A recipe for all-purpose homemade chili sauce that is both sweet and savory, made with plenty of chili peppers, tomato, pineapple juice and tons of seasonings.

Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce served in three jars

Allow me a moment to extol the virtues of homemade chili sauce. YOU. ARE. AWESOME. CHILI. SAUCE! OK, done. Sort of. The thing about a good chili sauce is that it works for so many meals. It all depends on the ingredients you put into it.

That is why I call this recipe an "all-purpose" sauce, because realistically, it can go into any type of dish. OK, obviously within reason. You're not going to dump this over a bowl of tapioca pudding, but hey, to each their own.

With a chili sauce like this, it can be used as a straight sauce or as a starter for something else. It's a good idea to make a large batch of it so you can have it on hand throughout the next week or 2, tossing it into recipes as needed, or saving a TON of time during the week because now you don't have to make a sauce! Seriously, I am going to bake a 3-pound pork tenderloin later this week and it will be great. Talk about simple. And I'll still have a lot left.

If you'd like, you can use this as any typical hot sauce. Just bottle it up and shake it onto anything you prefer. Or save it in containers in proper portion sizes and go to town. Consider it as a pasta sauce alternative, a soup or stew starter, a quick topping for baked salmon, pour over grilled chicken, even a quick marinade base for fish, chicken, or pork.

I have made versions of this sauce with fresh peppers, frozen chili peppers, and also with peppers I had lightly pickled to preserve them in salt and vinegar, and the results are all similar. As an all-purpose sauce, it brings a LOT to the table. Feel free to vary up the seasonings to your personal preference. The secret about sauce, truly, is "taste, adjust, taste, adjust!".

Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce Ingredients

Olive Oil.
Carrot. Peeled and diced.
Sweet Onion. Peeled and diced.
Celery Stalk. Diced.
Pureed Sweet Chili Peppers.
Red Wine Vinegar.
Water. Or chicken broth.
Tomato Puree.
Pineapple Juice.
Dried Oregano.
Dried Basil.
Rubbed Sage.
Mustard Powder.
Ginger Powder.
Sugar.
Salt.

Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce - The Recipe Method

First, heat a very large pan or pot to medium heat and add olive oil with carrot, onion and celery. Cook about 5-6 minutes, stirring a bit, to soften them up.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir.

Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.

Transfer to a food processor and process until you have a nice pureed sauce, or try a stick blender.

Transfer to bottles or jars for keeping. Use this as a sauce, a hot sauce, a sauce base, etc.

Patty's Perspective

It's very convenient to have these types of sauces on hand during our super busy weeks. Mike is right, it helps us get a quick but delicious dinner on the table in a snap, and helps with quick late-night snacks.

Recipe Tips & Notes

With a chili sauce like this, it can be used as a straight sauce or as a starter for something else.
If you'd like, you can use this as any typical hot sauce. Just bottle it up and shake it onto anything you prefer. Or save it in containers in proper portion sizes and go to town.
It's very convenient to have these types of sauces on hand during our super busy weeks.

Storage & Leftovers

Storing your Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 1-2 months. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate your sauce promptly.

Check Out These Related Recipes:

Three bottles of the homemade Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. 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.

Sweet and Savory Chili Sauce Recipe

A recipe for all-purpose homemade chili sauce that is both sweet and savory, made with plenty of chili peppers, tomato, pineapple juice and tons of seasonings.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 45

Calories: 72kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized carrot peeled and diced
1 medium sweet onion peeled and diced
1 stalk celery diced
2 cups pureed sweet chili peppers – NOTE: I used 2 cups of peppers that were preserved in vinegar and it worked out GREAT. If you have fresh peppers puree them up with a bit of vinegar to ease the process. If you have preserved peppers, just puree them up until you have 2 cups worth.
½ cup red wine vinegar use a bit less if processing the peppers above with vinegar
1 cup water or chicken broth
6 ounces tomato puree
6 ounces pineapple juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano.
1 tablespoon dried basil
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt to taste

Instructions

Cooking Directions

Heat a very large pan or pot to medium heat and add olive oil with carrot, onion and celery. Cook about 5-6 minutes, stirring a bit, to soften them up.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
Transfer to a food processor and process until you have a nice pureed sauce, or try a stick blender.
Transfer to bottles or jars for keeping. Use this as a sauce, a hot sauce, a sauce base, etc.

Notes

Makes about 5 cups.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 72kcal Carbohydrates: 12g Protein: 1g Fat: 2g Sodium: 23mg Potassium: 334mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 7g Vitamin A: 1770IU Vitamin C: 59.9mg Calcium: 41mg Iron: 1.7mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.