Thai sweet chili sauce probably owns a space in every Asian food lover’s pantry. Not only is it a great dipping sauce for egg rolls, fried calamari, and crispy tofu nuggets, but you can also use it as an ingredient to cook delicious stir fries as well. Homemade sweet chili sauce tastes even better than bottled sauce because the herbs are fresher and you can add a little boost like dry sherry to enhance the flavor. I also like the fact that I can make a tangier version that uses more vinegar. The homemade sauce is healthier too, because you can control the amount of sugar, and because it does not contain any food additives or preservatives. If I haven’t already convinced you to make the sauce, maybe this fact will – making the sweet chili sauce is extremely easy. You only need a few ingredients and 10 minutes!
Cooking notes
Spicy vs. mild sauce
One thing to note: bottled sweet chili sauce is usually very sweet and not spicy at all. In this recipe I made the sauce quite spicy by using Thai bird’s eye chili peppers. I think the spiciness makes the sauce more interesting. If you do not want to make a spicy sauce, you should use mild crushed chili pepper flakes. I recommend Chinese or Korean chili flakes, because they are usually very mild.
Storage
You can store the sauce in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for two to three months. The sauce will congeal if you freeze it. But if you gently heat it up (on the stovetop or in the microwave) and stir it, its texture will return to normal. Do not overheat the sauce, because doing so will cause the cornstarch to lose its potency and the sauce will turn watery. Although you can store the sauce easily, storage will be the least of your problems, because you’ll be able to finish a big jar in no time!
More homemade sauce recipes
Homemade Kung Pao Sauce Homemade Black Bean Sauce Homemade General Tso Sauce Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce Homemade Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (Vegan Stir Fry Sauce)
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
