Healthy homemade Thai sweet chili sauce recipe with simple ingredients. Same thick, sweet and spicy makes amazing substitute for store bought sauce loaded with preservatives, artificial colour and sugar. This sweet chili sauce keeps well in the fridge for months.
I created this sauce as a marinade for Thai salmon – to die for 15 minute baked (grilled) salmon recipe with rave reviews. You can also use it in stir fries, dipping Thai chicken bites into, making slow cooker Thai chicken thighs and you name it. Particularly serving on a side of a plate and dipping anything on that plate into it.
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How to Make Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
PrintThai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
Authentic Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe is a healthy substitute to storebought sauce that is not loaded with preservatives and refined sugars. This sweet hot sauce is great with chicken and fish.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk all ingredients until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until thickened.
- Transfer to a glass jar and use with meats, seafood, vegetables and for dipping. Highly recommend to make Thai Salmon that everyone will rave about for weeks!
Store: Refrigerate for up to a few months.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
Such a healthy alternative!
★★★★★
White Vinegar and Cornstarch, can definitely not be placed as healthy in any category! Although Maple Syrup is all Natural, it still ain’t too good for you!
OK, Mr. Life Is Bad For You. Seriously, this is funny. You should browse Pinterest less, will live much longer.
Can I use garlic powder instead of the garlic cloves?
Yes, use to taste. Garlic powder is milder than garlic.
Other way around!
1/8 Teaspoon Powder = 1 Clove
Very-very important and helpful info!
sounds really yum! can I replace maple syrup by honey?
I’m sure that yes.
Just made this sauce for the salmon and it is so tick! I might have to try it again.
Thin it out with a bit of water. It is a cornstarch that has been cooked a bit too long that has thickened, not a big deal.
Except for the Cornstarch, it is Clean Eating 🙂
And White Vinegar 😛
That is really not true. 😛
Can rice vinegar be used instead of white vinegar?
Yes.
Delicious, clean, healthy dish… My wife is Thai and we’ve been using a similar recipe for some time. Love your too!
Awesome. Thank you.
This is fabulous! I just made a batch with raw honey instead of the maple syrup. I added 2 dried Thai chili peppers that I minced and ginger. It is spicy but delicious. I am going to glaze Brussels sprouts with it. And as a side note it is amazing drizzled over plain yogurt. Thank you for sharing!
Wow. I would never think of that combo. I will try.
Can I use almond mill instead of corn starch
Hi Tee. You mean almond meal I think. No because it won’t thicken the sauce.
Do you have to let the sauce cool in the glass jar before refrigerating it or should you refrigerate it right away?
Yes. Let sauce cool. Generally everything has to be cooled before placed in the fridge. That is what I learnt. Warm food is not good for the fridge.
Help! I have made the sauce three times now and I only got it right the first time. 🙁 I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but the last two times I made the sauce it is very jelly-like (i.e. it doesn’t spread/move) and is not smooth and saucy. Do all of the ingredients need to be room temperature? My maple syrup is refrigerated. Am I simmering too long? Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. I love this sauce and your salmon recipe. Thank you! 🙂
Hi Cate. You are either cooking it too long or adding too much cornstarch. Use half amount cornstarch, or measure cornstarch properly and time yourself for cooking time. The jelly sauce you can fix by adding a bit water and extra salt. Don’t throw it away. I refrigerate my maple syrup too so that is not the issue. You are welcome.
I can’t seem to find chili flakes? Crazy right. What could I use.
Thank you
That is crazy. Anything spicy like sriracha, cayenne pepper. They are called red pepper flakes too sometimes.
Recipe sounds tasty! For clean eating, make sure your cornstarch is organic, otherwise, you’re consuming GMOs.
Yes, for sure. I use only organic cornstarch. I do not add that to ingredients otherwise all my ingredients would say “organic” next to them LOL. I rely on readers’ common sense.
hi. i add a can of diced tomatoes and then serve over cheese or beef raviolies…yum..simply made, simply delicious!!
Great recipe – perfect balance of salty/sweet! I substituted honey for maple syrup (bc I hate syrup) and warmed the water in microwave and mixed cornstarch in it before adding to pan to keep it from getting lumpy. My whole family loved it!
Glad to hear that!
My husband is diabetic. Do you think I can use a sugar free syrup?
Hi Sophie. If it is of same consistency as maple syrup then maybe. I have never worked with sugar free syrup for health reasons so can’t tell exactly how it behaves during cooking process.
hi, i just notice this website, and your question is interesting, have you try the stevia instead. worst case you have to put more water and more corn starch into the recipe ;p
I can’t imagine the sweet chilli sauce taste OK with large amount of stevia because sweetener is the main ingredient in this recipe.
YUM! txs for sharing…
Can I replace the cornstarch with corn syrup? I’m out of starch…and at a loss at what to replace it with ;p
Honestly, I have never cooked with corn syrup because for health reasons, obviously my blog LOL. If it helps to solidify things then it should work. Use one last time and throw it out.:)
Thanks so much for this recipe! It is super yummy! I am going to be making stir fry and was thinking about making it in this sauce. Would you recommend cooking the sauce in the wok with the chicken and veggies as opposed to using the already cooked sauce?
Awesome. Hmmm, no, I would still cook sauce separate and add at the very end, even off the stove. It might not thicken otherwise.
can you substitute arrowroot for the cornstarch?
Yes.
Thank you! I love sweet hot chili sauce.
You are welcome, Sandy. We use it often!