Sweet Chili Sauce

Name: Sweet Chili Sauce (甜辣酱)
Yield: Makes 1¼ cups (300 ml)
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar; 1½ tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon strawberry jelly; 1 tablespoon ketchup; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1 teaspoon duò jiāo; (Chinese salted chopped chilis) or sambal oelek, or more if you like it spicy; (Chinese salted chopped chilis) or sambal oelek, or more if you like it spicy; 1 pinch of white pepper; 1 pinch of salt; 1 pinch of chili flakes; 1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked with 1 tablespoon water into a slurry; 1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked with 1 tablespoon water into a slurry

甜辣酱

Preparation info

Makes
1¼
cups

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

House of Nanking

By Kathy Fang and Peter Fang

Published 2025

About

KATHY: This is a fabulous dipping sauce for anything fried—even your kids’ chicken nuggets. Or use it to glaze grilled chicken.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
1½

Asia
China
Sauce
Vegan

Method

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, jelly, ketchup, sesame oil, duò jiāo, white pepper, salt, and chili flakes with 1 cup (240 ml) water. Whisk until smooth, then heat over medium heat until the sauce simmers. Simmer for 2 minutes, then, while whisking vigorously, drizzle in the slurry in a circular motion to prevent clumping. Allow the sauce to thicken for 30 seconds,