Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

This sauce is a great sweet and spicy addition to any dips, marinades, or dressings–plus it tastes great all on its own! Not only does it work as an awesome spring roll dip, but I’ve also used it for all kinds of things, both successful (glazed salmon, bang bang chicken, spicy shrimp stir-fry) and experimental (kitchen sink curry, sweet fried noodles), proving that it’s a very versatile condiment that can take on many forms. 

While you can buy a version of this Thai sweet chili sauce already pre-bottled in stores, it’s usually both a small quantity and relatively expensive ($8 for 6 fl oz at my grocer!). Why spend that kind of cash when almost all of the ingredients are things most people already have in their pantries, and it’s crazy easy to make! And as an added bonus, you’ll be able to control the balance of sweet and spicy, which helps when cooking to your own tastes and making a delicious, personalized meal. 

This recipe makes about 1.5 cups sauce (12 fl oz), but can be adjusted to make more/less to suit your needs!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust for desired spice)
• 1 tbsp sriracha (adjust for desired spice)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 1 ½ tbsp cold water

Directions:

1. Add rice vinegar, sugar, and ½ cup water to a sauce pot and stir. Heat over medium-high until it begins to boil. (Your kitchen is going to smell very strongly of vinegar for a bit, so I recommend opening a few windows and turning on a fan.)
2. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir and lower heat to medium/medium-low. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring gently. Add sriracha.
3. In a mug or small prep bowl, mix cornstarch and water until the cornstarch has dissolved.
4. Return the sauce to a boil and add cornstarch mixture and salt, stirring gently for 3-5 minutes.
5. When the sauce reaches your desired thickness, remove from the heat and let cool. Then serve or store!

This recipe keeps for several weeks in the fridge stored in an airtight container. I would recommend using glass (like a mason jar or pyrex bowl with lid) as I noticed it left a lingering vinegar-y smell on my plastic tupperware even after it was washed. 

Print Recipe

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes adjust for desired spice
• 1 tbsp sriracha adjust for desired spice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1½ tbsp cornstarch
• 1½ tbsp cold water

Instructions

• Add rice vinegar, sugar, and ½ cup water to a sauce pot and stir. Heat over medium-high until it begins to boil. (Your kitchen is going to smell very strongly of vinegar for a bit, so I recommend opening a few windows and turning on a fan.)
• Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir and lower heat to medium/medium-low. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring gently. Add sriracha.
• In a mug or small prep bowl, mix cornstarch and water until the cornstarch has dissolved.
• Return the sauce to a boil and add cornstarch mixture and salt, stirring gently for 3-5 minutes.
• When the sauce reaches your desired thickness, remove from the heat and let cool. Then serve or store!