The Recipe · No.1368 · How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce
How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce, and where to source it
This is a sugar syrup with chili in it, and the only technical step is the thickening. Cornstarch has to go in as a slurry with cold water and then boil for a full minute, or the sauce turns thin again in the fridge and tastes faintly chalky.
The ratio¾ cup sugar + ½ cup vinegar + ½ cup water + 3 chilies + 1 tbsp cornstarch slurry.
By Vince Gonzalez · Published July 2026 · Sourcing verified 5 Jul 2026
Prep5 min
Cook15 min
Makes1 cup
CuisineThai
Cost$
VeganGluten-free
The Ingredients — and where to get them
Cook for1cup
Our ratio, your call. The amounts below are a tested starting point — a version, not the one and only. Anything tagged to taste is the knob you turn: start there, then make it yours.
Sugar
Three quarters of a cup. This is a sweet sauce and there's no point pretending otherwise.
One tablespoon, mixed with two tablespoons cold water before it goes anywhere near the pan.
1 tbsprecommended
Local / market
The Rundown
Greedometer●●●●●Squeaky clean
About as virtuous as dinner gets.
EffortSome doing
Cook it with
Instant PotSlow cookerOne-potNo-cook
The Method
Simmer the baseSugar, vinegar, water, garlic, chili and a good pinch of salt into a pan. Bring to a simmer and hold it there ten minutes so the garlic softens and the raw vinegar edge cooks off.
Make the slurry separatelyCornstarch and cold water whisked smooth in a cup. Adding dry starch to hot liquid gives you lumps you cannot whisk out.
Thicken properlyPour the slurry in while whisking, bring it back to a full boil, and hold it there a minute. Under-boiled cornstarch thins out again once cold.
Cool to judge itIt looks too thin hot and sets to a syrup cold. Bottle it once cool; it keeps a month refrigerated.
Make it yoursGinger and lime take it toward a dressing. Gochujang makes it darker and funkier. Sriracha in place of half the fresh chili is a shortcut worth taking on a weeknight.
Can you freeze How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce? — Not ideal
Not really — the cream, custard, or emulsion turns grainy or splits once thawed. This one is best kept fresh in the fridge.
Can you make How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce ahead of time? — Yes
Yes — it keeps in the fridge for several days; stir or shake it before serving.
Is How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce gluten-free? — Yes
Yes — nothing in this recipe as written contains gluten. As always, glance at the labels on any packaged items (broth, sauces, chocolate), since brands vary.
Is How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce vegan? — Yes
Yes — no meat, seafood, dairy, egg, or honey in it as written.
Community Notes
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