Sweet Chili Sauce Substitutes
Thai sweet chili · nam chim kai · 甜辣酱 · sweet chilli sauce
By The Chowmi Test Kitchen · Updated November 2, 2026
Sweet chili sauce (Thai nam chim kai) is a thin, glossy sauce of sugar, vinegar, red chili and garlic: sweet first, then tangy, with mild heat. The quickest substitute for dipping is hot pepper jelly warmed with a splash of rice vinegar, which is close to the same sauce in jelly form. For a glaze, mix 2 tablespoons honey with 1 tablespoon sriracha and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar. For a jar that tastes like the bottle, simmer ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup rice vinegar and ¼ cup water with 2 minced red chilies, 2 garlic cloves and ½ teaspoon salt, then thicken with a little cornstarch: about 10 minutes. Sriracha or chili garlic sauce alone is too hot and not sweet enough.
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Every sweet chili sauce substitute, ranked
| Substitute | Ratio | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade sweet chili sauce Anything the bottle is for · vegan · gluten-free | ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup water, 2 red chilies, 2 garlic cloves, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp cornstarch | 95% |
| Hot pepper jelly + rice vinegar Dipping: spring rolls, crab rangoon, coconut shrimp · vegan · gluten-free | ¼ cup jelly + 1–2 tsp vinegar, warmed until pourable | 82% |
| Honey + sriracha + rice vinegar Glazes for salmon, wings and shrimp · gluten-free | 2 tbsp honey : 1 tbsp sriracha : 1 tsp vinegar | 76% |
| Chili garlic sauce + sugar + vinegar Stir-fry finishing sauce · vegan · gluten-free | 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp water, simmered 1 minute | 74% |
| Apricot jam + red pepper flakes + vinegar Dips and quick glazes · vegan · gluten-free | 3 tbsp jam, ¼ tsp flakes, 1 tsp vinegar, warmed | 66% |
| Duck sauce + hot sauce Takeout-style dipping in a pinch · vegan | 3 tbsp duck sauce + ½ tsp hot sauce | 58% |
- Homemade sweet chili sauce: Ten minutes on the stove, and you choose the heat. It thickens as it cools and keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge.
- Hot pepper jelly + rice vinegar: The Southern US condiment is sugar, vinegar and peppers set with pectin, practically sweet chili sauce in jelly form. Red pepper jelly looks the part; green tastes much the same.
- Honey + sriracha + rice vinegar: Thicker and more garlicky than the bottle. Honey browns fast, so brush it on for the last 3–5 minutes only.
- Chili garlic sauce + sugar + vinegar: Coarser and hotter to start with; the sugar and vinegar bring it into balance. Strain it if you want it smooth.
- Apricot jam + red pepper flakes + vinegar: Fruitier and thicker, but the sweet-tangy-warm balance is there. Push it through a sieve if the jam has big fruit pieces.
- Duck sauce + hot sauce: Sweeter and fruitier (apricot and plum), with no garlic. The takeout packets work fine.
Which substitute for which job
| What you're making | Best swap | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Dip for spring rolls, egg rolls or crab rangoon | Warm hot pepper jelly + vinegar | Glossy, pourable sweetness with no cooking |
| Glaze for salmon, wings or shrimp | Honey + sriracha + vinegar | Clings and browns; brush it on for the last 3–5 minutes |
| Stir-fry finishing sauce | Chili garlic sauce + sugar + vinegar | Loosens into a sauce instead of turning gluey |
| Salad or slaw dressing | Lime juice + honey + a little fish sauce and chili | The Thai dressing balance that the bottled sauce is often a shortcut for |
| Sweet chili mayo | 2 parts mayo : 1 part any swap above | The mayo softens the heat, so any sweet-hot swap works |
Make a jar in 10 minutes
This is close to the bottled Thai style: sweet first, garlicky, mildly hot, with visible chili. It makes about ¾ cup.
- Mince 2 fresh red chilies (Fresno or red jalapeño; seed them for less heat) and 2 garlic cloves. No fresh chilies? Use 1 tsp red pepper flakes.
- In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup water, ½ tsp salt, the chilies and the garlic to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer 4–5 minutes, until it looks slightly syrupy.
- Stir 2 tsp cornstarch into 1 tbsp cold water, pour it in and simmer 1 minute more, stirring, until glossy.
- Let it cool; it thickens a lot as it does. Thin it with a teaspoon of water if it sets too firm. Refrigerate in a clean jar and use within about 2 weeks.
Taste it warm: it should be clearly sweet before you feel the heat. Too sharp, add a spoonful of sugar; too sweet, a splash of vinegar.
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What is Sweet Chili Sauce?
Sweet chili sauce is a Thai dipping sauce, nam chim kai, literally “dipping sauce for chicken”, first served with grilled chicken. It's a thin syrup of sugar and vinegar cooked with red chili and garlic and thickened just enough to cling, with chili flakes suspended in it. In the US it's the standard dip for spring rolls, egg rolls and crab rangoon, and a shortcut glaze for salmon, wings and shrimp.
Flavor: Sweet first, then tangy and garlicky, with a mild, slow chili warmth.
Sweet chili sauce vs sriracha
Both are Thai-style chili sauces in squeeze bottles, and both start from red chili, sugar, vinegar and garlic. The proportions are reversed: sriracha is a hot, garlicky purée with a little sugar, while sweet chili sauce is mostly syrup with chili flakes floating in it. Sriracha makes food spicier; sweet chili sauce makes it sweeter. To turn sriracha into a sweet chili swap, mix 1 part sriracha with 2 parts honey and a splash of vinegar.
Sweet chili sauce vs sweet and sour sauce
Both are sweet and tangy, but they differ in heat and in use. Sweet chili sauce is thinner and glossier, with visible chili and gentle warmth, and it's mostly a dip. Sweet and sour sauce is thicker, ketchup-red and usually not spicy, and it's more often tossed with fried pork or chicken. For a spring-roll dip you want sweet chili; for sweet and sour pork you want sweet and sour sauce.
Where to buy sweet chili sauce
Stock real sweet chili sauce
Mae Ploy is the classic Thai brand; Thai Kitchen and store brands sit beside it in most supermarkets' Asian aisle, and Asian markets sell big bottles cheaply. Labels say to refrigerate after opening, and kept cold it lasts for months. Mae Ploy's ingredients are sugar, water, pickled red chili, vinegar, garlic, salt and xanthan gum, so it's vegan and gluten-free, but check other brands.
Sweet Chili Sauce FAQ
What is the best substitute for sweet chili sauce?
For dipping, hot pepper jelly warmed with a splash of rice vinegar. For a glaze, 2 tablespoons honey with 1 tablespoon sriracha and 1 teaspoon vinegar. For the real thing, simmer sugar, rice vinegar, water, red chili, garlic and salt for 5 minutes and thicken with cornstarch; it takes about 10 minutes.
Can I use sriracha instead of sweet chili sauce?
Not on its own: sriracha is hot and garlicky, not sweet. Mixed 1 part sriracha to 2 parts honey with a splash of rice vinegar, it makes a good stand-in for dipping and glazing.
Can I use hot pepper jelly instead of sweet chili sauce?
Yes, and it's one of the closest swaps. Pepper jelly is sugar, vinegar and peppers set with pectin. Warm ¼ cup with 1–2 teaspoons of rice vinegar until it pours, and use it as a dip or glaze.
Is sweet chili sauce spicy?
Only mildly. Sugar and vinegar dominate, with a slow chili warmth in the background, which is why it's such a crowd-pleasing dip. For more heat, stir in fresh chili or a little sriracha.
Is sweet chili sauce gluten-free and vegan?
The classic Thai versions usually are: Mae Ploy's ingredients are sugar, water, pickled red chili, vinegar, garlic, salt and xanthan gum. Some brands add soy sauce or other thickeners, so read the label. The homemade version above is both.
Does sweet chili sauce need to be refrigerated?
After opening, yes; that's what the labels say. The sugar and vinegar keep it safe for a long time, and in the fridge it holds its color and flavor for months. Homemade sauce keeps about 2 weeks.
Is sweet chili sauce Chinese?
No, it's Thai, but in the US it sits in the Asian aisle next to Chinese sauces and comes with American-Chinese appetizers like crab rangoon and spring rolls. Bottles sold to Chinese shoppers are labeled 甜辣酱, “sweet spicy sauce”; in Taiwan that name usually means a thicker, redder sauce served with fried fish cake.
What do you eat sweet chili sauce with?
Mostly fried and grilled foods: spring rolls, egg rolls, crab rangoon, dumplings, fried shrimp and chicken. It also makes a quick glaze for salmon and wings, a base for slaw dressing, and, mixed with mayo, a sandwich spread.
Recipes that use sweet chili sauce
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