A little sweet, a little spicy, a whole lot of flavor. This easy and versatile Sweet Chili Sauce can be used as a dressing, dipping sauce, or marinade.
Thai sweet chili sauce is one of those sauces that pack loads of flavor and is always so useful to have on hand. We have used it tossed with noodles, marinated meats with it (my Thai Sweet Chili Chicken is popular around here), added it to salad dressings for extra flavor, and used it as a dipping sauce for all sorts of things including spring rolls.
It has the perfect balance of flavors. It’s sweet and spicy all rolled into one sauce and that kind of combo is always a hit.
You truly can’t beat a homemade sauce and while you can buy sweet chili sauce at the grocery store, we like making it at home because we can control and adjust the ingredients to suit our tastes. Want a less sweet sauce? Use less sugar. Want more spice? Add more chili paste. It truly is so wonderful to be able to adjust this recipe to suit your families preferences.
The best part is, it is incredibly easy to make and can be brought together in just minutes. Super handy when we are looking for a last minute dipping sauce!
Why we love this recipe
- It’s delicious! This sauce is spicy, sweet, and oh-so-yummy!
- The sauce is easy to put together.
- You can easily change things up to suit your own tastes or ingredients you have on hand. You can add more chili paste or chili flakes to make it spicier or use less sugar if you want a less sweet sauce.
- There are so many uses for this sauce. It can be used as a marinade, in dressings, to sauce noodles, or as a dip.
What you need to make Sweet Chili Sauce
- Rice vinegar: this Asian vinegar can be found in most grocery stores. It has a more delicate, mild flavor than regular white distilled vinegar and should not be substituted with another vinegar as they tend to be more acidic and would alter the flavor of the sauce.
- Water
- Garlic: minced garlic adds to the flavor of this sauce.
- Sugar: white granulated sugar.
- Chili sauce (sambal oelek): This spicy chili paste is primarily made from hot red chili peppers, vinegar, and salt (though depending on the brand, ingredients may differ slightly). You can usually find this product in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. I like using the chili paste because of the flavor it adds and how easy it is compared to chopping up your own chilis and making a paste. If you cannot find the sambal oelek, the next easiest option is to use red chili flakes. See the notes in the recipe card for tips on how to substitute.
- Cornstarch: used to thicken the sauce.
**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
How to make Sweet Chili Sauce
- Bring to a boil. In a saucepan add the rice wine vinegar, 2/3 cup of water, and garlic and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Dissolve sugar. Lower the temperature to medium-low and add the sugar and chili sauce. Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add a cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl or cup, mix the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water to form a slurry. Add it to the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Cool. Remove the sauce from heat and let it cool. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. If it gets too thick, you can thin it out with water.
Storing the sauce
Once the sauce has cooled completely, you can store it in an airtight container like a mason jar in the fridge. I like to use it within a week.
How to use Sweet Chili Sauce
There are so many ways to use this sauce. Some of our favorites include:
- As a dip for Pot Stickers, Spring Rolls, or Egg Rolls.
- As a marinade or glaze for proteins like salmon, shrimp, beef, or chicken. My Thai Sweet Chili Chicken recipe is a favorite.
- To sauce up noodle or rice dishes.
- Used to make an Asian-inspired salad dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sambal Oelek is a chili paste made by grinding red chili peppers. The chili paste or chili sauce is often mixed with salt and vinegar though you can find some variations between recipes and brands.
If you can’t find sambal oelek, the next easiest substitution is to use red chili flakes. Since these can be hotter, I would start with just a little and then add more accordingly. See the notes in the recipe card for suggestions on how to substitute.
If you wish to replace the sugar in this recipe with another sweetener such as some honey or a sugar-free substitute like erythritol I don’t see a reason it wouldn’t work. While I haven’t tried it myself, I imagine it could be substituted successfully. Keep in mind that when you substitiute honey for sugar, you will need to use less as it is sweeter. If you give a substitution a try, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
I hope you enjoy this delicious and versatile sauce as much as we do!
-Cathy
Are you a fan of Asian flavors? You may also like:
Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus
Sweet Citrus Stir Fry
Baked Orange Chicken
Asian Citrus Soy Salad Dressing
Asian Sesame Beef Skewers
Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken
Shrimp Ramen Stir Fry
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Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce (sambal oelek). If you cannot find sambal oelek, you can replace this with red chili flakes. See notes below.*
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a saucepan add the rice wine vinegar, 2/3 cup of water, and garlic and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Lower the temperature to medium-low and add the sugar and chili sauce. Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
- In a small bowl or cup, mix the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water to form a slurry. Add it to the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the sauce from heat and let it cool. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. If it gets too thick, you can thin it out with water.
Notes
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
