Sweet Chili Sauce Substitutes
Thai sweet chili · 甜辣酱 · sweet chilli sauce
By The Chowmi Test Kitchen · Updated June 16, 2026
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Sweet chili sauce is a thin, glossy, sweet-tangy sauce with gentle heat and flecks of red chili, used as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, fried wontons, and crispy chicken, and as a quick glaze. The easiest substitute is a homemade mix: stir together honey (or sugar) with a little rice vinegar, a pinch of red pepper flakes or sriracha, and a small clove of grated garlic — warm it briefly to dissolve and you have a close match in two minutes. For a faster swap, thin sriracha or chili-garlic sauce with honey and a splash of vinegar (about 2 parts honey to 1 part chili sauce). Apricot or red-pepper jelly loosened with vinegar and chili also works for a dip. The defining balance is sweet first, then tangy, with mild heat, so adjust sugar and vinegar until it tastes more sweet than hot. It's naturally gluten-free if you use a GF chili sauce.
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Every sweet chili sauce substitute, ranked
| Substitute | Ratio | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Honey + rice vinegar + chili flakes + garlic Closest homemade match · gluten-free | 3 tbsp honey : 1 tbsp vinegar : ½ tsp flakes : 1 small clove | 85% |
| Sriracha + sugar or honey Quick dip · gluten-free | 1 part sriracha : 2 parts honey, + splash vinegar | 75% |
| Apricot or red-pepper jelly + vinegar + chili Dipping, glazing · gluten-free | Jelly thinned with vinegar + a pinch of flakes | 70% |
| Duck sauce + hot sauce Pinch hitter · gluten-free | Mostly duck sauce + a few drops hot sauce | 60% |
- Honey + rice vinegar + chili flakes + garlic: Warm briefly to blend. Adjust sugar/vinegar so it's sweet-forward with mild heat — a genuinely close stand-in.
- Sriracha + sugar or honey: Hotter and more garlicky; add vinegar to brighten and more sweetener to tame the heat.
- Apricot or red-pepper jelly + vinegar + chili: Captures the sweet-glossy, lightly spicy character; a pantry-friendly option for a dip or glaze.
- Duck sauce + hot sauce: Sweeter and fruitier, but works as a sweet-spicy dip in a pinch.
What is Sweet Chili Sauce?
Sweet chili sauce (often labeled Thai sweet chili) is a thin, syrupy condiment made from red chilies, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and a little starch to thicken. It's mild — more sweet and tangy than spicy — with a glossy look and visible chili flecks. It's used mostly as a dipping sauce for fried and grilled foods (spring rolls, wontons, chicken, shrimp) and as a quick glaze or stir-fry finisher. It's a Thai sauce widely used across Asian-fusion and American-Chinese cooking.
Flavor: Sweet first, then tangy, with mild chili heat and a glossy texture.
Sweet chili sauce vs sweet and sour sauce
Both are sweet and tangy, but they differ in heat and use. Sweet chili sauce is thinner, glossier, has visible chili and a gentle warmth, and is mainly a dipping sauce. Sweet and sour sauce is thicker, ketchup-red, usually not spicy, and is more often a glaze tossed with pork or chicken. For a spring-roll dip you want sweet chili; for sweet-and-sour pork you want sweet and sour sauce.
Is sweet chili sauce spicy?
Only mildly. Despite "chili" in the name, it's dominated by sweetness and tang, with just a gentle background heat — most people find it more sweet than spicy. That's why it's such a crowd-pleasing dip. If you want it hotter, add fresh chili or a little sriracha; if too hot, more sugar and vinegar bring it back to balance.
Where to buy sweet chili sauce
Stock real sweet chili sauce
Sweet chili sauce (Mae Ploy and Thai Kitchen are common brands) is in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets, plus Asian markets, Weee!, Yamibuy and Amazon. It keeps a long time refrigerated. If you can't find it, the two-minute honey-vinegar-chili mix above is an easy homemade substitute.
Sweet Chili Sauce FAQ
What is the best substitute for sweet chili sauce?
A quick homemade mix is closest: stir honey (or sugar) with a little rice vinegar, a pinch of chili flakes or sriracha, and grated garlic, then warm briefly to blend. For a faster swap, thin sriracha or chili-garlic sauce with honey and vinegar. Aim for sweet-forward with mild heat, which is what defines sweet chili sauce.
What does sweet chili sauce taste like?
Sweet and tangy first, with only a gentle chili warmth and a glossy, slightly syrupy texture. It's much more sweet than spicy, which is why it works as a crowd-pleasing dip for spring rolls, fried wontons, and crispy chicken. The flavor comes from sugar, vinegar, garlic, and red chili.
Can I use sriracha instead of sweet chili sauce?
Not on its own — sriracha is hot and savory, not sweet. But you can turn it into a good substitute by mixing about 1 part sriracha with 2 parts honey and a splash of rice vinegar. That balances the heat with the sweetness and tang that defines sweet chili sauce, making it suitable as a dip or glaze.
What do you use sweet chili sauce for?
Mostly as a dipping sauce for fried and grilled foods — spring rolls, fried wontons, crab rangoon, chicken wings, shrimp, and dumplings. It's also brushed on as a quick glaze for salmon or chicken, stirred into stir-fries for a sweet-spicy finish, or used as a sandwich and wrap spread. Anywhere you want sweet, tangy, mildly spicy.
Is sweet chili sauce gluten-free?
Often, but not always — check the label, since some brands use a wheat-based thickener or soy sauce. Many sweet chili sauces are naturally gluten-free (chili, sugar, vinegar, garlic, and cornstarch or rice starch). The homemade honey-vinegar-chili substitute is reliably gluten-free as long as your chili sauce is.
Recipes that use sweet chili sauce
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