Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
This Sweet Chili Sauce is easy to make from scratch and delivers a sweet, savory flavor that beats store-bought every time.
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.
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. Rather, 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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 58mgPotassium: 201mgFiber: 2gSugar: 78gVitamin A: 2876IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg