A recipe for homemade Sambal Oelek, the classic chili paste made with chili peppers, vinegar and salt, ideal for seasoning noodle dishes and so much more.
Sambal Oelek Recipe
We know you all love sriracha - Homemade Sriracha, anyone? - but have you cooked with Sambal Oelek chili paste? Perhaps it is time to begin.
Mike's Recipe Highlights
- My recipe keeps making Sambal Oelek simple and easy to make at home. I always say, "fresh is always best!" It has much more vibrant and authentic flavor compared to what you get in grocery stores.
- While Thai red peppers are traditional, I offer alternatives like cayenne, red serrano, or red jalapeno peppers so you can adjust to your heat preferences and peppers you have available.
- I'll show you how you can use it as more than just a condiment, like as a base for other sauces and dishes. It's so versatile!
What is Sambal Oelek?
While Sriracha is distinctly Thai, Sambal Oelek is Indonesian, and it is essentially a raw chili paste made from ground chili peppers. It uses only simple ingredients, traditionally red chili peppers, vinegar and salt.
It can be used as a base to make sambals and other sauces, and works best when used more as a spicy condiment or flavoring ingredient than as a direct sauce or hot sauce.
A "sambal" actually refers to any chili sauce or paste that is made from a variety of chili peppers, with any number of other ingredients added in for flavor. Any chili sauce or paste would be called sambal.
Featured Reader Comment
From Bonvivant: "This is a simple yet mighty preparation. Outstanding use of all of the red hot chiles in the garden. Made a great marinade for char grilled chicken skewers. Delicious."
What Does Sambal Oelek Mean?
The word "sambal" is an Indonesian word referring to a sauce made primarily with chili peppers. "Oelek" (or sambal olek or sambal ulek) refers to a mortar and pestle.
Hence, Sambal Oelek is Indonesian for a chili sauce ground with a mortar and pestle.
Sambal Oelek Ingredients
Thai red peppers would be optimal for making sambal oelek at home, but you can use other chilies.
If you can't find Thai peppers, or if they are too hot for you, try cayenne peppers, red serranos, or red jalapeno peppers. Of course there are many other options, but these particular peppers work the best in order of descending heat levels.
How to Make Sambal Oelek
Making Sambal Oelek is very simple. Add your chili peppers, vinegar and salt to a food processor, blender, or other grinder. A Molcajete is a great option here.
Next, process or mash the mixture until a coarse paste forms.
Add the resulting chili paste, Sambal Oelek, to a jar and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.
There are variations, of course. A tour of the web will find other ingredients added to Sambal Oelek, such as garlic, lime juice, rice vinegar and more, though at some point, with such additions, the paste stops being Sambal Oelek and becomes something else.
This is what Sambal Oelek is for, to be used as a base, a springboard to new and interesting flavors. I've also seen recipes with the paste cooked down a bit.
I suppose this would mellow it out, but traditionally the paste is simply ground with a mortar and pestle, though you can use a food processor to achieve the same effect, of course.
You can find sambal oelek in stores. The most popular brand I see is from Huy Fong Foods. I'm here to show you how to make it at home, though. Much better!
Serving Ideas for Sambal Oelek
In truth, Sambal Oelek works great as a simple way to preserve your peppers. The salt and vinegar will let you keep them a long time. Pop it into the fridge and pull it out to swirl into any sort of soup or stew, anything in a crock pot or slow cooker.
Swirl it up into a bowl of hot noodles with some soy sauce and fish sauce and you have a super simple lunch. I use it to make my own homemade Spicy Ramen Noodles or delicious dipping sauces.
I used it just last night by adding a couple tablespoons to a traditional pesto, then tossed it with noodles. Topped it with some seared salmon and BOOM! Quick, easy dinner with just the right touch of spice.
Sambal Oelek Vs. Sriracha
Sambal oelek is more of a base recipe compared to sriracha. Sriracha is sweeter and usually has more vinegar included in the recipe.
Sambal oelek, on the other hand, is usually thicker and contains fewer ingredients. Because it is less processed, it is often much spicier than your typical sriracha.
See my Homemade Sriracha Recipe for more information about sriracha.
Sambal Oelek Substitutes
You have several options to substitute for sambal oelek in recipes. None of these will duplicate the flavors, but each can work in a pinch.
Try using the following:
- Sriracha - often the best substitution
- Harissa - it will alter the final flavor of your dish, but can still be rather tasty
- Chinese Chili Sauce or Paste
- Any Basic Chili Paste or Chili-Garlic Paste
- Gochujang - has a deeper, more fermented flavor
Storage Information
Sambal oelek will last 2-3 months or longer in a sealed container in the refrigerator due to the acidity.
You can also freeze it in freezer containers for up to 6 months. I like to freeze it in an ice cube tray for small useable portions.
Recommended Products
These kitchen tools will help you make sambal oelek and other chili pastes easily at home. These are all tools I use personally.
- Vitamix A3500 Blender (Amazon affiliate link, my friends)
- Amazon Basics Digital Kitchen Scale (Amazon affiliate link, my friends)
- Mortar and Pestle Set (Amazon affiliate link, my friends)
Here are a Few Recipe Suggestions for Sambal Oelek
- Spicy Thai Curry Chicken Soup
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Beef Rendang (Indonesian Beef Stew)
- Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
- Mie Goreng (Indonesian Stir Fry Noodles)
- Phall Curry (Extra Hot Curry)
- See my Indonesian Recipes
Time to make the Sambal Oelek! Let me know how YOU use it.
Learn more about How to Make Chili Paste.
Other Popular Chili Sauce Recipes
- Sweet Chili-Garlic Hot Sauce
- Mojo Picon - Canarian Red Pepper Sauce
- Bravas Sauce (Salsa Brava)
- Sambal Matah
- Sambal Terasi (Indonesian Chili Sauce with Shrimp Paste)
- Ssamjang (Spicy Korean Soybean Paste)
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.
Sambal Oelek Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound red chili peppers, stems removed Thai is traditional, but red jalapenos, serranos and cayenne peppers are good substitutes
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or other grinder. A Molcajete is a great option here.
- Grind until a coarse paste forms. You can strain out some of the excess liquid if you'd like.
- Add to a jar and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
This recipe was updated on 1/29/25 to include new photos and video. It was originally published on 9/28/16.
Brianna says
I have been given a large quantity of Ghost reaper peppers. Would they be okay to use in the recipe?
thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Absolutely, Brianna. It'll be very spicy! Enjoy!
Lyman says
what do you use to measure 1 serving
Mike Hultquist says
Lyman, it's about 1 tablespoon.
Karen says
Can I add onion?
Mike Hultquist says
Absolutely, Karen. You can really customize it. Enjoy!
Kathleen Sweeney says
I'm a little confused. From your recipee I note that you don't de-seed the peppers, you use seed and all. Is this correct, or is de-seeding them simply understood.
thanks,
Kathleen
Mike Hultquist says
Kathleen, I usually do not remove the seeds and innards, though you can if you'd like. Most of the pepper heat is inside the whitish innards, so removing that will make the recipe milder. Chili seeds are edible, though some people don't like them floating around, and some find them bitter. I hope this helps. Enjoy!
Mark says
Hi Mike!
Could sambal be made with frozen chilis? If yes, do you need to simmer it then because the texture of frozen ones are so different from raw chilis?
Thx in advance for answering!
Mike Hultquist says
You can do this, Mark. Yes, it works. The texture will be more like a thin paste or even a sauce with frozen chilies, though my blender is really powerful and it comes out much like that anyway. You don't really need to simmer it, though you certainly can. It would be more like a very simple hot sauce that way. I hope this helps!!
Gerry says
Nice mike
Karen Kuster says
How long will it stay good in the fridge?
Mike Hultquist says
Karen, this should last weeks due to the acidity, in a sealed container.
Kathy Fried says
ambal Oelek Recipe
can this be canned and processed to last longer?
Mike Hultquist says
Kathy, yes, though check the acidity. Shoot for a pH of 4.0 or lower for home canning, unless you use a pressure canner. Enjoy!
Steve says
Loved this one! Just made it with thai from my garden. I should have cut back on the salt because i was under a pound but the lime and garlic(4) for me is a must! Trying to think of how to dilute the salt now. Need more chiles!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Steve! Yes, more chilies would help! You can also add in other ingredients, like tomato, if needed.
Simon says
Hello, can we freeze this one?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, you can freeze this. Works great! Enjoy.
Bonvivant says
This is a simple yet mighty preparation. Outstanding use of all of the red hot chiles in the garden. Made a great marinade for char grilled chicken skewers. Delicious.
Mike H. says
I appreciate it! Enjoy!