What’s an egg roll, spring roll, or fried wonton to do without a little spicy sauce on the side? The same, of course, could be said about nearly anything in our books, but in this instance a bold Thai chili sauce is well in order. This recipe delivers the big heat of Thai chilies (50,000 to 100,000 Scoville heat units) with a pinch of garlic, sugar, and salt. Want some extra oomph? Leave those seeds in while processing. It brings this sauce to another spicy stratosphere.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Sharp, bright and very hot, with rice vinegar tang, raw garlic and a touch of sweetness. |
| Primary heat source | A full cup of Thai chilies. |
| Heat level | Extra hot. Thai chilies run 50,000 to 100,000 SHU, and they make up most of the sauce. |
| Texture | Loose and pulpy, as chunky or as smooth as you pulse it. |
| Best uses | Dipping egg rolls, spring rolls and wontons, or a few drops on noodles and rice. |
| Customization ideas | Seeds in for more heat, extra sugar for a sweeter dip, lime juice for more tang. |
| Before you start | About 10 minutes with a food processor. Wear gloves for the chilies. |
Flavor notes
A full cup of Thai chilies goes in, and at 50,000 to 100,000 SHU they make this very hot. There’s only a third of a cup of rice vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar alongside them, so a little on the side of the plate goes a long way.
This isn’t the sticky, sweet chili sauce that comes with spring rolls at a lot of restaurants. That one is mostly sugar and vinegar cooked into a syrup. This one is fresh, thin and hot, and the sugar is only there to round off the vinegar.
Rice vinegar is milder and a little sweeter than white vinegar, so the sauce stays tangy without tasting harsh. And the raw garlic gives it a sharp, savory edge.
Wear gloves while you stem and seed the chilies, since you’ll be handling a lot of them. Leaving the seeds in raises the heat. But most of it is in the white pith inside each chili, and with peppers this small, you won’t get all of that out anyway.
Pulse it to the texture you like. A few pulses leave it chunky, like a fresh relish, while longer processing turns it into a smoother sauce you can drizzle.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these tame the heat or shift the balance of sweet and sour.
- Want it milder? Swap half the Thai chilies for red Fresno peppers or red jalapeños.
- Want it hotter? Leave the seeds in when you process them, and add another small handful of chilies if you want it fierce.
- Want a sweeter dip? Take the sugar up to two or three tablespoons for a dip that leans closer to the sweet chili sauce on restaurant tables.
- Want more tang? Add a squeeze of lime juice right before serving to brighten the vinegar.
- Want it more savory? Use a teaspoon of fish sauce in place of some of the salt.
Serving ideas
Anything fried and crispy is fair game.
- With egg rolls and spring rolls. On the side, for dipping.
- With fried wontons or dumplings. Mix a little into soy sauce if you want it gentler.
- On noodles and fried rice. A few drops stirred in at the table.
- With grilled chicken or pork skewers. Spoon a little over the top just before serving.
- In a quick dressing. Stir a spoonful into lime juice and fish sauce for a salad or slaw.
Storage notes
Keep it in a clean, covered jar in the fridge and use it within about two weeks. The vinegar helps it keep, but the chilies and garlic go in raw, so it belongs in the fridge. Give it a stir before serving, since it can separate as it stands.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Homemade Sriracha: Red peppers, garlic, vinegar and a little brown sugar, blended into a homemade take on sriracha.
- Homemade Sambal Oelek: A pound of red chilies with just salt and vinegar, for straight chili heat.
- Spring Rolls With Spicy Dipping Sauces: Pork and vegetable spring rolls, made for dunking.
50 quick, bold sauces and salsas: classic salsas and fun twists, BBQ sauces with a kick, and dippers with bang. Simple to make, big on flavor.
Wicked Wednesday subscribers save 15% — join free.
Homemade Thai Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Thai chilies stemmed and seeded
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to your desired consistency.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a covered jar for up to about two weeks.
