Homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
This delicious Thai sweet chili sauce is inexpensive to make and comes together in just 15 minutes. Once you make your own, you will never buy the bottled sauce again.
Thai sweet chili sauce is among my favorite condiments. It is delicious as a dip for spring rolls. It is also a flavorful addition to other recipes, such as fried rice and Asian vinaigrettes. In short, this sauce is a great all-rounder and one of those condiments I always like to have in my pantry.
Until recently, it never occurred to me to make sweet chili sauce from scratch. I bought it in a bottle at the Asian market and dished it out a few tablespoons at a time, never giving it a second thought.
However, a few years ago — when we were living in Abidjan — I found myself in a pickle. The supermarket was out of sweet chili sauce and I needed it urgently for the nasi goreng I was preparing for dinner. (Don’t worry, I’ll share the recipe soon!)
Sometimes hassles are a blessing. This was one of those times. I had no choice but to figure out how to make the sweet chili sauce myself — in a hurry!
Fortunately, the sauce took only 15 minutes to make and was much tastier than anything I bought previously in a bottle! The best part? It contains no artificial ingredients, and you control the amount of salt, sugar, garlic and heat. I was hooked!
Tips for Success
This recipe is very simple. However, it is not a good recipe to throw on the stove and walk away from. Once the sauce starts boiling, it can quickly boil over and make a mess.
Sweet chili sauce only takes a few minutes to make. Trust me, it’s worth it to stay nearby and keep an eye on the stove as it bubbles away.
The cornstarch and water slurry at the end is only added to make the sauce more attractive. It helps the chili bits to stay beautifully suspended in the sauce. However, if you prefer a non-cloudy sauce, or you have allergies, you could always omit it.
I hope your family enjoys this homemade Thai sweet chili sauce as much as mine does. Bon appétit!
Homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 6 Thai birds eye chillies (or red serranos), stemmed (see note)
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
For thickening (optional)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Place the garlic, chilies, vinegar, sugar and salt in a blender jug. Blend until chilies are finely chopped. Do not purée!
- Add water to the blender and whiz to combine.
- Transfer the contents to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the peppers are softened, 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare a slurry of cornstarch and water, whisking with a fork to eliminate any lumps.
- Pour this mixture into the saucepan and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool thoroughly. Store in a clean, glass jar in the refrigerator.
Notes
The number of chilies may be adjusted according to your family's heat tolerance. My family eats spicy food. If yours is less accustomed to hot peppers, please reduce the number by half the first time you make this sauce. You can increase the heat from there.
The cornstarch and water slurry can be eliminated completely. It's only function is to make the sauce more substantial and keep the solid bits prettily suspended in the jar.
Use Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce In
 |
Nasi Goreng |
Loosely adapted from Thai recipe blog, She Simmers.
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