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    Home » Whole Food Recipes » Appetizers & Drinks

    April 8, 2015 | By Jami

    Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce - with Honey & Dried Chili Flakes

    Jump to Recipe

    A spicy-sweet Asian condiment, homemade sweet chili sauce is easily made with dried chilis and sweetened only with honey.

    Easy Honey-Sweetened Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce made with dried chili flakes

    I've always loved, loved, loved Asian sweet chili sauce - it's my favorite thing to top Chicken-Lime Lettuce Wraps, Stir-Fry Vegetables, grilled chicken, and much more as I'm sure you could guess. However, I've often felt a tad guilty because sugar is the first ingredient (hello, that's probably why I like it!), so I wouldn't buy it very often. But then I'd be missing it. Ugh - the thought processes of healthy eating, right?

    Sweet Chili Sauce

    Homemade Honey-Sweetened Sweet Chili Sauce

    The other day I was creating a new slow cooker recipe to share with you (using chicken and our frozen, unblanched green beans - stay tuned!) and I just wanted sweet chili sauce to add to the other Thai-like flavors I had going on (fish sauce and lime juice...). But of course I didn't have any. I hit the internet and discovered how easy it is to make homemade sweet chili sauce - and to be in control of the sugar content. Score! I didn't have any fresh chilies, so I adapted this recipe to use dried chili flakes and to be sweetened with only honey - and just 1/3 cup in the whole batch!

    Fast and Easy Honey Sweetened Sweet Chili Sauce

    The result is still a spicy-sweet concoction, but now I can have it whenever I want–especially because it only takes about 5 minutes to make. Really! It's a lot more inexpensive with the dried chilis, too. So, to recap: this homemade sweet chili sauce is quicker to make than buy, cheaper and able to make it healthier–that's the kind of pantry basic recipe I love.

    Note: some have asked where to get the dried chili flakes - Amazon (my affiliate links) has a good price here for McCormicks and this is a great price for 1 lb. of organic chili flakes. You can also find them at Costco and in smaller jars at regular grocery stores spice aisles. 

    Homemade Honey-Sweetened Sweet Chili Sauce
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.50 from 14 votes

    Sweet Chili Sauce Made with Honey & Dried Chili Flakes

    A spicy-sweet Asian condiment made easy with dried chili flakes and sweetened only with honey - perfect for lettuce wraps, stir fries and dipping.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time5 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: Asian
    Yield: 1 -1/4 cup
    Author: Jami Boys

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon dried chili flakes*
    • 3 teaspoons minced garlic about 3 large cloves
    • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
    • 1/3 cup honey
    • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water divided
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 tablespoon potato starch or organic cornstarch**

    Instructions

    • Add chili flakes, garlic, vinegar, honey, 3/4 c. water, and salt to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Boil for a minute at medium heat, stirring constantly.
    • Mix the potato starch with the remaining water and add to the sauce, stirring over medium heat until thickened - about another minute or two.
    • Remove from heat, cool thoroughly and transfer to a container to store in the fridge (the sauce keeps for a couple of weeks, if it lasts that long...). Reused glass dressing bottles or canning jars both work well.

    Notes

    *This amount produces a fairly spicy sauce initially, that mellows after a few days. Increase by 1 teaspoon at a time if you'd like to make it spicier.
    **Using a starch allows us to use a smaller amount of sugar, but still have a syrupy consistency (traditional sweet chili sauce uses only sugar- a lot - cooked down until syrupy)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1teaspoon | Calories: 7kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.7g | Sodium: 78mg | Sugar: 1.5g
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!

     

    Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links and by clicking on them you help support AOC at no extra cost to you – thanks so much! (You can always read our entire disclosure page here.)

     

    More recipes you may like:

    Canned Plum Sauce-make your own homemade plum sauce to add to your favorite Asian dish.

    Spicy Homemade Canned Plum Sauce

     

    7-Minute Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

     

    Make your own homemade spicy peanut sauce for a fraction of the price of store bought.

    Homemade Spicy Peanut Sauce

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kraftqueen65 says

      October 22, 2020 at 6:30 am

      So many ads I can’t even see the content. ☹️

      Reply
      • Jami says

        October 26, 2020 at 10:37 am

        Sorry, I'm doing the best I can to provide free content for everyone!

        Reply
    2. Shoshana says

      May 27, 2020 at 1:37 am

      The sweet chili sauce is cooking right now, smells fantastic!

      Reply
      • Jami says

        May 27, 2020 at 4:00 pm

        Hope you enjoy it!!

        Reply
    3. Kathy Byington says

      February 01, 2020 at 10:41 am

      5 stars
      Morning,
      Have you ever used your garden tomatoes for making your ketchup?
      Thanks
      Kathy

      Reply
      • Jami says

        February 05, 2020 at 5:19 pm

        I haven't for two reasons: one, we don't use that much ketchup and my tomatoes always go for our favorites first, salsa, chutney, garden marinara, and pizza sauce. And two, it takes a LONG time to cook down, lol.

        Reply
    4. Georgia says

      June 13, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      How long would it store for

      Reply
      • Jami says

        June 18, 2018 at 2:18 pm

        We've had it for a month before using it up, but I think it would store longer than that even.

        Reply
    5. Carol L says

      September 03, 2017 at 10:56 am

      I LOVE sweet chili sauce!!! I would make this, but change when you add the honey from the boiling stage to when it begins to cool in (under 100*) order to save the beneficial enzymes that are destroyed when heating. (otherwise, you might just as well use sugar!) I will make this soon! I usually just buy a large bottle that is pretty decent with regards to ingredients, but making my own is always better!!!!

      Reply
      • Jami says

        September 04, 2017 at 4:48 pm

        That's a good suggestion, Carol - thanks!

        Reply
    6. Rebecca Shashoua says

      June 29, 2016 at 8:11 am

      All I have is malt vinegar, could I use that?!

      Reply
      • Jami says

        June 29, 2016 at 5:09 pm

        Probably, Rebecca, though it may impart an malt flavor. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Des says

      March 12, 2016 at 1:07 pm

      Could I use regular white vinegar?

      Reply
      • Jami says

        March 13, 2016 at 3:06 pm

        Yes. I just usually use rice vinegar with Asian dishes and it's a lighter flavor.

        Reply
    8. Julia says

      April 10, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Where would you find dried chili flakes? I'm pretty comfortable in the kitchen but I've never seen them before.

      Reply
      • Bill Mackie says

        October 29, 2015 at 12:27 pm

        I just get them at Costco, but any supermarket should have something similar.

        Reply
    9. Cristi says

      April 08, 2015 at 7:02 pm

      Eeeek! So excited to try this!

      Reply
    10. Michele Laughlin says

      April 08, 2015 at 5:53 pm

      I just made this and it is delicious (and spicy- I added an extra teaspoon of chili flakes) !! Thanks for this great and simple recipe!

      Reply
      • Jami says

        April 09, 2015 at 9:22 am

        I think you win the prize for first to make it, Michelle. 😉 Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    11. Cherie says

      April 08, 2015 at 2:16 pm

      This sounds wonderful - can't wait to try it. Thank you !!
      Cherie
      Gresham, Oregon

      Reply

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