This chili sauce has sweet and tangy flavors similar to duck sauce, with a layer of peppery heat on top. It’s a versatile sauce that can be used as a dipping sauce for dishes like egg rolls and chicken nuggets, or as a sandwich spread. And it only takes 10 minutes to make!
Sweet chili sauce is a condiment I always have in my fridge because it is such an integral part of Asian cuisine. It’s easy to use and goes well with just about anything.
While store-bought chili sauce is readily available and convenient, making it from scratch allows you to tailor it to your taste preferences. This means you can adjust the level of sweetness or acidity, and even add your own twist to make it unique!
Table of contents
What is Sweet Chili Sauce?
While there are various types of chili sauce, the one we are making today is the Japanese version which is sweet, spicy, and tangy. It’s very similar to Thai sweet chili sauce but has a sweeter taste and is most commonly used to make ebi chili (shrimp in sweet chili sauce) or act as a base for mapo tofu. This recipe is very simple and only requires 8 ingredients.
Homemade Chili Sauce Ingredients
- Chicken stock: Low sodium chicken stock is used as the foundation of this chili sauce. Its mild and subtle taste gives the sauce depth of flavor and pairs well with the other ingredients.
- Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar adds slightly fruity and tangy notes to the sauce and gives the sauce an assertive kick. Use plain rice vinegar for this recipe, or apple cider vinegar is another option.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce is full of umami and saltiness and helps to balance the sweetness of the sauce. Use Japanese soy sauce such as Kikkoman or Yamasa (they are more complex in flavor than other types of soy sauces).
- Sugar: You can use any type of sugar for this recipe since the only goal of this ingredient is to add sweetness. I am using light brown sugar but if you are watching your sugar intake, something like monk fruit sweetener will also work.
- Ketchup: Ketchup is fruity, sweet, and tangy, and is the most prominent flavor of this chili sauce. Make sure to use ketchup you enjoy eating as it will affect the overall taste of this recipe.
- Doubanjiang: Doubanjiang, or toban-djan, is a Chinese chili bean paste that’s salty, smoky, and spicy. If you don’t have doubanjiang, it can be purchased here on Amazon. Or feel free to use sambal oelek or garlic and chili sauce.
- Garlic: Chopped garlic adds a mildly pungent and sweet taste. Only one clove is required.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is what gives the sauce its thick and gooey texture. It must be mixed with cold water before being added to prevent clumping. Potato starch, called katakuriko in Japanese, can also be used.
How To Make Sweet Chili Sauce
- Have all of your ingredients prepped and measured.
- Add the chicken stock, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, doubanjiang, and garlic to a saucepan and turn the heat to low. Let the ingredients simmer for about 5 minutes to cook the garlic and let the sugar dissolve.
- Mix the cornstarch with the water and slowly add it into the sauce, stirring constantly.
- Let the sauce cook for another minute or so, until it’s thick and gooey.
- Turn the heat off and transfer the sauce to a jar.
Cooking Tips
- Always give the cornstarch slurry a mix before adding it to the sauce. Cornstarch flour loves to clump together so it’s always a good idea to stir before, during, and after adding it to the sauce.
- Taste the sauce before add the cornstarch. This way you can adjust the flavors to your liking.
- To make it hotter, add more doubandjiang or you can also add freshly chopped Thai chilis or dried chili flakes.
How To Lower The Sugar Content
While this recipe cannot be made 100% sugar-free, it is possible to make it low sugar. I recommend using a sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit (I like that it doesn’t have an after taste like stevia does) and use unsweetened ketchup such as Primal Kitchen Ketchup, which is absolutely delicious!
Storage
Fridge: Let the sweet chili sauce cool to room temperature first. Transfer it to a jar or other storage container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. If the sauce looks thinner after a few days, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and add it to the sauce after it has warmed up in a saucepan.
Freezer: Let the sweet chili sauce cool to room temperature first. Divide the sauce among 4 individual freezer bags – unless you are planning to use it all in one go – and freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chili sauce is an umbrella term to describe all types of chili sauces, from different countries as well. Because of that, it really depends on the ingredients used. Many chili sauces contain gluten and many others don’t. Always look at the ingredients before making a purchase. As for the chili sauce in this post, since it contains soy sauce and doubandjiang, which contains wheat, it is not gluten-free. But you can easily make it gluten-free by swapping soy sauce for tamari and doubandjiang for dried chili flakes.
You can mix ketchup with a dash of soy sauce and a little cayenne pepper. You can also mix a little gochujang with ketchup and a dash of soy sauce. Although the result will be much more smoky and spicy than this recipe!
For a sweet and tangy chili sauce like this one, I would say Kikkoman. Kikkoman has both regular and gluten-free options and the flavors are very similar to this recipe.
What To Serve With Sweet Chili Sauce
Sweet chili sauce is a condiment so it can be used in various way. As a dipping sauce, it pairs beautifully with dumplings and bao buns, baked chicken katsu, breaded tofu chicken, and broccoli tots. It can also be used as a sandwich spread for a banh mi, or added to quick stir fries such as this stir fried veggies with garlic sauce or as a flavor boost for spaghetti napolitan.
Subscribe to my newsletter and receive the latest recipes and weekly favorites straight to your inbox. Join me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for more cooking tips and adventures!
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Sweet Chili Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: About 1 cup 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
This chili sauce has sweet and tangy flavors similar to duck sauce, with a layer of peppery heat on top. It’s a versatile sauce that can be used as a dipping sauce for dishes like egg rolls and chicken nuggets, or as a sandwich spread.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 tablespoon plain rice vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon doubanjiang or sambal oelek
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients for the sauce – except the cornstarch and water mix – in a small pot over medium heat.
- Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the garlic is soft.
- Stir the cornstarch and water mix before adding it to the pot to make sure the mixture doesn’t clump.
- Slowly add to the sauce while stirring, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens – about 1 minute. Season with salt.
- Turn the heat off and transfer the sauce to a jar or storage container and serve.
Notes
Save the sauce in a jar or storage container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 18
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 77.2mg
- Fat: 0.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4.2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
