Chef John’s Thai-Style Sweet Chili Sauce

Description

Here’s my take on Thai-style sweet chili sauce, or Nam Jim. It’s sort of a hybrid between the cooked and fresh versions. If you can’t find Thai bird’s eye chilies, use any other combination of fresh, preserved, and/or dried chilies. Things like jalapeno, red Fresno, or Serrano chilies work great, as does habanero. This sauce is great on grilled chicken and pork.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup white distilled vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons sambal chili sauce
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
  • 6 cloves finely crushed garlic
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced Thai chili peppers (bird’s eye peppers)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Instructions

  1. Place 1/2 cup cold fresh water and vinegar in a saucepan. Whisk in Asian fish sauce
  2. brown sugar
  3. ketchup
  4. sambal chili sauce
  5. and cornstarch. Whisk until cornstarch disappears. Place over medium-high heat and bring up to a simmer stirring occasionally. As it bubbles
  6. it will start to thicken up. Remove pan from heat.
  7. Whisk garlic and chili into hot mixture. Add fresh lime juice; whisk again. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature before checking for seasonings.
  8. If not using immediately
  9. transfer to a glass jar with a lid. Refrigerate.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Servings: 8

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