Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
Here’s a batch of sweet & spicy homemade Thai sweet chilli sauce that’s perfect for dipping! It’s easy to make & contains 3 types of chilli, for maximum flavour.
If you’re looking for a homemade Thai sweet chilli sauce that’s easy to make & has the perfect balance between sweet & spicy then you’re in the right place! This batch of chilli sauce takes very little time to prepare & will keep for several weeks in the fridge so you can always have some on hand. It’s great for dipping meat & veg in or for glazing chicken wings or drizzling over fried chicken!
So I’ve tried to keep this batch of Thai sweet chilli sauce as authentic as possible by using Bird’s Eye chillies & Sambal Oelek chilli paste. This recipe will work with pretty much any red chilli though & you can make your sauce as spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of chilli or variety used. I like mine to have a bit of a kick! Other than that, this recipe couldn’t be easier to make and it’s all made in one pan…
For more sides & sauce recipes, check out our collection of side dishes! Here you’ll find fries, triple cooked chips, homemade sauces, salads, pickles & lots more.
What You’ll Need
- Bird’s Eye Chillies – These are a type of red Thai chilli. Bird’s Eye chillies have a fairly high level of heat (50,000 – 100,00 Scovilles) & are the traditional choice of chilli for Thai sweet chilli sauce. You can get these chillies from most supermarkets but other varieties of red chilli will work as well (cayenne for example).
- Chilli Flakes – I used Aleppo chilli flakes for my sweet chilli sauce, as they have a sweet, slightly smoky flavour. Other chilli flakes will work as well.
- Sambal Oelek – This is a type of chilli paste that’s made with raw red chillies, vinegar & salt. Adding this into your sauce is optional but it adds another layer of flavour! You can get Sambal Oelek in some supermarkets or online.
- Sugar – You’ll need caster sugar to make sweet chilli sauce.
- Honey – I added some honey into my chilli sauce, for another layer of flavour & added sweetness.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – This is a vinegar made from fermented rice & is used in a lot of Asian style cooking. You can get rice wine vinegar from most supermarkets & it adds acidity to our chilli sauce, to cut through the sweetness. Vinegar also preserves chilli sauce.
- Fresh Garlic & Ginger – Garlic & ginger are traditional flavourings for Thai sweet chilli sauce & using fresh adds a brighter, more intense flavour.
- Paprika – We’re adding paprika to give our sweet chilli sauce extra flavour & a deeper red colour. I used smoked paprika but sweet paprika will work as well.
- Soy Sauce – Adding light soy sauce seasons our chilli sauce & adds extra flavour as well.
How To Make Homemade Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
Making homemade Thai chilli sauce is actually pretty easy! It’s all made in one pan & it’s just a case of cooking chillies with sugar & vinegar over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved then we turn the heat up, bring to the boil & thicken the sauce with a cornflour & water slurry. That’s pretty much it!
Chilli Sauce Base
The base for our sweet chilli sauce is made with 3 different types of chilli, rice wine vinegar, water, sugar, honey, soy sauce and fresh garlic & ginger.
So to make the sauce, we first need to cut the stems off the chillies, cut them in half lengthways then thinly slice them widthways. The chopped chillies get added into a saucepan, along with dried chilli flakes, grated fresh ginger & garlic, sugar, honey, vinegar, water & soy sauce. This mix then gets cooked over a medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved then we stir in the Sambal Oelek (chilli paste).
Thickening
Once the sugar has dissolved, we turn the heat up to medium & bring the sauce to the boil. Whilst that’s happening, we’re going to make a slurry by mixing equal amounts of cornflour & cold water together in a bowl, until smooth. Then once the chilli sauce is boiling, we stir the cornflour slurry in then continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes until thick.
Storage
Now that our sweet chilli sauce is cooked, we need to let it cool slightly then we can transfer it to a sterilised jar/container. Your homemade chilli sauce will now keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge!
Serving Suggestions
Thai sweet chilli sauce is traditionally used as a dipping sauce, to serve with spring rolls, grilled meats, dumplings & chicken wings. However it’s good with loads of other foods & can be also used as a glaze or topping. Think burgers, fried chicken, salads, skewers & lots more!
How To Sterilise A Jar For Sweet Chilli Sauce
Jars need to be sterilised to get rid of any bacteria before being filled with chilli sauce. This is an important step for preserves like chilli sauce, jam & chutneys as it keeps them fresh for longer.
I like using kilner jars for jam as they seal well & are easy to clean. The best way to sterilise these jars is by boiling them in a saucepan of water. I’d recommend using the sterilising instructions that can be found on the Kilner Jar Website.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook homemade Thai sweet chilli sauce on an Aga, use the simmering plate.
For a traditional Thai sweet chilli sauce, you’ll want to use Bird’s Eye chillies which are a type of Thai chilli with quite a high level of heat (50,000 – 100,00 Scovilles). For a milder sauce, use cayenne chillies (or another long red chilli) instead. Traditional Thai sweet chilli sauce also contains Sambal Oelek which is a type of chilli paste that’s made with raw chillies, vinegar & salt.
Sweet chilli sauce doesn’t tend to be too hot, as it has a sweet, mild chilli flavour. However, you can make your homemade sweet chilli sauce as hot as you like by adding in more chillies.
To make homemade Thai sweet chilli sauce less spicy, you can use a milder variety of red chilli & reduce the amount of chilli flakes used.
Homemade Thai sweet chilli sauce should be stored in a sterilised jar or container in the fridge & is best eaten within 3 weeks.
More Sauces & Side Dish Recipes To Try!
- Korean Gochujang BBQ Sauce
- Smashed Cucumber & Cashew Salad
- Irn Bru BBQ Sauce
- Roasted Bone Marrow & Marmite Butter
- Candied Jalapeños (Cowboy Candy)
- Rice Krispie Fried Mozzarella Sticks With Hot Honey
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Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Microplane/Grater
Ingredients
- 25 g Bird's Eye Chillies (Around 12 Chillies – See Notes)
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- A 1" Piece Of Fresh Ginger
- 300 g Caster Sugar
- 200 g Water
- 150 g Rice Wine Vinegar
- 100 g Honey
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Chilli Flakes (See Notes)
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 30 g Sambal Oelek (See Notes)
To Thicken
- 25 g Cornflour
- 25 g Water
Instructions
Sweet Chilli Sauce
- First, cut off the green stems from the chillies then cut each chilli in half lengthways. Thinly slice the chillies widthways then place into a large saucepan, along with the seeds.
- Peel & grate the garlic & fresh ginger then add into the pan with the chillies.
- Add the sugar, vinegar, water, honey, soy sauce, chilli flakes & paprika into the pan then set over a medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved. This will take 3-4 minutes.
- Next, stir the Sambal Oelek into the sauce then turn the heat up to medium heat & bring the sauce to the boil. In the meantime, add the cornflour & water into a small bowl & stir to make into a smooth paste.
- Once the sauce is boiling, stir in the cornflour slurry then cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring pretty much constantly, until thick. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Once cooked, take the pan off the heat & let the sauce cool. Then transfer the chilli sauce into a sterilised jar & store in the fridge.
