Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (2024)

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (1) Jessica Randhawa

4.91 from 30 votes


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This easy homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce combines spicy, savory, and sweet flavors. Perfect for dipping egg rolls and coconut shrimp or drizzling over your favorite rice and noodle dishes, it’s simple to make and so much better than the store-bought stuff.

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (2)

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe

A must-have for spring rolls and pot stickers, Thai chili sauce is the perfect versatile sauce for all of your favorite Thai dishes and stir frys. Easily adjust the spice level to your personal preference, but any level of kick is sure to elevate your meal. Making the sauce couldn’t be easier–it’s ready in just 15 minutes total. I guarantee it’ll become a fridge staple to use on any Asian dishes you cook!

Thai Chili Sauce vs. Sweet Chili Sauce

Not to be confused with sweet chili sauce, traditional Thai chili sauce is made with fresh chilies, garlic, and fish sauce instead of just red peppers and sugar. It’s bolder and more savory in flavor (although the sweet, spicy kick and sticky consistency are the same).

How to Make Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

  1. Add the sugar, rice vinegar, and water to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until the water reaches a low boil and the sugar dissolves.
  1. Next, reduce the heat to low and mix in the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, Sriracha, and cayenne pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes, continuing to stir. Tip: If you‘re sensitive to spicy foods, omit the cayenne pepper.
  1. Meanwhile, dissolve one tablespoon of cornstarch in one tablespoon of cold water. Mix until the cornstarch is completely dissolved (leaving no lumps).
  1. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cornstarch to the pot. Mix well. Return the heat to low and mix in the fish sauce and salt to taste. Allow the sauce to thicken (this should happen rather quickly) and remove the saucepan from heat. Note: The sauce will continue to thicken even after it is removed from the heat.

How to Serve Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

  • Serve it as a dipping sauce with everything from fried chicken to fresh spring rolls, pork pot stickers, to crunchy coconut shrimp. And, of course, crispy wontons.
  • Drizzle it over cooked white rice, fried rice, vegetable stir frys, or noodles.
  • Serve it on buttery crackers with a little bit of cream cheese – so good!

Storage and Freezing

Store leftover sweet chili sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 2-3 months, although the consistency may change as it congeals. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before slowly reheating it on the stovetop until reheated.

More Sauce Recipes:

  • Garlic Butter Sauce
  • Mexican Mole Sauce
  • Spaghetti Sauce
  • Chimichurri Sauce
  • Teriyaki Sauce

If you try making this Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know!I always love to hear your thoughts.

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (3)

RECIPE CARD

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (4)

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

4.91 from 30 votes

AuthorAuthor: Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (5)Jessica Randhawa

Learn how to make traditional Thai CThis easy homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce combines spicy, savory, and sweet flavors. Perfect for dipping egg rolls and coconut shrimp or drizzling over your favorite rice and noodle dishes, it’s simple to make and so much better than the store-bought stuff.hili Sauce with this recipe that is both sweet and spicy.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Servings 24 servings

Calories 26 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add sugar, rice vinegar and water to a small sauce pan, stir and turn on heat to medium-high. Continue to gently stir sugar mixture until it comes to a low boil and all the sugar has completely dissolved.

  • Turn heat to low and gently mix in the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, Sriracha and cayenne pepper (optional. Leave out if you are sensitive to spicy food). Allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • In the meantime, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water. Mix until there are no longer any lumps and all cornstarch is completely dissolved.

  • Turn up heat to medium high and pour in the cornstarch, making sure to mix well immediately. Return heat to low, add fish sauce and salt (to taste). Allow sauce to thicken (this should happen quite fast) and remove from heat. Your sauce will continue to thicken once removed from heat.

  • Keep leftovers stored in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 134IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Keyword Thai sweet chili sauce

Did You Make This Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @theforkedspoon or tag #theforkedspoon and please leave your star rating in the comment section below.

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About Jessica Randhawa

Chef Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon. A world traveler, Jessica developed her passion for culinary arts while adventuring. With her recipes making their way onto renowned platforms such as Women's Health, Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and Fox News, she's marked her presence in the culinary world. Jessica's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

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Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What can I use in place of Thai sweet chili sauce? ›

What can replace Thai sweet chili sauce? There are a fair few options for replacing Thai sweet chili sauce! Try sriracha sauce with a little sweetener, plum sauce, hot sauce with maple syrup, spicy ketchup, sambal oelek or other chili sauces such as chili garlic sauce.

Is Thai chili sauce and sweet chili sauce the same thing? ›

Sweet chili sauce, also known as Thai chili sauce, is made using dried chili flakes and is primarily a sweet condiment that also has sour and spicy notes.

What is a substitute for Thai chilies? ›

Thai chiles: A thin-skinned chile typically found in red and green, popular in numerous Asian dishes. (Bird chile is the name of the dried form; drying the chile gives it the hook shape, similar to a bird's beak.) Substitution: Fresh or dried cayenne peppers or serrano chiles.

How do you tone down sweet chili sauce? ›

Adding more of the non-spicy ingredients like vegetables and herbs, incorporating some sour flavors (like lime or vinegar), using sweeteners (such as honey or sugar), and adding butter/oil/coconut milk/yogurt are all great options for reducing the spiciness.

What can you use if you don't have chili sauce? ›

🌶️ What Is Chili Sauce?
SubstitutesRatio Notes
Harissa Paste1:1
Sriracha SauceTaste test to determine amount to use as it's hotter
GochujangDilute with water, vinegar and sugar
Spicy Ketchup1:1, best if used as a dip or later in the recipe so it doesn't burn
3 more rows
Apr 28, 2022

Is Thai chili sauce same as Sriracha? ›

Sweet Chili Sauce is a Thai condiment that's sweet, spicy, and tangy. It's often served with spring rolls. Compared to sriracha, Sweet Chili Sauce tends to be sweeter than it is spicy. While it does have many similar ingredients to sriracha—like chili, garlic, salt, and vinegar—the proportions are different.

Do you refrigerate Thai sweet chili sauce? ›

You should refrigerate any opened container of sweet chili sauce, whether it is homemade or commercially made, if you plan to store it for a long time. You can usually store commercial sweet chili sauce at room temperature for short periods.

Can I use Sriracha instead of sweet chili sauce? ›

One alternative is to mix together equal parts of sriracha sauce and honey. Another option is to use a combination of red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, and sugar.

Is sweet and sour sauce the same as sweet chili sauce? ›

Both are incredibly simple to make. The only difference between sweet chilli sauce and sweet and sour sauce is that sweet chilli sauce is sweet, sour, and spicy. So only the spiciness goes missing when using sweet and sour sauce instead of sweet chilli sauce.

Which is hotter habanero or Thai chili? ›

A few of the more common and popular hot pepper varieties include: Habanero Pepper – 150,000-325,000 Scoville units. Thai Chile Pepper – 50,000-100,000 Scoville units.

What can I substitute for Thai chili paste? ›

The Best Chili Paste Substitutes And When To Use Them
  • Ketchup and Ground Cayenne Pepper. This is probably the fastest and simplest make-at-home alternative to chili paste. ...
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Or Any Pepper Flake Blend) ...
  • Franks Red Hot Hot Sauce. ...
  • Sambal Oelek. ...
  • Gochujang. ...
  • Spicy Tomato Paste. ...
  • Canned Chipotle Peppers.
Aug 19, 2023

How spicy is a Thai chili? ›

The Thai chili pepper, also called bird's eye chili when dried, is a small, thin pepper that packs a lot of heat. It is about 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units which, on a scale of hotness, puts it in between a jalapeno and a habanero pepper.

How to correct too sweet chili? ›

However, if you find you are plum out of lemons and your chili is skewing toward the sweet end of the culinary spectrum, you can substitute a little vinegar to help rescue its taste. Just remember to start with a small amount so you don't ruin your pot of chili altogether.

How do you offset sweet sauce? ›

Balance Out the Flavors

Sour: The general go-to here would be lemon juice, although lime will also work. Orange juice will only add more sweetness as will some kinds of vinegar. White wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar are good choices but shy away from balsamic because of its inherent sweetness.

Is sweet and sour sauce the same as Sweet Chili Sauce? ›

Both are incredibly simple to make. The only difference between sweet chilli sauce and sweet and sour sauce is that sweet chilli sauce is sweet, sour, and spicy. So only the spiciness goes missing when using sweet and sour sauce instead of sweet chilli sauce.

Can I substitute co*cktail sauce for chili sauce? ›

co*cktail sauce makes a great alternative to chili sauce because it has a tang similar to that of chili sauce. In addition, you can typically find a wide range of spice levels in co*cktail sauces. And to use it in place of chili sauce, you most likely will want to choose one of the spicer varieties.

What is another name for Thai chili? ›

Types of Thai Peppers

Agriculturally speaking, we specify that two types of chili peppers grow for harvest in Thailand: the prik khee nu (or prik kee noo) or "bird pepper" and the prik khee fah or plain "chili pepper."

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