This sauce has a little sweetness and a little heat which makes it irresistible and delicious.
We love this sauce for so many reasons. It’s super easy and tastes so much better than the store-bought variety. It takes Crispy Coconut Shrimp to the next level!
Ingredients (Including Substitutions)
Most of the ingredients for this flavorful sauce can be found a most well-stocked supermarkets. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:
- Cornstarch Slurry – You’ll need to mix about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoon water. If you like your sauce thin, cut the slurry in half.
- Soy sauce, fish sauce, and garlic chili sauce – These can usually be found in the Asian section of your supermarket. Go with low-sodium soy, if desired.
- Broth – Chicken broth (or stock) or vegetable broth are both great options.
- Brown sugar – We use dark, but light can be substituted.
- Lime juice – Don’t overdo it. Usually, the juice from 1 lime is enough.
- Seasoning – We use Kashmiri chili powder, but, regular chili powder is perfectly fine. Add ground cayenne for additional heat.
- Garnishes – Chopped scallions or chives are excellent, but also optional.
EXPERT TIP: Both soy sauce and fish sauce are high in sodium. If you like your sauce nice and salty, go with regular soy. To reduce your sodium levels, go with low-sodium soy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance. The sauce is best served warm or at room temperature. If chilling for future use, allow the sauce to sit out for at least an hour, or warm gently in a small saucepan. If necessary, the sauce can be thinned with a little broth.
This sauce does carry a little heat to it, but it’s not overly spicy. To make it with very little heat, only go with 1 to 2 tablespoon of the garlic chili sauce, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and don’t use any cayenne.
The cornstarch slurry will naturally thicken the sauce for you. This can take anywhere from 15 seconds to 2 minutes. If you feel like the sauce gets too thick, simply add small amounts of broth until you reach the desired consistency. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken more as it cools off.
Any appetizer or dish that is made even better with a dipping sauce. It’s perfect for fried shrimp, dumplings, breadsticks, crackers, and sliced veggies!
How To Serve
As mentioned, we love to serve this sauce warm or at room temperature.
If the sauce has been stored in the refrigerator, you’ll want the sauce to come to room temperature before serving. The sauce will thicken once it has cooled off.
EXPERT TIP: If serving this as part of meal, you may want to consider providing each guest their invididual small bowl of the sauce. If serving buffet-style, allow folks to spoon out as much as they want with a small lade. This helps to prevent double-dipping.
Ready to make the best dipping sauce this side of Bangkok? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Video
Equipment
- 1 medium skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ¼ cup garlic chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice from 1 lime
- 2 tablespoon scallions chopped, divided
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until fully combined. Set aside.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoon water
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, add the soy sauce, broth, fish sauce, garlic chili sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon scallions, brown sugar, chili powder, and cayenne (if using). Bring to a boil.2 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, ¼ cup garlic chili sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 tablespoon scallions, ½ cup dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon often.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with chopped scallions. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it with a little more broth.
Wesley says
Perfect combination of sweet and spicy! Great for coconut shrimp AND dumplings!