It's easier than you think to make your own sweet chilli sauce - find out how below.
Making condiments and sauces from scratch
I find cooking from scratch incredibly satisfying. There's nothing like taking fresh ingredients and turning them into something delicious. But, I also love transforming them into chutneys, pickles and other preserves that I can keep in my fridge or in my cupboard and enjoy over a number of weeks or even months.
More recently I've been enjoying making a range of different condiments from scratch. My first foray into condiments was with a BBQ sauce recipe way back in 2013 which I have been making ever since.
What I love about making your own versions of classic sauces and condiments is that you can adjust their flavour so that they suit your taste buds perfectly! Which just also happens to be the best reason to make your own sweet chilli sauce at home.
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Ingredients
One of the good things about making condiments and sauces from scratch is that you don't include anything artificial or unnatural. There are just 5 ingredients in this recipe and one is water! The other ingredients are:
- caster sugar
- garlic
- rice wine vinegar
- red chillies
Step-by-step instructions
I've kept this recipe very simple. There are just 3 steps.
- Add all of the ingredients to a pan and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Continue to simmer until it is a thick syrup, easily coating the back of a spoon.
- Leave to cool before adding to a sterilised bottle or jar.
It couldn't be easier.
Variations
In my Sweet Chilli Sauce recipe below I have included instructions for what I consider to be the perfect amount of heat. But, what one person considers spicy another person might consider mild.
To adjust the heat you can add or remove the number of chillies or alternatively try using a milder or hotter variety.
Whatever you do, avoid adjusting the amount of sugar, water or cooking time of this recipe. These three elements are essential to getting the right consistency for the sauce.
Storage
I store mine in a glass bottle but it would keep just as well in any air tight container.
I always make sure to sterilise my bottles before I store the Sweet Chilli Sauce to avoid it going bad. You don't need any harsh chemicals to sterilise the bottle. Simply wash the bottle and its lid in hot soapy water. Instead of drying them with a tea towel, place them into a pre-heated oven at 175C for 15 minutes (or until they are dry).
Add the sauce to the bottle while its still hot. Try to leave at least ¼ inch (½ cm) at the top of the bottle and pop the lid on and leave it to cool down before enjoying.
Top Tip
You can dice your chillies quickly by pulsing them in a food processor!
FAQ
Yes! Depending on the variety you will get a different flavour profile and spice level. The choice is yours.
Yes. If you want to store it for any length of time then it is very important that the container you're storing it in is sterilised. If you're keeping it for just a a day or two this is less of an issue.
Serving suggestions
You can add this sweet chilli sauce to a wide range of dishes. But why not try it alongside some of my favourite recipes:
The recipe
Homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce
Equipment
- 1 sterilised bottle or jar
Ingredients
- 250 g caster sugar
- 250 ml water
- 125 ml rice wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic
- 20 red chillies finely chopped
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a pan and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Continue to simmer until it is a thick syrup, easily coating the back of a spoon.
- Leave to cool before adding to a sterilised bottle or jar.
Nutrition
More condiment recipes
If you do make this Sweet Chilli Sauce I'd love to know what you thought of it! Just drop me a comment below or add a rating to the recipe.
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