/jar (like a boss!), this strawberry chilli relish will add a fantastic fruity sweetness and a spicy chilli kick.

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Sweet strawberries with a kick of spice and fruity tanginess. Make it as a thick relish spread, or a sauce and can be used as anything from a spread to a BBQ sauce! Perfect for you morning Bagel!

I often make a double batch of this strawberry chilli relish because we could never get enough of it! It’s such a versatile relish and the possibilities are endless.

I frequently use it to spice up my grilled chicken, and recently, one of my readers said that it tastes great as a glaze for pork tenderloin on the BBQ!

So go ahead and make a double batch, you just can’t go wrong with a fruity, sweet, spicy relish like this! 🙂

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Sweet strawberries with a kick of spice and fruity tanginess. Make it as a thick relish spread, or a sauce and can be used as anything from a spread to a BBQ sauce! 

Lately, I’ve been using this strawberry chilli relish on my bagels and sandwiches. But for a truly nifty idea – try using this sweet and spicy relish in place of strawberry jelly/jam in these frozen strawberry cheesecake bites for an amazing summer treat!

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Sweet strawberries with a kick of spice and fruity tanginess. Make it as a thick relish spread, or a sauce and can be used as anything from a spread to a BBQ sauce! 

Recipe

The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Sweet strawberries with a kick of spice and fruity tanginess. Make it as a thick relish spread, or a sauce and can be used as anything from a spread to a BBQ sauce! 
4.8 from 10 votes

Strawberry Chilli Relish

Author: Dini Kodippili
Yield: Makes about 1 cup
Cuisine: European, North American
The Best Strawberry Chilli Relish - Sweet strawberries with a kick of spice and fruity tanginess. Make it as a thick relish spread, or a sauce and can be used as anything from a spread to a BBQ sauce! 

 Difficulty: 

Easy
This fruity, sweet Strawberry Chilli Relish with a spicy, tangy kick is amazing as a thick relish or spread or smooth sauce to be used as a delicious glaze on grilled meat or BBQ sauce!

US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight‌ ‌measurements‌ ‌are‌ ‌recommended‌ ‌for‌ ‌accurate‌ ‌results whenever available.

Common Measurement Conversions
Prep: 25 minutes mins
Cook: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Print Recipe Rate SaveSaved!
Makes: 16 servings (1 tbsp each)

Ingredients:
 

  • 455 g ripe strawberries 1 lb. Hulled and sliced (see notes)
  • 1 ½ tbsp chilli flakes/crushed red pepper Add 1 tbsp or less if you prefer a mild relish. This is a spicy relish with chilli flakes as the co-star, I used 1 tbsp crushed chilli flakes and ½ tbsp Aleppo chilli
  • 150 g white sugar ¾ cup
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used.
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Extra water to thin out the sauce if needed

Instructions:
 

  • Slice the strawberries (or chop if you like a smoother, sauce-like relish).
    455 g ripe strawberries
  • Add the strawberries and all the ingredients (except water) into a saucepan and mix well.
    1 ½ tbsp chilli flakes/crushed red pepper, 150 g white sugar, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, ½ tsp salt
  • Bring to a boil and then simmer on low-medium heat for about 40 minutes, until the relish thickens.
  • Stir the relish frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • If you like a thick relish, keep it as is. If you prefer a pourable sauce-like consistency, add a few tablespoons of water to thin out the relish.
    Extra water to thin out the sauce
  • Store in an airtight jar, or a sterilized glass jar. It should stay fresh for about a week in a normal jar, but longer in a sterilized jar.

Recipe Notes

NOTE – chop the strawberries instead for a smoother, sauce-like spicy strawberry chilli relish.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1tbsp Calories: 49kcal (2%) Carbohydrates: 12g (4%) Protein: 0.3g (1%) Fat: 0.2g Saturated Fat: 0.02g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g Sodium: 86mg (4%) Potassium: 61mg (2%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 11g (12%) Vitamin A: 226IU (5%) Vitamin C: 17mg (21%) Calcium: 8mg (1%) Iron: 0.3mg (2%)

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”

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About

Dini Kodippili

Dini Kodippili is a professional food writer, recipe developer, food photographer, cookbook author, and baker. Dini has been featured on HuffPost, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Delish, Food & Wine and more. Learn More

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58 responses

  1. Kate
    October 5, 2016

    4 stars
    Such a great and inspirational relish – I made a few changes (other than a lot less chili) due to the ingredients I had to hand – I used Apple cider vinegar with a dash of old Shiraz (as I didnt have any red wine vinegar) Balsamic glaze (instead of the vinegar), I used 2/3 of the amount of sugar and added in a 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder. I really reduced it down and although I dont normally like chili relish – this was totally amazing, will def be making more. Thank you for the inspiration.

    Reply
    1. Carla
      July 26, 2017

      You’ve inspired me. I have all of the basic ingredients and am adding a touch of ginger. This feed back is great and it’s smelling lovely as it simmers!

      Reply
  2. Barb Henshaw
    January 8, 2016

    5 stars
    Love strawbs.,love chillies.
    Live in France & grow my own chillies.Will grow lots more this year.
    Looking forward to lots more of your recipes. À bientôt.Barb.

    Reply
  3. Tara
    June 3, 2015

    3 tbsp of chilli flakes is way too much for his recipe. It was literally too hot to eat.

    Reply
    1. Dini
      June 3, 2015

      Hi Tara! I’m so sorry it was too hot for you!
      This was meant to be a spicy relish and because my entire family loves chilli, this wasn’t too hot for us at all especially with the sweetness. I usually mention that we have a high spice tolerance level, but somehow missed adding that here! Again, I am so sorry! HOWEVER, I will be adding a note to the recipe warning everyone to add chilli according to their preference, so thank you so much for letting me know…

      Reply
      1. STEPHANIE
        September 11, 2016

        I was thinking of trying this with fresh rambutan. Any suggestions?

        Reply
        1. Dini
          September 11, 2016

          Hi Stephanie!
          That would definitely be interesting! You could make it with rambutan, but since rambutan has a delicate flavor, you want to reduce the chilli to a minimum or it would overpower the flavor of rambutan. Definitely do not add the balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar, and stick to white wine vinegar instead. I honestly cannot guarantee how well it would turn out, but it is definitely something that I am curious to find out too! 🙂
          The texture could be different as well. If I were making this, I would cook down the vinegar, chilli and sugar first, and then add the rambutan and cook it down until you get the desired consistency. Do let me know how it turns out! 🙂

          Reply
  4. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
    April 12, 2015

    Oh Dini, this looks so good! I’m thinking I want to try it on a grilled cheese!!

    Reply
  5. Joy @ Joy Love Food
    April 12, 2015

    Such a cute story! And this relish sounds wonderful!

    Reply
  6. Laura
    April 12, 2015

    I never, ever, would have thought to put strawberries with chicken. I need to try this relish! Strawberries are my favourite thing ever. Even more than chocolate.

    Reply
  7. Hirra Pervaiz
    April 12, 2015

    The relish looks divine and the chicken recipe with it looks super Yum

    Reply
  8. Faye Wilkerson
    April 12, 2015

    It’s strawberry season in the south. Will have to make this relish with local fresh berries. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  9. Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen
    April 11, 2015

    Dini, you seriously make the coolest, most unique food. I would love to try this with that awesome combo of sweet and spicy!

    Reply
  10. Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons
    February 14, 2015

    I love the combination of sweet and spicy. My mouth waters thinking of this in a salad with goat cheese. I’m definitely going to pin and give it a try.

    Reply
  11. Miranda @ Cookie Dough & Oven Mitt
    February 14, 2015

    This relish sounds fantastic. I love the pairing of fruit and chili flakes. I would definitely slather some of this on some chicken wings. Yummmm!

    Reply
  12. Johanne Lamarche
    February 13, 2015

    Yum! Would be good in a grilled cheese too:)))

    Reply
    1. Dini
      February 13, 2015

      Thank you!! It definitely would Johanne! Especially with a little goat cheese and Balsamic Vinegar! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Natalie
    February 13, 2015

    Oh, yummy 🙂 I love the sweet and spicy combo.

    Reply
    1. Dini
      February 13, 2015

      Thank you Natalie!

      Reply
  14. Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake
    February 13, 2015

    oh wow this looks soooo good, I need this in my life!!

    Reply
    1. Dini
      February 13, 2015

      Thank you Michelle! 🙂 Happy Galentines Day!

      Reply
  15. sue obryan
    February 13, 2015

    This jam is amazing. I’ve never had a fruit jam with chilli in it butI am so intrigued! I will take a couple of jars please! Thank you for going above and beyond this week and bringing two delights to the party!

    Reply
  16. Amanda
    February 13, 2015

    Okay, I’m licking my screen! Lol, not really, but I totally want to, because wow that looks SO GOOD!!

    Reply
  17. Jing
    February 10, 2015

    This draws me in! I don’t try sweet and spicy taste very often because I don’t know what dish to make with it. But you have me on board at the Spicy Strawberry Grilled Chicken 🙂 Looks like a very tasty combo.

    Reply
    1. Dini
      February 11, 2015

      Thank you Jing! This tastes amazing in salad dressings too. I hope you come back as I’ll be using this again for another dish next week! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Brandi @ penguinsinpink.com
    February 9, 2015

    I love strawberries! This sounds so good. Thanks for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned to the Bloggers Brags Board.

    Reply
  19. Ganu
    February 9, 2015

    Hahaha of course it was you!!! 😛 this looks so good and so easy to make too! Thank you for the recipe! Would it work with frozen strawberries?

    Reply
    1. Dini
      February 9, 2015

      Definitely will work with Frozen strawberries. Just taste it at the end, to adjust sweetness and tart levels! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Katie @ Recipe for Perfection
    February 9, 2015

    What a neat relish! And you’re right, this time of year it’s all about the reds and pinks! Sometimes I can’t quite wrap my mind around fruit relishes, but the tartness of strawberry actually sounds like a winner. 

    Reply
    1. Dini
      February 9, 2015

      I really get it! Fruit relishes are the kind of stuff you either hate or love or grow to love. I grew up with Fruits being eaten with vinegar, pepper or chilli, so I think I’m at the point where I like trying it with any fruit! Finding out if it’s a winning combo or “bury in the ground” combo… 🙂

      Reply
      1. Bonnie Lee La Madeleine
        July 10, 2017

        5 stars
        I made this yesterday with some of the few strawberries that survived our odd spring and early summer in Vancouver. OMG, it is amazing. Not only did the flavour of these sweet local berries rise to the top of the relish, the spice gives it a nice kick. We are using it tonight as a glaze for pork tenderloin on the BBQ. Thank you so much for sharing this idea.

        Reply
1 2
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Hey There!

Hi! I’m Dini, a third culture kid by upbringing and a food-geek by nature. I was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in New Zealand and lived in Australia, and then the US, before moving to and settling down in Canada. My food is a reflection of those amazing experiences!

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