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4.9 from 237 votes

Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce

The Best Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe! Easy to make, easy to adapt, and most importantly, absolutely delicious! Learn how to make this versatile, authentic Asian sweet chili sauce with step by step instructions. Great for canning too. EASY - Great recipe for beginners. Simple and quick recipe. Makes about 1 ½ cups.US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 32 tbsp
Calories: 18 kcal
Course: Appetizer , Condiments
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

  • ½ cup rice vinegar unseasonsed
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 oz white sugar (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)
  • 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce gluten free soy sauce or salt if you'd like to keep the recipe gluten free or soy free, OR 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper optional - halve it or leave it out if you like it less spicy
  • 2.8 oz sambal oelek a generous 2 1/2 tbsp (please see recipe notes)
  • 4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch (see recipe notes)
  • 2 tbsp water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, garlic cloves, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper (if using) in to a non-stick pan. If you're using dried chili flakes (red pepper flakes) instead of sambal oelek, add it to the pan at the same time. 
  2. Heat over medium heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes. 
  3. Add the sambal oelek and mix through. Let it cook for a few minutes until it's slightly thickened (2- 5 minutes).
  4. Mix the cornstarch and water into a smooth slurry and add this to the sauce as well.
  5. While stirring frequently (to prevent the sauce from burning at the bottom), simmer the sauce for a further 2 - 5 minutes or until it reaches the desired thickness. Remember, the sauce thickens as it cools as well. If it thickens too much, add a little extra water to thin it out. If you're using Clear Jel (for canning purposes), the sauce will mostly thicken only as it cools down. 
  6. Pour into glass jars with air-tight lids (OR heated and sterilized jars to store for longer).
  7. Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge.

Notes

  • Sambal oelek substitutions
  • Cornstarch substitution (for canning)
  • 5 ½
  • Please read the blog post for more ideas on substitutions for other ingredients, and for more cooking tips.
  • 2 tbsp dried chili flakes + 1 tbsp extra rice wine vinegar (reduce the amount of chili flakes if the chili flakes you use are spicy (they'll be spicier than sambal oelek).
  • Finely chopped red chili (red jalapeno or Thai red chili - please read the blog post for details).
  • Use 5 ½ tsp of Clear Jel, dissolved in 3 tbsp water.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1tbsp Calories 18kcal (1%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Sodium 32mg (1%) Potassium 12mg (0%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 15IU (0%) Vitamin C 0.6mg (1%) Calcium 1mg (0%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 32tbsp

Amount Per Serving

Calories 18

% Daily Value*

Serving 1tbsp
Calories 18kcal 1%
Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Sodium 32mg 1%
Potassium 12mg 0%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 15IU 0%
Vitamin C 0.6mg 1%
Calcium 1mg 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.