You will find many ways in which to enjoy my homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce and you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to make. It is made from ingredients that are readily available and, as with all foods that we make ourselves, we can control the quality of the ingredients which we use. It is certain to become a staple condiment in your home!
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Why we love this recipe:
If you like a condiment that adds a boost of flavour to many dishes, look no further, this is the recipe for you. Sweet Chilli Sauce is an essential condiment to many Asian recipes.
Here are some of the reasons that we love it:
- The flavours are a harmonious blend of sweet, spicy and tangy.
- It will suit people who follow a gluten-free or vegan diet.
- You will be delighted to discover how quick and easy it is to make your own Thai-style Sweet Chilli Sauce – it will take just a little over 30 minutes.
- All the ingredients are readily available; in fact, you may have many on hand.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Sugar – regular white sugar.
Water – I use filtered water.
Rice wine vinegar – is less acidic and milder than other vinegar.
Garlic – fresh garlic for flavour.
Long red chillies – also known as cayenne chillies. They generally have mild-gentle heat but can vary.
Cornflour/corn starch and cold water – combine to slightly thicken the chilli sauce.
Step by step instructions:
The long, red chillies are generally mild but can vary, so you may wish to wear disposable gloves.
- Finely chop the garlic and the chillies. Add the sugar, water, vinegar, garlic and finely chopped chillies to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then simmer rapidly on medium to high heat for 12 minutes.
- Mix the cornflour with cold water.
- Lower the heat, add the cornflour and water mixture to the chillies, stir well and simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes then decant your Sweet Chilli Sauce into a sterilised jar or bottle.
Tips for success and FAQs:
When making your own pickles and preserves, always ensure you are sterilising the jars you will store them in. This is very simple to do:
- Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well
- Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and leave the jars for 15-20 minutes.
This is a relatively mild sauce. The cayenne chillies have great flavour and are often mild, but may vary. It should have a good balance of spicy and sweet.
If you would like a hot sauce, simply replace some of the chillies with a hot variety, such as Thai red chillies.
Yes, you could use white wine vinegar. Do not use distilled white vinegar; it is too strong.
Store in a sterilised glass jar/bottle, in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Serving suggestions:
Our Sweet Chilli Sauce is delicious alongside many things, such as:
- Onion Patties
- Pea and Mint Fritters
- Tuna and Potato Patties
- Mini Bacon and Onion Pasties
- Tofu Sesame Toasts
- Thai Style Chicken and Noodle Meatballs
Not only is it fun to make your own Sweet Chill Sauce, but it is also easy to do. As with most things, nothing beats homemade. The ingredients are all natural; your sauce will not contain any unnecessary additives which you may find in some commercial varieties, and you will find many ways in which to enjoy it.
If you give this recipe a try, please let me know in the comments.
Enjoy!
Alex xx
This post was originally published in August 2018. It has been updated with new photos and more information. The recipe remains the same.
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) white sugar
- 1 cup (250 ml) water See Note 1
- ½ cup (125 ml) rice wine vinegar See Note 2
- 3 cloves garlic – peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup (115 g) long red chillies/cayenne peppers – finely chopped with seeds included – prepared weight See Note 3
- 1 tablespoon cornflour/corn starch See Notes 4 and 5
- 2 tablespoon cold water See Note 5
Instructions
- The long, red chillies are generally mild, but they may vary, so as a precautionary measure, when chopping them you may choose to wear disposable gloves.
- Remove the stem end of the chillies and then slice them in half lengthways. Chop them finely by hand or use a small food processor but do not reduce them to a paste.
- In a small saucepan, place the sugar, 1 cup water, rice wine vinegar, finely chopped garlic and chillies. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then simmer rapidly on medium to high heat for 12 minutes.
- Mix the cornflour with the cold water. Lower the heat and re-stir the cornflour and water mixture as the cornflour tends to settle if prepared a little in advance.
- Add the cornflour and water to the chillies, stir well and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes before bottling. This helps to evenly distribute the chillies through the mixture.
- Decant into a sterilised jar or bottle. – See Note 5.When cool, store in the refrigerator for up to three months. When using, remove a portion of sauce from the jar and allow it to come to room temperature. Stir well before serving.
Notes
- It is essential to use filtered/un-chlorinated water when pickling or preserving. (You don’t want the bad taste of the water to affect the final product!)
- I have used rice wine vinegar, but you could use white wine vinegar. Do not use distilled white vinegar as it is too strong.
- The long red chilli is also known as cayenne/chilli pepper. After trimming the stalk, the chilli weight was 115 grams/4 ounces.
-
Use 1 tablespoon of cornflour if you like a thinner, pouring sauce or 1 ½ tablespoon cornflour if you prefer a thicker sauce.
- In Australia, the tablespoon is 20 ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons. Please adjust your measurement if necessary.
- To sterilise a jar, preheat your oven to 130 Degrees C (270F). Place a clean jar or bottle in the oven for at least 20 minutes, then remove and, while the jar is still hot, fill with the Sweet Chilli Sauce.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one cup of sauce. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Paulette
hi Alex. want to try this but am wondering how long it will last.
Alexandra Cook
Hello Paulette,
In the fridge for up to three months 🙂 Let me know if you give the recipe a try!
Alex xo
Sao
Simple, easy to follow, and delish!
May I kindly ask where did you get the super cute jar from?
Alexandra Cook
Thank you, Sao!
Happy you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
The jars are glass yoghurt/pudding jars. If you have a search online, you’ll find lots of different options 🙂
Alex xo
Lynn
lovely recipe and so straightforward.
I made one batch and have now doubled it up to supply the rest of the family.
thankyou
Alexandra Cook
Thank you for sharing, Lynn! 🙂
Alex xo
Gail
To hot.
Alexandra Cook
Hi Gail,
Did you use the long red chillies/cayenne peppers or another variety? If you are finding the sauce too hot, I’d recommend testing the chillies next time before you use them to ensure the intensity is fine for your liking.
The sauce will only be as hot as the chillies you are using, and this really does come down to personal preference and spice tolerance 🙂
For now, you could add some acid to the sauce when using, or stir it through yoghurt or mayonnaise to tone down the heat.
Alex xo
Martin
Just made this with a kg of my home grown chillies, cut the sugar by a third and its turned out really good
martin
Alexandra Cook
Hello Martin,
Thanks for sharing! 🙂 I am so happy to hear this!
Alex xo
Martina
This is the best sweet chilli sauce recipe I’ve made so far. As I like it to pack a punch, I used Bird’s Eye chillies and substituted a couple of tablespoons of water with more vinegar. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much for sharing, Martina!
I am so happy to hear this and really appreciate you taking the time to let me know 🙂 Alex xo
Megan
why does cornstarch make the sweet chilli sauce pink not red I don’t know why
Alexandra Cook
Hello Megan,
I am sorry, I haven’t ever had this happen before! My guess would be the type of chillies that you are using.
The cornstarch can sometimes make the sauce a little cloudy in appearance, especially when it is chilled, but it shouldn’t alter the colour.
Feel free to reach out with any queries! Alex xo
Pauline
how long are the chillies you refer to? I was given some chillies that are around 2 to 3 inches (50 – 70mm), they have pretty much dried now, could dried chillies be used?
Alexandra Cook
Hi Pauline,
The long red chillies are also known as cayenne peppers. I have some in the fridge and they’re about 5-6 inches long. They vary in heat.
Fresh chillies are best for this recipe.
You could dry out your chillies completely to make some red pepper flakes, perhaps, or I like to add some to a little olive oil and then drizzle over the top of my pizza.
Alex xo
Richard
This is the second time I have done a cold pickled chilli recipe. I really like yours! In South Africa, many supermarkets do not distinguish chilli varieties. I find it intensely irritating because some chillis are just way too spicy. Today I found some so-called Jalapeno in a PP supermarket. They were not Jalapeno….they were probably cross fertilized with another variety, probably Cayenne, but they were ok. I followed your method exactly and they taste really good. I think that if you find the chillis too hot and spicy, then leave them a bit longer in the brine to extract more of the capsican juice which gets discarded. We ALWAYS have a chilli condiment in the fridge and your recipe is my new go-to!
Alexandra Cook
Hello Richard,
Thanks so much for trying my Pickled Chillies 🙂
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment! Alex xo
asif
Hy ,
i tried it but chilli taste is too much,even i just add5% red chilli paste.so can we use red capsicum?
Alexandra Cook
Hi Asif,
We don’t list red chilli paste as an ingredient, so I am wondering if you made our recipe or what other changes you may have made?
The sauce will vary in intensity depending on the kind of chillies you use – the long red chilli peppers can be quite mild, but I have also encountered some that are spicy.
I suggest testing a small piece before making the sauce to see how spicy it is.
I haven’t ever tried using red capsicum before – I’d be curious to hear how you get on, but this won’t be a chilli sauce. It may have the same texture, but it might also turn out too sweet, as you won’t have any chilli in it to balance out the flavour.
Kind regards, Alex
Meg
hi, I found this recipe and am really looking forward to trying it. I was just wondering if you can substitute honey for the sugar?
Alexandra Cook
Hi Meg,
I am sorry, that isn’t something I have tried before.
If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how you get on! 😊
Thanks, Alex
David Briggs
Great Recipe – unfortunately no fresh garlic so had to use powder. Speaking of powders – added 3 heaped teaspoons of tomato powder at the end. Gave a lovely rich colourpo
Alexandra Cook
Hi David!
Thanks for trying this recipe 🙂 I haven’t ever used tomato powder before – I am curious to give this a try!
Thanks, Alex
Heather
Great recipe I have an abundance of chilli And make for friends and neibours easy to make.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you for trying this recipe, Heather! 🙂
So happy you enjoyed it. Alex xo
Leonard Gray
Just made your Thai sweet chilli sauce for the first time, it has an amazing taste. we grow around Chilies , so it’s very fresh, also added some fresh ground grounded ginger.
Thanks for your recipe Alex.
Lenny.
Alexandra Cook
Hello Lenny,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, and I am so pleased you enjoyed it!
The grounded ginger sounds so good too 🙂 Appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.
Thanks again 🙂 Alex
Heather
Love this recipe great way to use up my chilli simple and easy whole family likes this sauce 🤗
Alexandra Cook
Hello Heather 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing! So pleased this is one for the whole family to enjoy! Alex 🙂
Hugo Silva
hi.
thanks for the recipe… made one batch and it simply disappeared between myself and my friends.
going to double the ingredients for the next batch. are the cooking times the same when doubling ingredients or do I need to adjust them?
Alexandra Cook
Hello Hugo,
Thank you – I am so pleased you like this recipe!
For a double batch – it might take a few extra minutes to bring to a simmer and to cook, but it won’t be a huge adjustment of time.
Thanks! 🙂 Alex
Ricky Beck
found your recipe two years ago. have made countless bottles for eating and giving to friends, seem to have more friends than sauce now. lol 😆
Alexandra Cook
Hi Ricky!
So happy you enjoy this recipe 🙂 What a nice gift that is!
Thanks for commenting, Alex xo
Kerri Ann
Hi, just found your simple sweet chilli sauce recipe but I was wondering if you can use a sugar substitute for this recipe like Erythritol or Xylitol? I love the taste of sweet chilli sauce but the high sugar content is not suitable for me?
Alexandra Cook
Hi Kerri Ann!
I haven’t tried making the Sweet Chilli Sauce with an alternative sweetener. It may be worth searching for a specific recipe. However, as sugar does help preserve the Sauce, one with an alternative sweetener may not keep as long. I hope this helps. Best wishes, Alex
Suzanne
I made this sweet chilli sauce about a week ago from my homegrown chillies and can only say I LOVE IT!! Just busy now whipping up another bottle for my daughter because she loves it too!! The recipe certainly is not complicated! Thank you so much for sharing Alexandra.
Alexandra Cook
That is wonderful to hear, Suzanne 🙂
I am so happy you and your daughter love it, and really appreciate the time you took to let me know. Alex xo