Sauces

How to Make Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Praew September 22, 2023 1 Comment

5 / 1 Review

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Thai sweet chili sauce in a sauce cup with a fish cake.

Once you know how to make Thai sweet chili sauce or nam chim kai at home, you’ll never go back to store-bought versions again. This is one of my favorite staples, it’s incredibly versatile, easy to make, and it makes a delicious dip for just about anything. You can control the ingredients and the flavors to your liking, so everybody can dip in.

A Thai woman grinding red chilies and garlic in a granite mortar and pestle while kneeling on a grass floor.

Table of Contents

What is Thai sweet chili sauce

This dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment for a variety of starters such as spring rolls, summer rolls, and crispy fried chicken. It has the perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and savory. And the best part is that you can completely customize and tune the taste to your liking!

Thai chili dip in a clay cup with a salad of cucumbers and shallots, and Thai fishcakes in the background.

The ingredients that go into it will vary greatly on the recipe you use, or the Thai household that made the sauce. But that’s the beauty of it, everywhere you go, nam chim kai tastes different.

Most Thai restaurants have their own unique recipe, and store-bought versions come in different flavors as well. With variations in fresh chili peppers, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and an array of herbs and spices, the flavor combinations are endless.

Spicy Thai chili condiment, with fish cake dipping into the sauce.

Why make it yourself

You’re in control of the flavors! Whether you prefer a mild sauce or a fiery kick, a bunch of sweetness or a tangy note, this easy and versatile recipe offers it all. You can even craft a kid-friendly version of this dip.

No more forgotten bottles and wasted sauce. Store-bought versions of Thai sweet chili sauce often come in large glass bottles, and the unused portions can go to waste. With this recipe, you can make just the right amount you need, just adjust the serving amount in the recipe card.

And the great thing about this treat is the shelf life in the refrigerator, if you want you can make extra and enjoy the deliciousness for a long time.

Store-bought condiments are filled with additives and preservatives. But this homemade version is free from artificial ingredients. Homemade food is a healthy and rewarding choice.

Ingredients

Red chilies, garlic, white vinegar, white sugar, salt, and garlic on a bamboo serving tray.

Fresh Thai chilies (red) – Fresh chilies are key for adding heat to the sauce. To make this sauce less spicy, you can either remove the seeds, use less chilies, or substitute Thai chilies for milder chilies.
White vinegar – White vinegar is key for a tangy flavor which balances out the sweetness of the sugar.
White sugar – Sugar is needed for the sweet flavor. You can easily adjust the quantity to increase or decrease the sweetness, but the recipe turns out amazing with the suggested amount.
Salt – A pinch of salt is enough to balance out the sweet, tangy, and spicy notes. Salt is also a natural preservative, which increases the shelf life.
Garlic – Garlic brings a savory and slightly pungent taste that goes hand in hand with the sweet and spicy flavors.

Step-by-step instructions

The first step is to grind the chilies and garlic into a fine paste, which can be done using either a food processor or a mortar and pestle. After that, we will cook the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.

Crush the chilies and garlic in a mortar and pestle into a fine paste.

Place a large wok or pot over high heat and add vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cook for 10–15 minutes or until sugar is fully dissolved, and you reach your desired consistency (thick but not too thick, the sauce will increase in thickness after cooking as well).

Add pounded garlic and chilies and let the sauce cook for 1 more minute.

How to serve

As I mentioned earlier, this condiment pairs perfect with a wide arrange of food.

You can use it as a dipping sauce for appetizers such as dumplings, wontons, chicken satay, pork satay, calamari, chicken wings, fried chicken…

Add it to stir-fried vegetables or noodles for a sweet and spicy touch. It brings extra flavor to anything you use it with.

Use it as a salad dressing, pair it with raw vegetables or fried rice.

How to store

Thai sweet chili sauce is best kept in an airtight container or a mason jar in your refrigerator. The shelf life can vary for 2 to 3 months, so I suggest making a little more than you need.

More dipping sauces you’ll love

Thai green chili sauce – This condiment is also known as nam jim seafood in Thailand. It’s made with green chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, coriander, and more.
Spicy & sour – This easy dip is made with just 4 simple ingredients.
For grilled chicken – This one pairs perfectly with any kind of meat, especially with grilled chicken.

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5 from 1 vote