Chili Garlic Sauce Substitutes
chile garlic sauce · garlic chili sauce · 蒜蓉辣椒酱 · tương ớt tỏi
By The Chowmi Test Kitchen · Updated November 10, 2026
The closest substitute for chili garlic sauce is sambal oelek with garlic added: for each tablespoon, use 1 tablespoon of sambal oelek and 1 small minced garlic clove (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder). Sambal is the same coarse paste of ground red chilies, vinegar and salt without the garlic. Sriracha works 1:1 with the same clove of garlic; it's smoother and sweeter, so cut a little sugar from the recipe. In cooked Sichuan-style dishes, half as much doubanjiang adds savory depth, and it's salty, so hold back some soy sauce. With no chili paste at all, warm 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes and 2 minced garlic cloves in 1 tablespoon of oil, then stir in 1 teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt. If the recipe already has plenty of garlic, plain sambal or sriracha is enough.
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Every chili garlic sauce substitute, ranked
| Substitute | Ratio | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sambal oelek + garlic Everything · vegan · gluten-free | 1 tbsp sambal + 1 small minced garlic clove (or ¼ tsp garlic powder) | 92% |
| Sriracha + garlic Sauces, glazes, marinades · vegan · gluten-free | 1:1, plus 1 small minced garlic clove per tbsp | 74% |
| Doubanjiang Cooked Sichuan-style dishes · vegan | Half the amount, fried in the oil first | 64% |
| Chili crisp Noodles, fried rice, dumpling dips | 1:1, with some of its oil | 60% |
| Red pepper flakes + garlic + oil When there's no chili paste in the house · vegan · gluten-free | 1 tbsp flakes, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp vinegar, pinch of salt | 56% |
| Gochujang + garlic + vinegar Cooked sauces and marinades only | 2 tsp gochujang, 1 small garlic clove, ½ tsp rice vinegar per tbsp | 50% |
- Sambal oelek + garlic: The same coarse chili, vinegar and salt paste without the garlic. With the garlic stirred in, it's hard to tell apart.
- Sriracha + garlic: Smooth and sweeter, with no chili flecks or seeds. Take a little sugar out of the recipe to make up for it.
- Doubanjiang: Fermented broad beans and chili: deeper and much saltier, with no vinegar tang. Reduce the soy sauce, and don't use it raw in a dip.
- Chili crisp: Fried chili and garlic in oil: crunchy, roasted and milder, with no tang. Add a few drops of vinegar if the dish tastes flat.
- Red pepper flakes + garlic + oil: Warm the flakes and garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds without browning, then add the vinegar and salt. Makes about 2 tablespoons.
- Gochujang + garlic + vinegar: Thick, sweet and fermented, so the dish turns rounder and less sharp. Leave out some of the recipe's sugar.
How much to use, dish by dish
Two of our recipes call for it: the Chinese garlic sauce takes 1 tablespoon, and Beijing beef takes 2 teaspoons. Both already have plenty of garlic (8–10 cloves and 4 cloves), so in dishes like these you can skip the extra clove.
| Dish | Best swap | Amount for 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce |
|---|---|---|
| Garlic sauce or other stir-fry sauce | Sambal oelek | 1 tbsp; add a garlic clove only if the recipe has none |
| Sweet, sticky glazes such as Beijing beef | Sriracha | 1 tbsp, and take a teaspoon of sugar out of the sauce |
| Dumpling dipping sauce | Sambal oelek + garlic, or chili crisp | 1 tbsp sambal + 1 small clove, or 1 tbsp chili crisp + a few drops of vinegar |
| Noodles and fried rice | Chili crisp or sambal oelek | 1 tbsp, stirred in at the end |
| Mapo-style braises and Sichuan stir-fries | Doubanjiang | 1½ tsp, fried in the oil; cut back the soy sauce |
| Marinades | Sriracha or gochujang | 1 tbsp sriracha, or 2 tsp gochujang + ½ tsp vinegar |
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What is Chili Garlic Sauce?
Chili garlic sauce is a thick, coarse paste of ground fresh red chilies and garlic with vinegar and salt. The best-known jar in the US is Huy Fong's, with the green lid and the rooster; recipes also spell it “chile garlic sauce,” and some labels say garlic chili sauce. It's chunkier, tangier and more garlicky than sriracha, and barely sweet. Cooks stir it into stir-fry sauces, noodles, fried rice and marinades, and it goes on the table as a condiment or into a dumpling dip.
Flavor: Bright, garlicky heat with a tangy, salty edge and a coarse, seedy texture.
Chili garlic sauce vs sambal oelek
They're nearly the same sauce. Sambal oelek is a coarse paste of ground red chilies, vinegar and salt; chili garlic sauce is that paste with garlic. Side by side, sambal tastes a little cleaner and brighter and chili garlic sauce rounder and more savory. They swap 1:1 in both directions: add a minced clove of garlic per tablespoon to turn sambal into chili garlic sauce, and use chili garlic sauce as is wherever sambal is called for, unless the dish shouldn't taste of garlic.
Chili garlic sauce vs sriracha
The base is the same red chili, but the texture and balance differ. Chili garlic sauce is coarse, with visible chili and seeds, more garlicky, tangier and barely sweet. Sriracha is a smooth purée with sugar in it, made to squeeze over food. Sriracha can replace chili garlic sauce 1:1 if you add garlic and trim the sugar elsewhere. Where the rough texture shows, as in a dumpling dip or over noodles, sambal oelek is the better stand-in.
Chili garlic sauce vs gochujang
They're different kinds of thing. Chili garlic sauce is a fresh-tasting, loose, vinegary chili paste. Gochujang is a thick Korean paste of chili powder, glutinous rice and fermented soybeans, usually sweetened: sticky, sweet and savory, with a slower heat and no sharp tang. Gochujang can fill in for chili garlic sauce in a cooked sauce or marinade if you add garlic and a little vinegar and use less sugar. It's too thick and sweet for a dip or a table condiment.
Where to buy chili garlic sauce
Stock real chili garlic sauce
Chili garlic sauce is in the Asian or hot-sauce aisle of most supermarkets, plus Asian markets, Weee!, Yamibuy and Amazon; Huy Fong's green-lid jar is the most common, and Lee Kum Kee makes one too. Refrigerate it after opening and it keeps for months. Sambal oelek and sriracha, its closest substitutes, usually sit right beside it.
Chili Garlic Sauce FAQ
What is a good substitute for chili garlic sauce?
Sambal oelek with garlic: 1 tablespoon of sambal plus 1 small minced clove for each tablespoon of chili garlic sauce. Sriracha with the same clove of garlic is next; it's sweeter, so use a little less sugar in the dish. With neither, warm red pepper flakes and minced garlic in oil and add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt.
Is chili garlic sauce the same as sambal oelek?
Almost. Sambal oelek is ground chilies, vinegar and salt; chili garlic sauce is the same kind of paste with garlic added. Use either one in place of the other, 1:1, and stir a minced garlic clove into sambal when the garlic matters.
Is chili garlic sauce the same as sriracha?
No. They start from similar red chilies, but chili garlic sauce is coarse, garlicky, tangy and barely sweet, while sriracha is smooth and noticeably sweeter. Sriracha works as a swap if you add garlic; for a dish that shows off the rough texture, use sambal oelek.
Is gochujang the same as chili garlic sauce?
No. Gochujang is a thick, sweet, fermented Korean chili paste made with rice and soybeans. Chili garlic sauce is a loose, tangy paste of fresh chilies and garlic. In a cooked sauce you can use 2 teaspoons of gochujang plus a small garlic clove and ½ teaspoon of rice vinegar for each tablespoon of chili garlic sauce; the dish will come out sweeter and less sharp.
What is chili garlic sauce used for?
Both cooking and the table. It goes into stir-fry sauces, noodles, fried rice, marinades and dumpling dips for garlicky heat, and gets spooned over rice, eggs and soups. Our recipes use 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon for a dish that serves four to six.
How spicy is chili garlic sauce?
Moderately hot, in the same range as sriracha, but it tastes sharper because there's almost no sugar to soften it. Brands vary, so start with half of what the recipe says if you're unsure, and add more at the end.
Recipes that use chili garlic sauce
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