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This Sweet Chili Sauce is a sticky, garlicky, tangy sauce that is as perfectly sweet as it is sour. It’s the perfect condiment for everything from chicken tenders to egg rolls.

A spoon of sweet chili sauce above a bowl

Sweet chili sauce is one of the most versatile sauces out there. It’s in many Asian and Thai dishes but it’s also wonderful for dipping fries, chicken tenders, and more. While you can find it pretty easily at the store these days, I much prefer making it at home. That means I get full control of the ingredients and, therefore, the flavor profile to ensure it ends up with the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors.

It always seems in the fall and winter that I am making double batches of this sweet chili sauce recipe monthly. There’s just something about football game days that brings out the chicken wings (which I love so much I made a whole separate post about Air Fried Sweet Chili Chicken Wings), egg rolls, and all the dippable appetizers that we dunk into this sauce.

Why This Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe Is Seriously The BEST

Sweet, spicy, and tangy. This sweet chili sauce has the perfect balance of all the flavors. It’s pungently tangy, super garlicky, and perfectly sweet, thanks to ingredients like sambal oelek, garlic, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes.
Easy & low-effort. This is an easy one-pan recipe that makes 30 ounces of sauce that you can store in your fridge for months. The only effort in this recipe is grating the ginger and mincing all of the garlic. Yes, it’s a lot of garlic, but it’s worth every single clove.
Endless dipping possibilities. While sweet chili sauce is popular in Thai and other Asian cuisines, I am always finding new ways to use it. Think chicken wings, chicken fingers, coconut shrimp, egg rolls, crab rangoon, fries, mozzarella sticks, burgers, tofu, and so much more.

The BEST Ever Sweet Chili Sauce in a metal bowl

Key Ingredients

This homemade sweet chili sauce recipe is made with just a handful of flavorful ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Garlic – This recipe calls for 10 cloves of garlic. Don’t worry, it’s not too much. The amount of sugar and vinegar in the sauce is very strong and the garlic will be distributed throughout the 30 ounces.
Sambal Oelek – Fresh ground chili paste that adds the “chili” to sweet chili sauce. It’s typically found in the Asian food aisle near the sriracha.
Ginger – A staple in Thai and Asian cuisine, grated fresh ginger adds a wonderfully intense flavor.
Rice Vinegar – A crisp, slightly sweet, and deliciously pungent vinegar that adds the perfect tang to this sweet and spicy sauce.
Soy sauce – Soy sauce adds a layer of savory umami flavor. I recommend using light soy sauce.
Red pepper flakes – Add a bit of spicy heat to the sauce.

Recipe Tips & Modifications

Rice vinegar only. It’s important notto substitute the rice vinegar. Regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar will be way too sour. Rice vinegar is very mild as far as vinegar goes so it adds a bit of pungent tanginess without overpowering the other flavors.
Adjust the heat level. Add more or less red pepper flakes as desired to control the heat level of the sauce. Omit them entirely for a more mild sauce.
Stir frequently. After adding the cornstarch slurry, stir the sauce frequently to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Note that it may appear a bit cloudy after the slurry is added but it will clear up as it cooks.
Thicken as desired. I usually like to make my sweet chili sauce a bit thicker when I’m using it as a dipper and a thinner when it’s a marinade. The longer you simmer it, the thicker it will become but remember that it will thicken even more as it cools.

Dipping a chicken finger in sweet chili sauce

Ways To Use Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet chili sauce is my personal favorite condiment for all things chicken, like coconut chicken tenders, Popeye’s style chicken tenders, or McDonald’s chicken nuggets.

It’s also really popular in Asian cuisine and makes a great dip for steaming hot homemade egg rolls, cream cheese ragoons, or coconut shrimp.

I’ve also used it as a dip for fries, added it to burgers, and brushed it on chicken as a marinade.

A spoon in a glass jar of sweet chili sauce

Proper Storage

Fridge: Since this recipe makes 30 ounces of sauce, it’s likely you’ll have some leftover! It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 months. I like to store it in mason jars.
Reheat: I typically like to warm it up a bit before using it as a dip. Just pop it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds as needed.

Looking For More Asian-Inspired Recipes?

I hope you enjoyed this recipe for my Sweet Chili Sauce! I look forward to your questions and feedback below.

Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe, and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.