Chili Garlic Sauce

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This Chili Garlic Sauce is a copycat recipe for Trader Joe’s Chili Garlic Crunch, made fresh, with no preservatives!

Turn up the heat this Summer with my homemade Chili Garlic Sauce! If you are familiar with Chinese-American cooking, you may be familiar with โ€œHuy Fongโ€ chili garlic sauce.

This recipe is similar and pairs well with any dish you are looking to add some heat to.

chili garlic sauce in a glass jar with a spoon

Love sauces as much as I do? Check out my Chick-Fil-A Sauce, Garlic Butter Sauce, and BBQ Sauce recipes next!

Spicy Chili Garlic Sauce Recipe

If you are familiar with the Chili Garlic Crunch from Trader Joe’s, you are going to love this homemade copycat version!

You probably know this already, but I am a sucker for a good sauce. There isn’t much that sauce can’t make taste better.

I typically opt out of spicy foods, but lately I’ve been enjoying mildly spicy sauces to just add a little bit of heat to some of my favorite dishes.

This Asian inspired condiment lends itself to being the perfect addition to Asian cuisine, but is also a “good on everything” condiment if you like to crank up the heat.

Put it on vegetables, put it on burgers, put it on steak, put it on everything! Once you get a taste of this chili garlic crunch, there will be no going back.

a spoon with chili garlic sauce over a glass jar

Garlic Chili Sauce Ingredients

Olive oil: for this recipe I used a light olive oil. It serves as the base of your sauce, so you want to ensure the oil you are using is still good. If it’s been sitting in your pantry for over a year, it might be time for a new bottle.

Herbs & spices: you don’t to want to skip out on any of these ingredients as this is where a lot of the incredible flavors in your sauce will come from. For this I used:

Peppers: surprise! To make this Chili Garlic Sauce, we will actually be using dried red bell peppers. I love the sweetness these peppers bring to the sauce.

Fish sauce: if you are familiar with Huy Fong sauce or enjoy the flavors of Asian cuisine, then I highly recommend adding a splash of fish sauce.

It adds a nice umami flavor, but for some people it can be too much, so it’s totally up to you if you want to add!

Tip!

For extra heat, add a diced chili pepper!

*For a detailed list of ingredients and measurements, please reference the recipe card down below.

How to Make Chili Garlic Sauce

In less than 5 minutes, you can have your own homemade Chili Garlic Sauce, fresh and ready without preservatives and ready to use at your convenience.

To make the sauce, simply combine all the ingredients in a glass jar. Place the lid on the jar and shake until fully combined.

The ingredients might settle on the bottom, so before using, give the jar another shake or stir with a spoon.

stirring sauce in a glass jar with a silver spoon

What to Serve with Spicy Garlic Sauce

This sauce tends to lend itself to Asian dishes. However, you can really put this sauce on anything you are looking to add flavor or bring in some heat.

Some recipes I enjoy adding Chili Garlic Sauce to are:

air fryer cauliflower on a white plate with a fork

Chili Garlic Sauce Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between Sriracha and chili garlic sauce?

Although both delicious in their own way, there is a big difference between Sriracha and Chili Garlic Sauce.
You may not know this if you have never made Sriracha from scratch, but itย contains added sugar! Sriracha is then fermented (kind of like beer) before bottling which gives it its slightly sour/pungent flavor.ย 
Chili Garlic Sauce, on the other hand, doesn’t contain added sugar and is not fermented.
Depending on what dish you are serving it with, both are delicious!

Is chili garlic sauce the same as chili paste?

Traditionally speaking, in cooking, the main difference between a sauce and paste is the thickness and that applies here as well. Chili Garlic Sauce is thinner than chili paste. If you are looking for something with a thicker consistency, you may want or need chili paste.
I use chili paste to cook with and make sauces out of, this version is more of a condiment for me. Mostly because of the texture from the dried ingredients.
However, the biggest (and most notable) difference is the heat. If your recipe calls for chili paste, it’s because you need the bigger kick.

Where is chili garlic sauce from?

Chili garlic sauce is a Chinese-American inspired sauce that originated in the US. You can get a jarred/bottled form of it in stores by taking a trip down the Asian cuisine aisle and looking for Huy Fong.

chili garlic sauce in a glass jar with lid

What do you store your sauces in?

I love to store my homemade sauces in these Weck jars. You can also purchase wooden or plastic lids if you prefer those. The jars look so nice, I don’t mind leaving them on the counter!

WANT TO TRY THIS CHILI GARLIC SAUCE RECIPE?

PIN IT to your Asian recipes, sauce recipes, or condiment recipes board to save it for later!
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chili garlic sauce pin

Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!

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4.78 from 18 votes

Chili Garlic Sauce Recipe

This Chili Garlic Sauce is a copycat recipe for Trader Joe's Chili Garlic Crunch, made fresh, with no preservatives!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: chinese american
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 149
Author: Jordan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake/stir until fully combined.
  • Serve immediately or store in a glass jar for later.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Keywords: chili garlic sauce

Nutrition

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 748mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!

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4.78 from 18 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




23 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I guess I have finally found a versatile sauce that you can put on everything. So glad I read this post.

  2. 5 stars
    And to think I’ve been buying chilli garlic sauce from the shops all the time when there was this easy and TASTIER version I could have been making. Great recipe – cheers!

  3. 5 stars
    This sauce looks so delicious! Iโ€™m definitely going to make this for our chicken tomorrow night! Canโ€™t wait to put this on just about anything!

  4. 5 stars
    I would stock up on the TJ’s version and now I can make my own, so good thank you!

    1. I was doing the same thing! I don’t live super close to TJ’s, so it’s helpful to be able to make it when I want!

  5. 5 stars
    I love chilli garlic sauce. I think it adds a lovely punch to recipes. But I haven’t made it at home till now. Your recipe is super simple. I must give it a try soon.

  6. 5 stars
    I am seriously addicted to this sauce from Traders so thanks for decoding it so I can make it at home! I love it on so many things – veggies, potstickers, shrimp – it’s perfect and I’ve already made it twice.

    1. Yes! I love that sauce so much.

  7. 5 stars
    I love chili garlic sauce. I used in most of my rice and meat dishes. They blend well in Asian food recipes.

  8. Can you used fresh ingredients instead of the dry ones

    1. Hi! I haven’t tried it, but I think the red pepper and onion would be best dried since it has a different flavor profile. If you give it a try, please let me know how it turns out!

    1. So are you ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. 5 stars
    Now making my second batch!
    Initially made this sauce for some Thai recipes (which was delicious) but after an experiment itโ€™s now my go to sauce to mix with my barbecue sauce for air fried wings. Couple tablespoons of chili sauce mixed with barbecue sauce makes a great chicken wing sauce when making air fried wings. More or less depending how spicy your taste buds prefer. Love it!

    1. That sounds delicious! So glad you are loving it ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Diana Newby says:

    5 stars
    So easy to make and I added a little ground serrano to give a bigger kick!

  11. 5 stars
    Very yummy and very easy!! Quick question should I store in fridge or in pantry?

    1. You can store it in the pantry ๐Ÿ™‚

  12. Dang, forgot to pick up a fresh chili, perhaps add some chili powder and hope for the best.

  13. 5 stars
    it really is a versatile sauce! Delicious!!! Thanks!!!!

  14. 5 stars
    Wow this look good and simple to make!

    Is there an expiry or shelf life when storing it in the pantry?

    Thanks and can’t wait to make it

    1. you can store it in the fridge for up to a month!