Sweet chili sauce is one of my all time favourite foods and I make my own all the time! It’s sweet, it’s spicy and it’s amazing on pretty much anything! (Or by the spoonful!)
Have you ever wondered how to make sweet chilli sauce? It’s actually really easy to make your own!
The primary ingredients are of course the chilies and sugar along with garlic, vinegar and salt for seasoning and cornstarch to thicken. After chopping the chilies and garlic you simply simmer everything on the stove for a few minutes and the sauce is done! This sweet chili sauce is so quick and easy to make that you’ll be making it all the time!
I like to use this sweet and spicy chili sauce in sandwiches, on steamed veggies, as a dipping sauce, in dressings, marinades, glazes and many other ways! Check out some of the recipes that I use this sauce in below!
The vinegar makes adds an element of sour making this a sweet and sour thai chili sauce!
Sweet Chilli Sauce
A quick and easy homemade Thai style sweet chili sauce!
ingredients
- red chilies to taste*
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup rice wine or cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed into 2 tablespoons of cool water
directions
- Pulse the chilies and garlic in a food processor.
- Bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, chilies, and garic to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes before mixing in the mixture of the cornstarch and water and simmering until it has thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Let cool and enjoy or store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Option: If you do not have access to fresh red chilies you can use a couple of tablespoons of chili sauce like sambal oelek.
Option: Replace some or all of the vinegar with lime juice.
Option: I like to use palm sugar rather than plain sugar.
Option: Add a splash of fish sauce instead of the salt.
Option: Use proper canning procedures for longer storage.
Thai Sweet Chili Dressing
Coconut Shrimp
Singapore Chili Prawns
Thai Lemon Shrimp
Thai Chicken Pizza with Sweet Chili Sauce
Salsa Naranja
Sweet Chili Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Sweet Chili Chicken Quesadilla
Firecracker Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce
Crispy Baked Peanut Sweet Chili Chicken Wings
Thai Style Corn Fritters with Sweet Chilli Sauce
Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers with Balsamic Sweet Chili Sauce
Bang Bang Shrimp
Skillet Sweet Chili Chicken
I love this type of sauce. It makes everything taste good!
I simply adore sweet chili sauce, especially with fish!
Thanks for the recipe!
Por aqui es dificil encontrar los chilies, que envidia. Esta salsita se ve deliciosa, me gustarÃa poder hacerla. Saludos
Oh that's exciting! I'll definitely make some of that! Thanks, Kevin!
Your cooking is so versatile.
Great post.
Wishing you a great weekend ♥
Just found a new use for my chilies that are taking over the garden!
sounds delish and unique – perfect
to make for Labor Day BBQ. Thanks!
Perfect timing!!! I just added sweet chilli sauce to the grocery list today. I use it in everything and go through bottles of it. I can't wait to try my own!
this is a good recipe to have in the files. i don't think i have one, just always buy a bottle.
Looks awesome, Kevin!
This looks great. I can't wait to try it…and some of your other recipes!
Yum! I'm so glad this is so easy to make…this is a kitchen staple!
http://www.kristenskitchen.blog.ca
Hi Kevin, I tried the same recipe via she simmers sometime ago. It was not successful for me, maybe I did something wrong & perhaps I should try it again as yours looks delicious.
Kevin, this is brilliant! I love Sweet Chilli Sauce but who would have thought it could so easily be made at home? Wonderful!
I`m going to do this sauce soon!
Thanks for sharing recipe!
Have a nice time!
Paula
I`m going to do this sauce soon!
Thanks for sharing recipe!
Have a nice time!
Paula
How timely your recipe is! I just bought two beautiful jars and wanted to fill them with something vibrant and yummy. I was searching for a sweet chilli sauce because I do love it on fritters/fish cakes etc, so this is just wonderful! Thanks for sharing 😀
For some reason I was convinced that I couldn't make this myself! Thanks for sharing!
I love, love, love spice in my chilli sauce. I'll give this a try soon! Thanks
This looks great. I will have to make some. I prefer homemade sauces like this to the store bought. Do you have a recipe for an Asian black bean sauce?
My husband loves this stuff. He will use it on eggs, taters, rice dishes and so many others.
I am going to make this as every pepper I planted in my garden turned out hot this year and I have been wondering what to do with them.
This sauce works wonders on ribs too. It's so…well-rounded!
ooo.. I never know it is so easy to make- probably better for us to less the preservatives and sugar!
Hi Kevin,
Corn fritters and chilli sauce sounds delicious.
Love,
Herrad
Hi Kevin,
Try this it is very good.
Love,
Herrad
Trinidad Chicken Curry:
Make your spice mixture garam masala, use some for the marinade keep half for cooking and always keep some for adding near enbd of cooking.
Garam masala;
make your garam masala, your dry spice mix
Grind up:
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 teaspoon ground up black pepper
1 teaspoon tumeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 cardomom seed
1 teaspoon fenugriek seeds
half a teaspoon black mustard seeds
a piece of cinnamon bark if possible
a touch of mace better than nutmeg
2 cloves
garlic 4 cloves
ginger root chopped
lime juice
2 small onions chopped
scotch bonnet chopped, remove seeds, put gloves on for this task.
Marinade chicken with
garlic
ginger (chopped)
lime juice
and some of the garam masala mix
thyme
grind black pepper
and
marinade overnight or for a few hours.
Heat oil when hot add sugar and cook until brown
turn heat off briefly to stop burnng black
turn heat back on and add chicken
and hot pepper
when well browned add a cup of water
cook for ten minutes
Remove chicken
Then add chopped potatoes and tomatoes
and cook well until potato cubes or slices are soft and tomatoes also
Then when sauce is thicker add chicken cook for a few mintes and add
1 teaspoon of garam masala
and
fresh chopped coriander
pinch of salt if needed
and serve with dhal, rice, fried plantain and roti
And enjoy
.
Oooh what a lovely recipe – I love chilli sauce. I will have to give this a go.
Thanks for sharing! We used to call this duck sauce in my house – I wonder if it's because of the "birds eye chili's"?
Becca
No fridge should be without it!
it's great when you can figure out how to make your own favorite sauces, isn't it? Great idea.
All Our Fingers in the Pie: Home made sauces are the best! Black bean sauce is one of my favorites but I have not tried making it at home yet. I will have to look for a recipe.
Herrad: Thanks for the recipe! I like that it uses a homemade garam masala which is what I like to do. Good tip on reserving some for near the end of the cooking.
I love sweet chili sauce but have never thought to make my own… I can't wait to try this one out.
Love that you made a homemade version of this sauce!
Never thought to make it myself until now. Yum! Thanks for sharing.
This sauce is wonderful. So glad you found a good recipe. I too always buy a bottle. We like it with Coconut Shrimp.
add to list of things to try … check.
Kevin, not sure if I missed it, but how long will this sauce keep?
Natalie: This sauce will keep for several months in the fridge.
What type, as in its specific name, of chili are you using when say to add a red chili?
Great site, just found it. I am going to try the sweet chili sauce recipe and if we like it, I plan on canning it. I'm rearching the safey aspects like; vinegar or lemon juice etc. Any suggestions anyone? Thanks, Kathy
Ninja Annie: The red chilioe should have read cayenne chilies. I have updated the recipe.
This looks like a great recipe. Where can I find the two types of chilies in Toronto? Thanks. 🙂
Anonymous: I usually get both chilies in the lower level of the Saint Lawrence Market.
I so love this sauce, and I'm just preparing the stuff for it 🙂 Figured out that I need some spring rolls 😀
Hi Kevin. I'm the anonymous from May 12 who asked where to get the chilies. I will check St. Lawrence Market. Thanks!
Very good and interesting site with very good look and perfect information I like it
Up here in NH they wouldn't know a birds eye pepper from a moose….any way to break this down so I can use powdered peppers from a spice jar?
Billy: You could replace them with jalapeno peppers, red would be better but green would work. Powdered cayenne would give you the heat if not the same texture and should be good.
I love this type of sauce. It makes everything taste good! I'll definitely make some of that! I was looking for sweet chilli sauces and found your blog. Thanks
I love sweet chilli sauce too! But always end up buying it. I can't wait to give this a go. Thanks
I love sweet chilli sauce but I always buy them pre-packed from the supermarket. So when I browsed through your blog posts and saw this recipe, I did not hesitate one second and clicked it, checked out the recipe and decided to give this a try this week. I love the fact that you took time to provide nutritional facts and options on how to make this sweet chilli sauce. Thanks a bunch Kevin!
I love sweet chilli sauce but I always buy them pre-packed from the supermarket. So when I browsed through your blog posts and saw this recipe, I did not hesitate one second and clicked it, checked out the recipe and decided to give this a try this week. I love the fact that you took time to provide nutritional facts and options on how to make this sweet chilli sauce. Thanks a bunch Kevin!
hi.do you have to let chilli dried out first,i have a great grop this year,can i just put into the bleander thanks ron
Use the fresh chilies! Enjoy!
The is the best sweet chili sauce! Love it and it’s so easy to make!
Nicely balanced! I used sambal oelek because it’s what I had on hand. Definitely will be making this from now on instead of buying it. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Kevin! I am diabetic, so I am very appreciative of any home-made recipe, because I can tailor it to suit my diabetic diet, by subbing in a sugar substitute for the sugar! SO happy to have this recipe!! Love your site and all your recipes!!
This recipe sounds delicious. How long does it last in the fridge?
It will last for a couple of weeks.
How many red chiles are recommended?
I like 4 cayenne peppers or 2-3 chile de arbol or birds eye chilies. Enjoy!
Kevin, doesn’t that cornstarch break down once it’s been warmed back up, say, to room temp? When I use it to thicken gravy, I find it’s thin again once I try to reheat it as a leftover.
It remains a thicker sauce at room temperature. If you were to warm it up on the stove or in the microwave it get thinner, but then thicken again when it cools.
Thanks, Kevin! Can’t believe you answered me that quickly. I’ll give it a try because I want to make your chili peanut butter chicken wings.
This sounds amazing! What would you recommend doing different for canning?j
I would make the recipe as is and then follow proper canning procedures. Enjoy!