Thai Chili Paste Recipe (Chili Jam) Nam Prik Pao
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This authentic Thai chili paste recipe, or nam prik pao, takes about 30 minutes to make and gives you a rich, deeply roasted paste with a sweet, savory, and spicy flavor. Keep a jar in the fridge and you’ll have an easy way to add a boost of Thai flavor to stir-fries, soups, or even a simple bowl of rice.
What is nam prik pao?
Nam prik pao (น้ำพริกเผา), often called Thai chili jam, is a Thai roasted chili paste with a sweet, savory, spicy, and slightly smoky flavor. It has a deep roasted aroma and thick, rich texture from cooking the chilies and aromatics with oil.
It’s made with dried chilies, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind, which come together to give the paste its distinctive balance of heat, sweetness, saltiness, and tang.
If you like making your own Thai pastes, you might also want to try my tom yum paste, jeow bong, or red curry paste.
Why you should try this version
You can find nam prik pao in most Asian grocery stores, and there are lots of different versions. Thai families have their own recipes too, so the sweetness, heat, and roasted flavor can vary quite a bit. This is the version I make with my grandmother, and it’s the one I use when I want that deep roasted flavor in my cooking.
Praew ♡
Learn Thai cooking step by step
My cookbook is a combination of authentic Thai recipes and Western dishes cooked with Thai flavors and ingredients. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to Thai cooking or want to cook it more often.
Ingredient notes & substitutes
You can find everything at Asian grocery stores or markets. Head to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- Dried chilies: I use a combination of dried red chilies for heat and larger dried red chilies for a deeper, slightly sweeter chili flavor. Adjust the amount if you prefer a milder paste.
- Garlic: A generous amount of garlic gives nam prik pao its savory, roasted base. Grill it before blending for the best flavor.
- Shallots: Grilled shallots add sweetness and help give the finished paste its thick texture.
- Shrimp paste: This adds the deep umami flavor. I recommend this Thai brand of shrimp paste.
- Fish sauce: Adds saltiness and savory depth. I use Megachef.
- Palm sugar: Balances the chili heat and tamarind with a gentle caramel-like sweetness.
- Tamarind paste: Brings the sour note that keeps the paste from tasting too sweet or heavy.
- Salt: Use a small amount to adjust the seasoning alongside the fish sauce.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil.
I usually recommend using a Thai mortar and pestle when making curry pastes, but for nam prik pao, I actually prefer a food processor. I’ve tried making this paste both ways, and the food processor gives me a much smoother texture while saving quite a bit of time.
How to make Thai chili paste
- Grill the chilies, garlic, and shallots. Grill the sliced dried chilies, garlic, and shallots, turning them occasionally, until they’re lightly charred and fragrant. Keep an eye on the chilies so they don’t burn.
- Blend everything. Add the grilled chilies, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind paste, salt, and oil to a food processor. Blend until you have a smooth paste.
- Cook the paste. Transfer the mixture to a pan and cook over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. You’re looking for the oil to begin separating from the paste.
- Cool and store. Let the nam prik pao cool completely before transferring it to a clean, airtight container.
How to use
A little nam prik pao goes a long way, so you don’t need much to add a lot of flavor. Stir a spoonful into tom yum gai, mix it into a Thai stir-fry like gai pad prik pao or fried rice, or use it as a dipping sauce with grilled meats.
I also like spreading it straight onto toast when I want something quick. You can even mix it with a little fish sauce or lime juice to make a simple dipping sauce.
For recipes that specifically call for nam prik pao, use this homemade version in the same amount unless you want to adjust the spice.
How to store
Let the chili paste cool completely, then transfer it to a clean, airtight jar and refrigerate. Always use a clean, dry spoon when taking some out.
It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. You can also freeze it in small portions or ice cube trays if you want to keep it longer.
Thai Chili Paste Recipe (Chili Jam) Nam Prik Pao
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Grill pan or skillet
- Food processor
- Large wok or skillet
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1 ounce garlic, chopped
- 2 ounces shallots, thinly sliced
- 0.5 ounces large dried chilies, chopped, see notes
- 6 dried chilies
- 1/2 tablespoon shrimp paste
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar, chop to measure
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Grill the aromatics. Grill the sliced dried chilies, garlic, and shallots, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and fragrant.
- Blend the paste. Add the grilled chilies, garlic, shallots, and remaining ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth paste.
- Cook the paste. Transfer the paste to a pan and cook over low to medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil starts to separate from the paste.
- Cool and store. Remove from the heat and let the nam prik pao cool completely before transferring it to a clean, airtight jar.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
This recipe has a problem. It doesn’t tell you to make at least a double batch from start! This is so delicious I can spoon eat it!
I am vegan so I used vegan fish sauce and then omitted the shrimp paste.
Do you have any tips on what to replace shrimp paste with? I’ve never tried it so I’m unsure what would bring the right kick.
This is , however, perfectly delicious without the shrimp Paste as well.
Hey Johanna, my heart skipped a beat reading that first sentence, haha! Thank you so much for that wonderful comment. There is a vegan ‘shrimp paste’ made with soybeans, but I have no idea how it would taste in this recipe so I recommend just making it without the shrimp paste as you did earlier!
This is really delicious, even without tamarind and shrimp paste. I used some salted lemon for the sour bit. It’s just fabulous. I was making this New York Times sheetpan recipe with kabocha squash, tofu, coconut milk and Thai chile paste, which was the only ingredient I didn’t have on hand. So I found this and it’s as good or better than any store-bought version I’ve found. Next time, I will get the missing bits and try it with those. Thank you!
That’s great to hear. Thank you for trying my recipe!