Chili Garlic Sauce - question

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dragnlaw

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When a recipe calls for "Asian chili garlic sauce" - which do you immediately think of... hot (as in curl your earlobes and spit nails?) or sweet as a dipping style.

This is a sauce for coating and basting shrimp and zucchini skewers.

Contains crushed garlic, zest and juice of lime, Thai fish sauce, 3/4 tsp Asian chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, fresh ginger, olive oil.

I have a 'Sweet Thai Chili' that is a thick sauce and a 'Chili Oil' which I think will knock my socks off if I use 3/4 tsp. i like things to have a kick but not leave me gasping.

I think I've done this recipe before as I've made lots of notes - but nothing about the chili garlic sauce. I know I liked the recipe but...

help? opinions? suggestions?
 
This is what I keep in the pantry (refrigerator once its opened) for recipes that call for chili garlic sauce. It's the only one I have ever used.

s-l300.jpg
 
I'll look for that. Have Rooster Sriracha sauce but have never noticed that one.

Actually just finished in the garden (7pm here) and although I had everything ready to go.... I'm now just too pooped to cook. We've had our first real warm day (90 f, humid and buggy though) so I'm extra pooped...

lunch tomorrow I guess

LOL and thank you! Sir-LOB
 
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What SloB said. Chili garlic sauce is not sweet at all, but it's not extremely hot, either. It adds a nice kick to sauces and dips. Thai Sweet Chili Sauce is entirely different.

The sweet chili sauce would be good in your recipe, though. Since it's not very hot, I'd use the full measure of that and add a bit of chili oil if you want to.
 
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That's exactly what I did GG. OK, that's great guys - it has always bothered me about those two sauces. Extreme opposites. And - so - now there is a third.

Deep inside I always knew there had to be - and you two have confirmed it.

I thank you, as do my dragonettes - who, by the way, are on their way to shower you both with your best wishes (well, as best as they can handle, please give them a little slack)

I'm still too tired to cook right now and if I were to eat at this time (8:15 pm) I'd have horrid dreams all night. (wine and potato chips don't count).
 
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Lee Kum Kee makes a chili garlic sauce that is quite common up here in Canada...you can probably find it in most grocery stores..I find it quite strong and too salty when used on its own for dipping or spreading, but it is great when added to other ingredients..
 

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When I think of chili garlic sauce, I think of what Sir Loin showed. However, when I see a measure of ¾ of a teaspoon, I think more of hot sauce.
 
I prefer a bit of sweetness in chili sauce.

I keep Lee Kum Kee Thai Sweet Chili Sauce for most applications.

To me, its a matter of personal preferences as what I like may not be exacting in a recipe..

Ross
 
Those two sauces pictured would be good, and are available in many places. I have used both, and I used to use the Lee Kum Kee when I would make Szechwan dishes for a lady I knew, that couldn't take the really hot foods, because it was the mildest one I found, but it still had a really good flavor - the fermented chili flavor that some just didn't have when I tried them. My favorite is
By J&A Importers, labeled Pickled Ground Chili with Garlic, from Thailand - the best one I've found for Szechwan, even though it's from Thailand, as it has a really good fermented chili flavor.
 
You say that like it's a bad thing.

you like horrid dreams?

Actually mine aren't so much horrid as they are intense - I wake up positively exhausted from a mundane dream of grocery shopping, hanging up the laundry, doing the dishes.

:wacko: Who even dreams about such things much less exhausting, intense ones! :wacko:
 
All this talk about Asian hot sauces gave me a craving for an Asian hot dish, so I made one - the Mahogany Fire Noodles, probably the hottest dish I make, if I had to pick one.
 
I love sweet chili sauces. My favorite. Not sure about just garlic chili sauce. I prefer a sweetness in my heat.

May have to try them though.
 
update and thanks

This is what I keep in the pantry (refrigerator once its opened) for recipes that call for chili garlic sauce. It's the only one I have ever used.

Walked down the aisle and the first thing I saw was the 'Rooster' Garlic Sauce, guess it was always there just waiting for me to notice.

and probably the Lee Kum Kee one is around too. Didn't notice it this time but will keep a look-out for it. Like and have quite a bit of Lee Kum Kee products. thanks Rock.

So thanks to everyone for their imput. :chef:

Just an update - I finally grilled the shrimp and zucchini from the other day and although edible was far too salty from the waiting. Yesterday I grilled some zucchini, sliced portabella's and haloom cheese. Basted with the sauce and it was fantastic.
Will add a little bit of this sauce to the leftover reserved sauce and try it again, basting only.
 

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