This spicy vinegar sauce recipe is sharp, spicy, garlicky, and slightly sweet. It’s made with just four ingredients and takes only a few minutes to mix together.
About this sauce
I created this sauce for my braised pork belly, but it also works really well with fried dishes, grilled meats, and other rich or crispy dishes that need something sharp and spicy alongside them.
If you like this, you’ll also love prik nam som, another chili vinegar sauce that’s great for adding spice and acidity to a meal.
Praew ♡
What vinegar is best for dipping sauce?
White vinegar is the best choice for a vinegar dipping sauce. It has a clean, sharp acidity that cuts through the richness of fried and grilled foods while letting the garlic, chilies, and sugar stand out.
Rice vinegar is a good alternative if you want something milder and a little less sharp. You can also use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, but both will give the sauce a slightly different flavor.
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.
- White vinegar: This is the vinegar I use for this vinegar based dipping sauce. I like the sharpness of plain white vinegar here because it cuts through rich foods without changing the flavor too much.
- Chilies: I usually make this with Thai Jinda chilies or bird’s eye chilies. They give the sauce the heat I want, but you don’t have to use as many.
- Garlic: Don’t be shy with the garlic. I pound it quite roughly so it leaves some chunks throughout the sauce.
- White sugar: I use regular white sugar. I wouldn’t use palm sugar here because I want this sauce to stay sharp and punchy.
I prefer a Thai mortar and pestle for this sauce because you can control the texture and see exactly how finely the chilies and garlic are crushed.
A food processor also works when you want to make a larger batch. Just pulse it rather than blending continuously, so you don’t turn everything into a completely smooth liquid.
How to make spicy vinegar sauce
1: Pound the chilies. Add the chilies to a mortar and pestle and pound until finely crushed.
2: Add the garlic. Add the garlic and continue pounding until you have a fine paste.
3: Add the sugar and vinegar. Add the sugar and white vinegar to the mortar. Use the pestle to stir everything together until the sugar dissolves.
4: Serve. Serve immediately, or transfer to a clean container and refrigerate for later.
How to store
Transfer leftover sauce to a clean, airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Use a clean spoon each time you serve it.
Spicy Vinegar Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Mortar and pestle or food processor
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
- 5 red Thai chilies
- 10 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 5 tbsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Add the fresh chilies to a mortar and pestle and pound until finely crushed.
- Add the garlic and continue pounding until you have a fine paste.
- Add the white sugar and white vinegar. Stir with the pestle until the sugar has dissolved and everything is well combined.
- Serve immediately as a dipping sauce with your favorite fried or grilled dishes.
Video
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Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.