The Soccer Mom Blog logo

The Soccer Mom Blog

  • Family
    • Easy DIY & Craft Ideas
    • For The Home
    • Holiday Fun for Families
    • Houston Events for Kids & Family
    • Parenting Tips
    • Saving Money
    • Travel
  • Food
  • For Moms
    • Beauty Tips for Moms
    • Fitness & Healthy Lifestyle
    • Motherhood
    • Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
  • Kids Activities
    • Kids Activities and Crafts
    • How to Make Slime
    • Edible Slime
    • All Slime Recipes
  • Start a Blog
  • Work With Me
  • About
    • About Me
    • What’s New
  • SHOP
  • Privacy
Home » Recipes » Meal Types » Side Dishes » Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce

April 5, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce

Recipes· Side Dishes

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This homemade sweet chili sauce is full of flavor, but it’s not too spicy — great for dipping your favorite foods! It’s easy to make and tastes SO much better than store-bought, with no high-fructose corn syrup!

spoon scooping sweet chili sauce from mason jar

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet chili sauce (nam chim kai) is a classic condiment served with southeast Asian cuisine, especially in Thailand. It can be used as a dipping sauce, a marinade, a glaze, and more. It’s my go-to for spring rolls, but I also use it to jazz up fried tofu! Honestly, it’s good on EVERYTHING!

These days, you can find sweet chili sauce in the international aisle at most grocery stores. However, these store-bought sauces often contain additives or things like high-fructose corn syrup.

Stop paying for bottles at the store when you can make this Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! This delicious, zesty sauce is not only super flavorful, but it is also vegan, gluten-free, and low in sodium. When you make it at home, you know exactly what goes into the jar!

If you haven’t tried sweet chili sauce before, you are going to love this recipe! You’ve never had a sauce with so much depth of flavor, from such simple ingredients!

Is Sweet Chili Sauce the Same as Sweet and Sour Sauce?

Though they are similar in purpose as a dipping sauce and marinade, sweet and sour sauce and sweet chili sauce have different ingredients and flavor profiles.

Sweet and sour sauce is pineapple-based, with no heat (spice). It is naturally brown in color, and red food coloring is added to give it the distinctive color you might be used to seeing in restaurants or in bottles at the store.

Sweet chili sauce, on the other hand, incorporates red chilis and does have hint of spice. How spicy depends on how much and what type of pepper is used. It also contains a fair amount of sugar, which tones down the heat.

As a kid, I loved sweet and sour sauce. As a grown-up, I appreciate a bit of spice! Sweet chili sauce is one of my favorite condiments and I always keep some on hand.

Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce in a glass jar

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons red pepper flakes or red chili flakes

for the Corn-starch slurry

  • 3 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce Ingredients in bowls, labeled

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and water to form a slurry; set aside.

  1. Toast the red chili flakes in a medium saucepan on the stovetop for about 3 minutes over medium heat. This helps to develop the flavors of the spice.
  2. Add your vinegar, water, sugar, minced garlic, and soy sauce and bring this mixture to a boil. Allow to boil for 4 minutes, stirring as needed to keep from boiling over.
  3. Reduce heat to low. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry, whisking until fully incorporated.
  4. Remove pan from heat. The sauce is ready to use right away, but it will continue to thicken as it cools. Allow sauce to cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container and storing.

4-step photo collage showing how to make homemade Thai sweet chili sauce

7 New Ways to Use Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet chili sauce is well-known as an egg roll dipping sauce, or accompaniment for chicken satay. But have you tried it with burgers? Here are some of our favorite unique ways to use this umami sauce:

  • Dipping sauce for fries
  • Glaze on chicken wings
  • On top of cream cheese as a dip for crackers
  • Sauce for grilled salmon
  • Dipper for chicken nuggets
  • Flavoring stir-fries
  • Spread for sandwiches

Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce on a table

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this Sweet Chili Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?

Yes, your homemade sweet chili sauce needs to be kept refrigerated. It is made without added preservatives like you’d find in a store-bought bottle, however, the high vinegar content does help it keep longer than most homemade sauces. When stored in a glass jar or food storage container in the refrigerator, your sweet chili sauce should stay good up to a month.

Are Red Pepper Flakes and Red Chili Flakes the Same Thing?

Red pepper flakes and red chili flakes are essentially the same thing and can be used interchangeably. The main difference is the type of pepper used: chili flakes are made from red chili peppers, while red pepper flakes can be made from a combination of peppers.

Since they can be made from a variety of peppers, the red pepper flakes have potential for being spicer. If you’re new to spice, I recommend sticking with red chili flakes, which are more predictable. You could also look for red pepper flakes that are labeled as mild.

On the other hand, if you want a spicier sauce, use red pepper flakes labeled as hot. Trying different varieties of peppers allows you to experiment with spice levels.

Close up of Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce in a glass jar

More of our Favorite Homemade Sauce Recipes

  • Fresh Chimichurri Sauce
  • Thai “Secret” Sauce
  • KFC Brown Gravy
  • Homemade Mayonnaise
  • Copycat Chick-Fil-A Honey Mustard

Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce in a glass jar viewed from above

Grab a free printable copy of our Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe:

If you like this recipe, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce in a spoon
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce

This homemade sweet chili sauce is full of flavor, but it’s not too spicy — great for dipping your favorite foods!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce, sauce, Sweet Chili, Sweet Chili Sauce
Servings: 16 oz
Calories: 54kcal
Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • 1 Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons red chili flakes or red pepper flakes

for the Corn-starch slurry

  • 3 teaspoons corn starch
  • 2 Tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Whisk together cornstarch and water to form a slurry and set aside.
  • Toast red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan over medium heat for about 3 minutes, to enhance flavors.
  • Add vinegar, water, sugar, minced garlic, and soy sauce to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent boiling over.
    4-step photo collage showing how to make Thai sweet chili sauce
  • Reduce heat to low. Slowly add cornstarch slurry to sauce, whisking until fully incorporated.
  • Remove pan from heat. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing.

Notes

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only; your actual values will vary based on exact ingredients used and serving size.

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Pin this Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe on Pinterest:

2 photo vertical collage of a jar of homemade sweet chili sauce

You might also like:

2 photo vertical collage of homemade sweet & sour sauce in mason jar; text overlay "Chick-Fil-A Polynesian Sauce"

Homemade Chick-Fil-A Polynesian Sauce

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey is the creator of The Soccer Mom Blog, a Houston Texas mom blog that focuses on positive living for women and families. She loves to share real food recipes, money-saving tips, parenting encouragement, kids activities, DIY tutorials, home hacks, fitness, and so much more! To get to know Stacey even better, click here.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Latest posts by Stacey aka the Soccer Mom (see all)
  • Dill Pickle Roll-Ups - January 27, 2023
  • Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies - January 26, 2023
  • 30 Easy Valentine’s Day Recipes - January 24, 2023

Share this post:

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Previous Post: « Homemade Chimichurri Sauce
Next Post: Should Parents Help Kids Brush Their Teeth? »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar


Hi there, my name is Stacey and I'm so glad you're here! I created this site to be a positive resource for moms and families. If it's your first time, I recommend that you click HERE to see what The Soccer Mom Blog is all about!
email facebook Pinterest Instagram twitter

Search the Blog:

Footer

Posts You Might Like

  • homemade ant killer
  • edible slime
  • how to make slime with contact solution
  • hair tourniquet

Popular Posts

  • Edible Pudding Slime – Only 3 Ingredients!
  • Homemade Dog Treats
  • Homemade Thin Mints with Ritz Crackers
  • Italian Pinwheels

The Soccer Mom Blog

  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Shop
  • Disclosure

The Soccer Mom Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Love the fonts you see? I found some of them here and you can too!

Copyright © 2023 · The Soccer Mom Blog · Design by Monique B Designs

96 shares