This easy homemade Thai-style Sweet Chili Sauce has the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and tangy. Versatile enough to be used as a dip, in marinades, and in stir-fries.
Sweet chili sauce is a popular condiment that pairs perfectly with many snacks and dishes. It is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy.
You’ll want to dip just about everything in this sweet chili sauce. Try this on chicken wings, fried chicken, shrimp, crab, french fries, hot dogs, and of course, spring rolls! You can also use it as a marinade and sauce for a delicious BBQ chicken, or in a stir-fry.
I love this sauce so much that I often use it in place of ketchup.
This homemade Thai-style sweet chili sauce is ridiculously easy to make and takes just minutes to put together. It also lasts a long time in the fridge; up to about a year (although I bet you’ll finish it a lot sooner than that!) Make a big batch to can, or to give away as gifts.
I think that homemade chili sauce tastes fresher and brighter than the store-bought version. You also get to control how spicy, sweet, or how vinegary or garlicky your chili sauce is. Best of all, it’s free from any preservatives and stabilizers, etc.
How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce
This recipe calls for 1 cup of chopped fresh red chili (about 5 large fresh red chilies, cut into 1/2-inch pieces). If you like your chili sauce extra spicy, throw in a Thai bird chili to the mix.
Add the chili and 5 cloves of garlic to a food processor, along with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup rice vinegar (or white vinegar).
Tip: No fresh red chili? Substitute with 2 tablespoons of sambal oelek!
Blend the ingredients in the food processor – not too smooth; you’ll still want to see little bits of the chili.
Transfer the chili mix to a small pot.
Add 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil, then let it simmer over low heat 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 1/4 cup water.
Bring the sauce mixture up to a rolling boil again, then add the cornstarch slurry to the pot.
Stir for another minute. It will thicken very quickly at this point.
Allow the chili sauce to cool before transferring it into a jar. This recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups of chili sauce.
Keep the chili sauce refrigerated. It will keep for about a year in the fridge (that is, if you don’t finish it by then … which is unlikely.)
Enjoy!
Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh red chili chopped (about 5 large chilies)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup water divided
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Add chili, garlic, 1/2 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 mix to a small pot. Add sugar and salt to the pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then let it simmer over low heat 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 cornstarch in the remaining 1/4 cup water.
- Bring the sauce mixture up to a rolling boil again, then add the cornstarch slurry to the pot. Stir for another minute.
- Allow the chili sauce to cool before transferring it into a jar.
- Enjoy!