Learning how to make Sweet Chili Sauce from scratch is incredibly easy, plus it tastes even better than store-bought. Using less than 10 ingredients and one pot, you end up with a sweet and savory sauce to serve with spring rolls, dumplings, chicken wings, and more.
One of my philosophies is that the sauce can make or break your dish. That’s why I’m always playing around with homemade sauces. They not only taste better than the bottled store-bought versions but are also so fun to experiment with. Once you try my Homemade Ketchup and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing recipes, you’ll never buy them from the grocery store again.
Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce
Sweet chili sauce is a sticky sauce with a good balance of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors. The recipe originated in Thailand (where it’s known as nam jim gai or nam chim kai) but has become popular all over the world. Made from a mix of chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, and sugar and thickened with cornstarch, its punchy flavors and vibrant red-orange color add excitement to a variety of dishes.
I like using sweet chili sauce as a dipping sauce for fried foods and a glaze for main dishes. It goes well with spring rolls and seafood. It can also be brushed over roasted chicken breasts, served on the side of fried calamari, or tossed with a stir fry. It’s the kind of sauce you want in your fridge at all times because it goes well with almost everything.
What I love most about making sweet chili sauce from scratch rather than picking up the almost too bright orange bottle at the grocery store is that I have complete control over the ingredients. I’m able to adjust the heat and balance of flavors and avoid any preservatives or other funky ingredients this way,
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Vinegar – Rice vinegar is my go-to for this homemade sauce, but white vinegar will work as a substitute.
- Sugar – I use any granulated sugar I have on hand, like white or cane sugar.
- Water – Just enough to thin the consistency.
- Chili Paste – I like using sambal oelek because it adds just the right amount of heat and flavor without being overpowering.
- Seasonings – Just red pepper flakes.
- Vegetables – I added grated garlic for a flavor punch and shredded carrots and turnip for extra texture. You won’t find carrots and turnips in every sweet chili sauce recipe, but I like how they add a natural sweetness and help thicken the sauce.
- Cornstarch – It’s combined with water to thicken the sauce and make it glossy.
How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce
Boil: I start by placing all of the ingredients (except the cornstarch mixed with water) into a medium-sized pot. I place the pot over high heat until the sauce begins to boil.
Dissolve the sugar: I continue boiling the sauce until the sugar granules have dissolved.
Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, I whisk the cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. I pour the slurry into the pot with the sauce and stir it continuously until it thickens.
Transfer: Once it’s thick and glossy, I transfer the finished sweet chili sauce to a bowl or container to cool.
Chef Tips + Notes
The sauce should start to thicken as soon as you stir in the cornstarch slurry. You’ll know the consistency is perfect when it can coat the back of a spoon without immediately dripping off. It should slowly stream off the spoon and leave a noticeable pattern on the surface of the rest of the sauce.
- Omit the vegetables: You can omit the shredded carrots and turnip if you’d like. The sauce will be on the thinner side and missing some flavor, but it will still be good.
- For a milder version, omit the red chili flakes from this recipe. The chili paste will still give the sauce some necessary heat, but it won’t be nearly as spicy.
- Reduce the sugar: I haven’t tested it, but you might be able to get away with reducing the sugar to 1/2 cup if you’d prefer a less sweet version.
- Extra add-in ideas: If you want to get creative with the flavors, try stirring in a small splash of soy sauce or fish sauce for extra depth and savoriness. Or, for crunch, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of roasted peanuts, sliced scallions, chopped cucumbers, or chives.
- Double the recipe: This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of sauce, but you can make a double batch if you need to serve a crowd or want to save the extras for later.
Serving Suggestions
You can almost always find a jar of this sticky sauce in my fridge because its sweet, sour, and spicy notes pair well with so many meals.
One of the most popular ways to enjoy it is as a dipping sauce. Whenever I’m making crispy fried lumpia, delicious fried coconut shrimp, steamed dumplings, chicken tenders, or egg rolls for the party, I have a bowl of sweet chili sauce on the side for dipping.
It also works really well as a glaze for meat. You can toss your favorite chicken, turkey, or pork meatballs in the sauce, use it as a sticky-sweet sauce for chicken wings, or drizzle it over grilled salmon filets. Give it a try on a simple stir fry or noodle dish. Turn to it anytime your main dishes need a bold hit of Thai-inspired flavor.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this sauce up to 3 days ahead of time. It will become even more flavorful as it sits, so try to get a head start on it if you have the time.
How to Store: Once it’s cool to room temperature, pour the sauce into an airtight container. It will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.
How to Reheat: Sweet chili sauce can be served chilled, at room temperature, or warm. To reheat, pour as much sauce as you need into a small pot and warm it over low to medium heat.
More Homemade Sauces
Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons chili paste, Sambal
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 finely grated garlic cloves
- ½ peeled finely grated carrot, about ¼ cup grated
- ½ peeled small turnip finely grated, about 2 tablespoons – optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixed with water into a small to medium-sized pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, ensure the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together. Add to the pot and stir to combine. It should immediately thicken up.
- Transfer the sweet chili sauce to a bowl or container and cool to room temperature.
Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe