Sweet Chili Sauce Substitutes
Sweet chili sauce is a type of chili sauce that is commonly used when making different recipes in different places around the world. It is native to Zhongshan City located in the Guangdong province of China and it became popular in Thailand, which makes it to also be called sweet Thai chili sauce. Over the years, sweet chili sauce has been used to accompany different dishes.
To start, sweet chili sauce is usually made from red chili peppers, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and fish sauce. Sometimes, other ingredients like honey, other types of pepper, refined sugar, and even fruits are used when making sweet chili sauce. Just as the name suggests, sweet chili sauce has a sweet taste with it feeling a bit sour and spicy.
Sweet chili sauce is commonly used to serve chicken wings, fries, spring rolls, veggies, shrimps, crab legs, and many more to be used as a dip. It is also used to dress or marinate fresh meat before they are cooked. Sweet chili sauce is also part of the ingredients used when making sandwiches, toast, or pasta. There are times when you would need some sweet chili sauce substitutes because you have run out of the sauce, that is when you would need this article.
Depending on how you like your food to taste, sweet chili sauce or any of its substitutes can be added to all the meals that you make and they would give you nice taste and flavor. An important note on sweet chili sauce is that it is not very rich in nutrients but is even renowned for its high sugar content which makes it a poor choice for healthy eating. According to some sources, sweet chili sauce can contain around 50% of sugar.
Sweet chili sauce is a lovely ingredient to have, sometimes, it can help to take the taste and flavor of your meals to a higher level. If you are about to make a recipe that calls for sweet chili sauce, only to find out that it has finished, is there a good way to substitute for it?
Well as stated earlier, this article would be answering this questions with a list of 11 substitutes for sweet chili sauce that you can use when you are eating or making any recipe.
Substitution For Sweet Chili Sauce
Below we have compiled the best substitutions you can use as a replacement for sweet chili sauce. While these replacements are not 100% perfect but they would certainly give a similar flavor.
Sambal oelek, sugar, cornstarch, and vinegar
Sambal oelek is a type of chili sauce that is indigenous to Indonesia. It is made from a mixture of different types of chili pepper, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, palm sugar, scallion, lime juice, and shallot. It is used when making different local recipes in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Sambal oelek can be used as an ingredient when making any recipe that calls for a large number of chili peppers.
Now, if you are looking to replace sweet chili sauce when making any recipe, you can use this mixture of sambal oelek and other ingredients that I’ll show you.
To get this done, take two tablespoons of sambal oelek paste and mix it with half a cup of vinegar, half a cup of sugar, one tablespoon of cornstarch, and half a cup of water. Make sure to mix them thoroughly so all of the ingredients can form a fine paste. The sugar in it helps to give this mixture the sweet taste that sweet chili sauce has while the vinegar adds that bit of sourness.
Red chile, vinegar and sugar
Red chile is a variety of pepper that originates from Mexico. Right now, red chili pepper is used by many people of different cultures around the world to make different recipes. It is said to add spice and heat to the meals that are made. Red chile pepper is a good source of vitamin C and vitamin B6 which are both needed by the human body.
If you’re looking to make a substitute for sweet chili sauce in your recipes, you can use a mixture of red chile pepper, vinegar, and sugar. Sweet chili sauce is usually made with red chili pepper so this mix is quite good enough to replace it in many recipes.
Take the desired amount of red chile pepper, add a proportional amount of sugar and vinegar to it, then blend all of them to form a fine paste. This is going to create a good homemade sweet chili sauce for you to use in your recipes.
Tabasco sauce, vinegar and honey
Tabasco is a brand of hot sauce that is made from tabasco peppers, salt, and vinegar. It is made by the McIlhenny Company of Avery Island in south Louisiana. Tabasco sauce is commonly available in more than 195 countries around the world. Perhaps you are looking for something to replace sweet chili sauce when making any recipe and if you have Tabasco sauce, you are halfway through. You just need to get honey and vinegar.
Now, take a portion of the Tabasco sauce then mix it with honey and vinegar thoroughly. This will help to add that sweet and sour taste that sweet chili sauce has. If a recipe calls for sweet chili sauce, you can use this Tabasco sauce, vinegar, and honey mixture as a substitute option.
Ancho chile, sugar and vinegar
Ancho chile pepper is gotten from an almost-ripe poblano pepper that has been dried to remove all its water content. It has a dark color after drying and it is quite hot when eaten.
If you are looking for a substitute for sweet chili sauce and happen to have ancho chile pepper. Take a portion of the chile pepper and add vinegar and sugar to it. After that, blend them to form a fine paste with a similar consistency to sweet chili sauce.
This mixture is a great option for you to consider when looking for what to use in place of sweet chili sauce when making any recipe. It has a mildly sweet taste with a hot taste. It can be used as a dip when eating fries, wings, shrimp, and more. It can also be used as an ingredient for sandwiches, and other dishes.
Red Jalapeño chiles with honey
Red jalapeño pepper is a variety of chili pepper that has a medium size with a round and smooth flesh. It originates from Mexico and it is now a popular crop grown in other parts of the world.
Jalapeño pepper gets red when it is allowed to fully ripen on the plant but it is usually harvested and eaten when it is still green. It is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
However, for this, you need red jalapeño pepper as it is a little bit sweeter than the green unripe pepper. To make this, you need to get 5 large red jalapeño peppers, half a cup of water, a quarter cup of honey, a teaspoon of salt, and a tablespoon of vinegar. Now, blend all of them to form a fine paste. Also, you can choose to use any kind of sweetener instead of honey like sugar, etc. This mixture is one of the top options available to replace sweet chili sauce.
Red chiles and erythritol
If you are on a keto diet, then this substitute is great for you. All you need is red chili pepper, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic, cornstarch, and erythritol.
To make this, get red chili pepper, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, cornstarch, and erythritol. Now, blend them to form a smooth paste. The reason this mixture is a great for people on a keto diet is because Erythritol is agood substitute for sugar and has made it a popular choice for keto dieters. It would give you the sweet taste like sugar but not the health or weight side effects of regular sugar. Apple cider vinegar will add a sour taste to the mixture with the red chili pepper adding heat. You might want to check out some chili garlic sauce substitutes.
Red pepper flakes, honey and vinegar
If you do not have other fresh pepper, you can use a mixture that involves dried red pepper flakes. It is readily available and I’m sure you will probably have one in your kitchen right now.
To make this substitute for sweet chili sauce using red pepper flakes, you also need to have vinegar and honey (or any sweetener of your choice eg sugar). Other complementary ingredients that you may need to use are garlic, salt, and cornstarch.
Take three tablespoons of red pepper flakes then mix it without a half cup of sugar, half cup of vinegar, half cup of water, two tablespoons of cornstarch, half teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of grated garlic. Mix all of them thoroughly to form a paste that has a smooth consistency. Check out the comparison between red pepper flakes vs chili flakes find out which is best.
Hot sauce, honey, and vinegar
Another top option to replace sweet chili sauce is to use a mixture of hot sauce, honey, and vinegar. Hot sauce is a type of condiment that is made from chili peppers and other ingredients. It is commonly used as an ingredient when making different recipes.
To get this, take about two tablespoons of hot sauce and mix it with half a cup of honey, half a cup of water, and two tablespoons of vinegar. Make sure to mix them thoroughly to form a fine paste. This mixture will help to replicate the taste and flavor of sweet chili sauce.
Fresno chile, honey and vinegar
Fresno chile is a type of chili pepper that you can use when you’re looking for a replacement for sweet chili sauce. It is a great source of vitamin C and vitamin B, and it also contains iron, thiamin, niacin, magnesium, and riboflavin.
Take about 10 Fresno chile, half a cup of honey, a quarter teaspoon of salt, half a cup of water, and half a cup of vinegar then blend them to form a smooth paste. You can choose to use sugar or any other sweetener of your choice in place of honey.
Chili sauce and maple syrup
If you have chili sauce with you at home, then you can easily make a substitute for sweet chili sauce when you need to. Chili sauce is made from a mixture of chili peppers, tomatoes, spices, vinegar, etc. It is not as hot as sweet chili sauce due to the presence of tomatoes.
To make this, take 2 tablespoons of chili sauce, a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a quarter cup of maple syrup, and half a cup of water. Blend them together to form a fine paste.
By the way, I have put together a list of honey mustard substitutes which could pass for a good replacement, you might want to try them out.
We have come to the end of the list of substitutes for sweet chili sauce you could make at home easily and have your meal not feel like it is missing anything at all. In the next section below, I would answer some popular and frequently asked questions about Sweet Chili Sauce Substitutes.
FAQs About Sweet Chili Sauce Substitutes
What can i substitute for sweet chili sauce?
Some of the ingredients and sauce you can substitute for sweet chili sauce are chili sauce and maple syrup, fresno chile and honey with vinegar, hot sauce with honey and vinegar, Red chiles and erythritol, Red pepper flakes with honey and vinegar, Red Jalapeño chiles with honey and a few others on the list above.
What can i substitute for thai sweet chili sauce?
Some of the ingredients and sauce you can substitute for thai sweet chili sauce are chili sauce and maple syrup, fresno chile and honey with vinegar, hot sauce with honey and vinegar, Red chiles and erythritol, Red pepper flakes with honey and vinegar, Red Jalapeño chiles with honey. All these serve as excellent substitute for thai sweet chili sauce. Also check out these sweet soy sauce substitutes.
What is a good substitute for sweet chili sauce?
Some good substitutes for sweet chili sauce are chili sauce and maple syrup, fresno chile and honey with vinegar, hot sauce with honey and vinegar, Red chiles and erythritol, Red pepper flakes with honey and vinegar, Red Jalapeño chiles with honey. All these serve as excellent substitute for sweet chili sauce.
What is a substitute for sweet chili sauce?
These are excellent substitutes for sweet chili sauce chili sauce and maple syrup, fresno chile and honey with vinegar, hot sauce with honey and vinegar, Red chiles and erythritol, Red pepper flakes with honey and vinegar, Red Jalapeño chiles with honey. All these serve as excellent substitute for sweet chili sauce.
What is a substitute for thai sweet chili sauce?
Some of the ingredients you can substitute for thai sweet chili sauce are chili sauce and maple syrup, fresno chile and honey with vinegar, hot sauce with honey and vinegar, Red chiles and erythritol, Red pepper flakes with honey and vinegar, Red Jalapeño chiles with honey. All these serve as excellent substitute for thai sweet chili sauce.
What can you substitute for sweet chili sauce?
You can substitute for sweet chili sauce with any of these; chili sauce and maple syrup, fresno chile and honey with vinegar, hot sauce with honey and vinegar, Red chiles and erythritol, Red pepper flakes with honey and vinegar, Red Jalapeño chiles with honey. All these serve as excellent substitute for sweet chili sauce.
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