Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
Nam Jim Gai
A sweet chili and garlic dipping sauce for chicken, meats, and fried snacks
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Serves
- 4
- Heat
- medium
Nam Jim is simply the Thai word for dipping sauce, a category broad enough to cover countless combinations of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. This particular version, often associated with chicken but really served alongside all sorts of meats and fried snacks, gets its color mostly from mild Thai long chilies, with a handful of hot chilies added for real heat, both blended along with garlic before a slow simmer thickens the whole thing into a glossy, clingy sauce. It's worth keeping a jar on hand, since beyond serving as a straightforward dip, it doubles as a quick way to add sweet and spicy notes to other dishes.
Ingredients
- 3-4 Garlic, large cloves (cut into small pieces)
- 3 Thai long chilies (cut into small pieces)
- 3-4 Thai hot chilies (cut into small pieces)
- 1/4 cup Distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup White cane sugar
- 3/4 cup Water
- 1/2 tablespoon Salt
- 1/2 tablespoon Lime juice
Directions
- Cut the chilies and garlic into small pieces.
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until the chili and garlic are well chopped and the mixture looks a little frothy.
- Pour into a saucepan and heat over medium-high, stirring often so it doesn't stick or burn. The chili and garlic pieces will float at first.
- Bring to a good boil briefly, then reduce heat so it's barely bubbling.
- Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens slightly and most of the chili and garlic pieces suspend in the sauce rather than floating on top. Don't overcook — the sauce should stay a little watery, just thick enough to cling to whatever it coats.
- Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a jar or bowl and refrigerate, where it keeps for several months.
Notes
Watch for the chili and garlic pieces to suspend evenly through the sauce rather than floating on top — that's the visual cue for doneness, more reliable than timing alone.
Substitutions
Adjust the ratio of mild to hot chili to taste — the mild long chilies mainly contribute color, while the hot chilies bring the heat.