You’ll find a thousand ways to use this Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce! It’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and a little acidic, which makes a great dip for spring rolls! Spoon some over fried rice or use it as a marinade for chicken or pork. These jars make great gifts too!
Before you read any further, I have to warn you – this Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce is completely addictive! If you have an addictive personality like me, please consider yourself warned. Now, with my public service announcement out of the way, please proceed.
Make your own online recipe box!
Click the in the lower right corner of your screen
& follow the quick and easy instructions!
CANNING AND PRESERVING
The first time I made Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce was about twelve years ago. I made it as a practice dish. You see, Dear Reader, it was about twelve to fifteen years ago that I started canning food. I was always so amazed at how my mom and dad would can soups, meats, and veggies. I never did actually get them to teach me how to do it, which is a shame, but I did some research and decided to practice with some small-batch recipes before taking the leap into large quantities.
Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce was a great place to start, because the ingredients were very inexpensive and I knew that if I totally messed it up, it wouldn’t be a total loss. I swear, the whole time the jars were in the canner, I kept thinking that they were going to explode or that the water was going to seep into the dipping sauce.
Once I took the dipping sauce out of the canner, I could barely wait until it was fully cooled! I remember listening eagerly for that glorious popping sound, telling me that the jars had properly sealed.
WATER BATH CANNING METHOD
Since then, I feel that I have mastered the art of water canning. After all of the canning recipes posted here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen, would you believe that I have yet to venture into the pressure canning method? I have only ever made recipes that use the water bath canning method. It’s the one I’m comfortable with, but it does limit me to what I’m about to can.
I don’t know why, really! My parents, and especially my Aunt Donna, would can just about anything and they never once used a pressure canner. They always used a big pot of boiling water. I remember chicken soup, beef stew, seal, and even chicken wings! Not once do I recall anyone getting sick from eating those foods prepared in a water canner.
Personally, I think we have become a society that is too overprotective and we tend to worry about everything just a little too much. It’s like hand sanitizer! We never had any such thing when I was growing up. Germs were just a normal part of being a kid. Nowadays, we practically send our kids outside in protective bubbles – if we allow them to go outside at all!
At the same time, I would never want to put myself or anyone else at risk of getting sick from unsafe canning practices. So, even though my parents did it, I will not.
I promise you though, Dear Reader, once we finish with the renovations in our country house, I will buy a pressure canner. Right now, I just do not have the room to store one in our downtown Toronto apartment. And then, I’ll be canning those meat-based stews and soups too. For right now though, you can click here to find all of my Preserves and Pickles recipes.
HOW TO PUT THAT GLORIOUS SAUCE TO GOOD USE
So… let’s talk about this Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce. Once you have it all done, what are you planning to do with it? Well, to be honest, you have so many possibilities. The first thing that comes to mind is using this dip with spring rolls. Delicious! But, you can do just about anything with this sauce.
Drizzle a few teaspoons over some plain cooked rice for a great side dish. Cut chicken or beef into bite sized pieces and marinate them for at least an hour in this sauce. Then skewer them and toss them on the grill – it’s that easy. You can place some peeled, hard-boiled eggs into a large mason jar and pour this sauce into the jar until it covers the eggs. Place in the fridge for at least a week and you’ll have some very delicious pickled eggs.
Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce also makes a great salad dressing. You can drizzle it over your salad as is, or you can whisk two parts of the dipping sauce with one part olive oil. See, Dear Reader, I told you the possibilities were endless! Please share your ideas and uses with me once you make your own batch at home!
QUESTIONS?
If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!
Do You Like This Recipe?
You should consider trying these other delicious recipes too!
Thai Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
Equipment
- 5 250 ml mason jars with screw bands and new, unused sealing discs.
- Water Bath Canner with Jar Rack
- Jar Wrench/Lifter
- Canning Funnel
- Ladle
- Non-metallic Bubble Remover
- Magnetic Lid Lifter
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 3 cups cider vinegar
- 3 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup dried red chili flakes
Instructions
To Prepare Mason Jars:
- Wash mason jars and screw lids in soapy water and rinse soap off well under running hot water. Place clean jars on a baking sheet and place in oven preheated to 200 degrees. Set screw bands aside. Next, boil a kettle of water and pour into a clean glass bowl. Carefully submerge the sealing discs in the bowl of hot water. Set aside.
- Add the garlic and salt to a small bowl and combine well by stirring with a spoon. Set aside.
- In the meantime, fill your water bath canner to the halfway mark with water and add the jar rack. Bring to a full boil.
- Pour the vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the sugar and continue to stir until the sugar has dissolved completely.
- Remove the vinegar and sugar mixture from the heat and still in the garlic mixture, along with the dried red chili flakes.
- Ladle sauce into prepared mason jars using a funnel to prevent the sauce from touching the rim of the jars.
- Use the non-metallic bubble remover to remove any air bubbles.
- Wipe down the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel to ensure no sauce has come in contact with the rim.
- Carefully remove the sealing discs from the hot water with a magnetic lid lifter. Position the sealing disc directly onto the lid of the jars. Do not touch the underside of the lid.
- Screw on the screw bands until firm – do not apply pressure! Just use your fingertips to tighten the screw bands.
- Using the jar lifter, place the jars into the water bath canner with the boiling water. Do not place the lid on the canner.
- Boil for 20 minutes. Carefully remove each jar from the canner using the jar lifter. Try not to tilt the jars. Place jars onto a wire cooling rack that has been covered with a clean kitchen towel.
- Leave the jars to cool for a minimum of 12 hours. Once cooled, wipe the jars of any residue that might have been transferred to the outside of the jar during the boiling process. Label the jars and store in a dark, cool cabinet for up to one year.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Upload a photo and tag me so that I can see it!
Meaghan says
Hoping to make this recipe this weekend! I was wondering, how long would the sauce last once a jar is opened?
Thanks!
Meaghan
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Meaghan! A jar will keep perfectly safe in your fridge for at least 3 months. (It won’t last that long!) If you’re worried about not being able to use it up fast enough, try using smaller mason jars. Those little 125 mL jars are a great option.
barb says
I made this and the sauce seem to be runny is that normal? ideas?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yes, Barb, this is not a thick sauce.
Theresa says
I love Sweet Chili Sauce! Definitely going to try this. Your blog is really great!
I‘ve been canning for three years now – all recycled jars and home-grown fruit and veggies from our garden. Starting out I had no equipment and no money to buy a canner and such, but I really wanted to continue my grandma‘s canning legacy so to speak – and do something for the environment.
A great tip for people who really want to try out a few canning recipes, but do not want to buy the equipment would be to simply use their oven. You only need to fill a casserole dish or oven-proof saucepan with the jars and water (covering at least two thirds of the jars with water) and then bake the whole thing at at least 100 degrees (Celsius).
Works great for me! So far we have been canning applesauce, pears, cherries, tomato sauce, beets, beans, all kinds of pickles – you get the idea.
Thanks for the new recipe and greetings from Germany! 🙂
Jan says
…and how long do you leave them in the oven?
Elizabeth Harjes says
Love this but is it supposed to thicken? Mine seems thin. Very yummy though. Marinating pork with it today
byronethomas@gmail.com says
It’s not supposed to be thick, Elizabeth. It’s a thin sauce.
Anita says
Hi Byron
Hoping you can tell me if I can use fresh chili peppers from my garden and how much fresh peppers would be required. Thanks so much!
Anita
M says
Hi there, Looking forward to trying this sauce. I have canned fruits and pickles for years, I love opening a jar of home canned peaches in January! This year I got into pressure canning, the learning curve was fantastic – a whole new world – meats, chicken, veggies, soups (oh my! French onion made from bone broth, delicious), and the list goes on. One trick I learned is to put a little vinegar in the canning water, this will eliminate the white hard water residue that’s left on the jars. Thanks for sharing!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, M! 🙂
Diane says
Hi, is it possible to substitute the sugar with something else. I’m a diabetic and can’t have sugar.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Diane – I have not tried the recipe with anything but sugar, therefore, I cannot make a recommendation.
Can you use regular white vinegar instead of cider vinegar says
Can you use regular white vinegar instead of cider vinegar
byronethomas@gmail.com says
You can, but it won’t taste the way it should
Glenda says
Hello, was wanting to know can fresh peppers be used and if so how many? Thanks
Kelly says
I love the flavor!! I’m just wondering if I can add cornstarch to the recipe to thicken it?
Karen says
Can you use rice vinegar? Or apple cider vinegar is best?
Vicki Embree says
I can only find apple cider not just a cider what should I use ?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
You can use either. Apple cider vinegar is made with apples, but plain cider vinegar can be made with other fruits – like raspberry, for instance. A bottle marked just plain cider vinegar can be used in the place of apple cider vinegar. 🙂
Carly says
It’s very spicy and thin. From the pictures I thought it was going to be thicker. I may add honey or cornstarch next time.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
It supposed to be thin, Carly. 🙂 It’s not a thick sauce like plum or sweet and sour. Thai dipping sauce is thin, spicy, and sweet too.