This homemade chili-garlic sauce recipe is much like Huy Fong chili garlic sauce, but freshly made, no preservatives, super easy to make and so versatile.
My Favorite Chili-Garlic Sauce Recipe
Walking through your typical grocery store, most likely you aren't going to find many chili-garlic sauces available to you. You'll probably find "Huy Fong" chili garlic sauce in the Asian aisle, maybe one other competing brand, but that's about it.
Unless you're in a specialty store, your choices are fairly limited, and specialty stores are few and far between unless you're living within a fair sized city.
Lucky for us, we know how to make our own Chili-Garlic Sauce at home on our own.
The recipe is simple. It uses only 4 main ingredients, aside from salt and pepper - chili peppers, garlic, sugar and vinegar. And, it's ready in well under 30 minutes!
Chili-Garlic Sauce is something I use regularly. Unlike Sriracha, it is a freshly made sauce, unfermented, and is meant more for cooking rather than a condiment, though it can be used for both purposes.
Let's talk about how to make chili garlic sauce!
Chili-Garlic Sauce Ingredients
- Chili Peppers. This works for any peppers you like to work with. I used a bunch of Fresno peppers. Ideally, use colorful red chilies for appearance, if you prefer your chili garlic sauce to look more like the store bought product, but you really can use any peppers. Consider using a variety. See the Recipe Notes for further discussion.
- Garlic. Fresh minced garlic is ideal.
- Sugar. If desired, for a touch of sweetness.
- Vinegar. I use white vinegar.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste.
How to Make Chili-Garlic Sauce
Select Your Chilies. First, select and measure out your chili peppers by weight. Four ounces is good. You can choose any type of pepper to make a good chili-garlic paste, though Thai chiles are traditional in some regions.
Red, fresh, vibrant peppers are ideal. Consider cayennes, red jalapenos, red serranos, or Fresno peppers to make this sauce, though you can make the recipe with many types of chili peppers.
Add Ingredients to a Food Processor. Add the peppers to a food processor along with 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 tablespoons white vinegar, and a bit of salt and pepper.
Process Until Smooth. Next, process to form your sauce.
Simmer the Chili Garlic Sauce. Pour all of the ingredients into a pot and simmer them for 10 minutes at medium heat to meld the flavors.
Refrigerate Until Ready to Use. Finally, cool and adjust with a bit more salt and pepper to your personal tastes. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge until ready to use.
Boom! Done! Your homemade chili-garlic sauce is ready to use. It really is very easy to make, and I like it so much better than anything from the grocery store.
It's absolutely delicious.
Adjusting the Heat Level
I often make this with medium-hot level chili peppers, though realistically you can make this recipe with any type of pepper. Use sweet peppers for a no-heat version that can still be used in many, many recipes.
Go with ghost peppers or above - see my list of superhot chili peppers - for a seriously HOT version. Best case is to use a good variety for both heat and flavor.
Wear gloves if needed when working with very hot peppers.
Sriracha Vs. Chili Garlic Sauce
Many people compare sriracha and chili garlic sauce, and in reality, they are very similar, particularly with commercial brands. However, there are important differences.
Sriracha is fermented, which mellows the balance of tangy and sweet. Chili garlic sauce is made with fresh unfermented peppers, making the flavors bolder, spicier, and more garlic forward.
Sriracha tends to be slightly sweeter than chili garlic sauce. It also tends to be smoother in texture as well.
If you run out of chili-garlic sauce, you CAN use Sriracha as a substitute, but it isn't quite the same in texture and flavor.
Check out my Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe (both fermented and unfermented versions).
Recipe Making Tips
The Chili Peppers
It is best to use the freshest chili peppers available to you, so be sure to check the peppers for blemishes or spots. You can, however, make this with frozen chili peppers as well.
Just be sure to thaw them out and dry them a bit with a paper towel before processing.
If using dried chiles to make this recipe, rehydrate them first in hot water.
If you have a larger food processor, it is best to make a larger batch so the ingredients can be properly processed.
Flavor Tweaks
This recipe is ideal on its own for flavor boosts in cooking, but you can add other ingredients to your preference. Consider onion, tomato, or fresh herbs.
Fish sauce is a wonderful addition of umami.
Storage Information
Chili-garlic sauce will last 1-2 months or longer in the refrigerator in a sealed container. The vinegar acts as a preservative, which will let it keep longer.
You can also freeze it for up to 6 months. It freezes nicely. Simply thaw and use as needed.
What Can I Make with Chili-Garlic Sauce?
Chili-Garlic Sauce typically lends itself to Asian dishes and stir fries, though you can use it in numerous dishes. Here are some recipes to get you started.
Try These Other Popular Sauce Recipes
- Sweet Garlic Chili Sauce
- Sweet Pepper Chili Sauce
- Garlic-Habanero Hot Sauce
- Chili Sauce
- General Tso Sauce
- Sambal Oelek
- Homemade Chili Oil
Enjoy!
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Homemade Chili-Garlic Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces spicy chili peppers – This works for any pepper of choosing. I used a bunch of Fresno peppers. Use a variety.
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a small pot and heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Cool and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper to your tastes.
- Store in a sealable jar in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
This recipe was updated on 9/9/22 to include a video and updated information. Originally published on 5/31/2017.
Mister Douglas says
I am using fresh green jalapenos. No reds on the shelf.
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Mister Doublas!
Sharon says
Absolutely love this recipe and so versatile. Thank you
Mike Hultquist says
I agree, Sharon. So good!
Gudrun Knight says
can you can (water bath or pressure can) this chili garlic sauce? if yes, for how long?
Mike Hultquist says
Gudrun, you can pressure can this. If you want to water bath it, you'll likely need to add more acid to lower the pH. Shoot for 3.5 or lower.
Maria says
Does this call for 4oz of dried red chili peppers or fresh?
Mike Hultquist says
4 ounces fresh, Maria. Enjoy!
Anne says
Hi Mike,
I’m in Australia and have grown some wonderful Rocotto chilli plants. They just keep growing year after year. To justify keeping them (husband wants them pulled out) I’d like to make a chilli preserve (sauce/sambal/paste) that can be stored sealed, out of the fridge (until opened) a bit like my tomato chutney. I’ve collected a load of suitable jars.
Could you point me in the right direction please?
Great idea to freeze them.
Cheers
Anne.
Mike Hultquist says
Anne, I have a LOT of sauce recipes, along with paste and sambals here on the site. Check out the sauces section. Any of my sauces/etc can be frozen, but with enough acidity, you can also process them in a water bath to preserve in the pantry until ready to open. Shoot for a pH of 3.5 or lower for home processing. I hope this helps!
Adam Davey says
Hi, just made this sauce. Super easy as you say. I used mostly habñeros, with a few cayenne and jalapeños thrown in, plus a bit of sweet red pepper. Very pleased with it, thanks. One point is that I used several frozen chillies, and put them in the processor without thawing. Then I saw your comment that we should thaw them first. Would there be a noticeable difference? Just wondering what benefit thawing them first brings. Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Adam. Frozen are great, and just easier to handle when thawed. The mixture could be more chunky processing frozen peppers, but not a big deal. They will thaw eventually.
SJ says
I used 4 oz of serranos and WOW this is a very spicy sauce! Just a drop will do it! 🙂 I mixed another tablespoon of vinegar into the finished sauce and I hope that helps tone it down—or I’ll be the only one in my house eating this (not necessarily a bad thing though to have this all to myself). Next time I’ll go with jalapeños! Thanks for the easy recipe.
Cathy says
Can you use crushed red pepper?
Mike Hultquist says
Cathy, powders can work for this recipe, though you'll get best results from fresh pods. Whole dried pods will work as well.
Louise Keiser says
Can you tell me if the Homemade Chili-Garlic Sauce Recipe is suitable for preserving by canning? If so, do I need to increase the vinegar and salt because of the garlic?
Mike H. says
Hey Louise, check out the answer from Jerry. It is right on point!
Jerry says
Nice recipe, as the pepper harvest season has started I have alot to process. This is a nice processed pepper recipe for use in dishes.
Not tried yet, so can not review how it worked out.
Kathleen says
May the Homemade Chili-Garlic Sauce recipe be increased, in vallum, for canning? Thanks.
Mike Hultquist says
Kathleen, yes, you can scale this up to make large batches, no problem.
Jerry says
Canning with garlic should not be done for safety because you can get botulism. But I think addition of enough acid will kill of the problem causing bacteria. With oil + garlic is also more tricky.
Search the web for: garlic botulism risk
Claudia Becker says
I used brown sugar and a dribble of date syrup, a little soy sauce instead of salt, and rice wine vinegar. It turned out fabulous!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!!
Rosebud says
This is excellent, in fact I added jalapeños and more garlic, ❤️ the extra kick of the peppers and the taste of garlic.
Thanks SEW much❣️
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Glad you enjoyed it! I love it.
Patricia a Molloy says
what do you use this sauce on or in what recipes?
Mike Hultquist says
Patricia, yes, I use it as a component for many sauces and even marinades. Check out my Sauce Recipes section to find some where it is used. Great stuff! -- https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/sauces/
Kenny says
I love chili garlic sauce. I used in most of my rice and meat dishes. They blend well in Asian food recipes.