DIY Asian Hot Sauce
Hot sauce connoisseurs like my food photographer husband are always on the hunt for the perfect spicy condiment. We’ve tried all the jars and the bottles, but nothing compares to the homemade chili paste sauces we tasted during our travels in Asia. From then on, we started blending up our own sauce that really (and I mean really) brings the heat and flavor.
There are vinegar based hot sauces (think buffalo wings), and then there’s Asian hot sauce, which is more like a hot pepper paste that adds a real spicy edge to any dish. With subtle hints of garlic and ginger, a splash of tangy rice vinegar and a sweet maple syrup finish, the flavor profile compliments tacos, soups, breakfast burritos, Asian noodle dishes and much more.
Homemade Nam Prik Chili Paste
This particular chili sauce is a version of Thai Nam Prik. There are hundreds of variations, and we’ve perfected ours to match our taste and to create a versatile, flavorful hot sauce. We keep it in a small jar in our refrigerator and it lasts for months as go-to condiment to spice up any meal. This chili paste recipe something you can make once and enjoy it over and over — meal prep win!
My teens add a bit of homemade chili sauce to their ramen and shrimp pho. I like to add a teaspoon to my chicken enchilada sauce when we’re craving spicy Mexican for dinner. My spice-loving husband gives his guacuamole tostadas a healthy slather of this hot sauce before topping them, and even starts his day with heat, adding a bit to these favorite breakfast burritos.
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Easy Hot Sauce Recipe
Making your own chili hot sauce is easy and only takes about 15 minutes. Once the dried chilis have been steeped for 10 minutes, all ingredients are added to the blender. Pro-tip: use tongs or gloves when you handle your chilis so you don’t end up with oils on your fingers that can be easily transferred to your eyes.
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PrintHomemade Hot Sauce
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
Description
Tangy, sweet and spicy chili Nam Prik hot sauce
Ingredients
- 20 dried red chili peppers, stems removed
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1” piece of fresh ginger
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 2-quart stockpot. Add peppers and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and let peppers soak for ten minutes.
- Drain and add peppers to food processor.
- Add additional ingredients and process on high until combined.
- To make a paste, simply strain and reserve the paste for table condiment.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
