Homemade Chili Garlic Sauce (Huy Fong Brand Copycat)

This homemade chili garlic sauce recipe is just like the famed Huy Fong brand, giving you authentically garlicky and spicy results that are rich and well balanced. Use it to create your own favorite Asian recipes! {Vegan, Gluten-Free}

If you are a fan of sriracha, you most likely have the iconic bottle with the rooster on it in your fridge. The brand that makes it is called Huy Fong, though it isn’t their only claim to fame. I love their chili garlic sauce, too. It has a special texture and flavor that adds a bright pep and zest to your Asian dishes. 

It’s so easy to make your own chili garlic sauce that tastes just like the stuff you can buy at the store. All you need is a jar and my special recipe for recreating it.

Ingredients for chili garlic sauce

What type of peppers to use

My secret for getting the authentic flavor of Huy Fong is to use red jalapeno peppers. That’s what Huy Fong uses, and they bring out that bright red, hot, peppery hue, and the right level of spiciness. Red jalapeno peppers are quite special and might be hard to find. You are likely to see them at Mexican grocery stores year round. You might be able to find them in regular grocery stores when they’re in season: March to April and late July to August.

If you can’t find them though, you can use other types of chili peppers.

One of the best alternatives is red fresno pepper, which produces a very similar result.

We’ve made versions with many other different peppers and shared them with friends, and we were surprised to find that everyone had their own favorite version. The result won’t taste the same as the Huy Fong brand, but it will still be absolutely delicious.

NOTE: If you plan to use super spicy peppers (bird’s eye chili, serrano, etc.), it’s important to blend them with less spicy peppers so your sauce won’t be too hot.

Mise en place

When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:

• Red jalapeno peppers
• Garlic
• Salt
• Sugar
• White distilled vinegar
• Water
• Cornstarch

How to make chili garlic sauce 

Making chili garlic sauce is super easy. I like to think of it as an Asian salsa. It combines those red jalapeno peppers and garlic with sugar, salt, a little vinegar, and a slurry of cornstarch to create the right texture. 

You’ll need a blender, a strainer, and a clean mason jar to preserve your spicy creation. 

1. Blend the peppers with the seasonings until it forms a chunky sauce. 
2. Remove 1/4 cup of blended peppers to add back later for texture.
3. Blend the rest of the ingredients into a smooth sauce.
4. Strain the sauce.
5. Slightly cook the sauce together with the chunky part.
6. Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken it.

NOTE: bringing the sauce to a gentle boil helps thicken it and brings out the flavor of the peppers. Avoid overcooking the sauce, which will make the bright red-orange color go away.

The sauce will be quite spicy once you make it. But the flavor will become milder and more balanced over time.

You should always keep the sauce in your refrigerator so it stays fresh. Then you can use it on all kinds of dishes. 

How to use chili garlic sauce

What can you use it on? As a hot sauce, this chili garlic sauce is amazing with chicken wings. You can also add a spoonful of it to any type of Asian-style noodles, or even jazz up steamed or roasted vegetables with it. It’s also a key ingredient in dishes such as chili garlic shrimp, sweet and sour fish and pineapple glazed ham. It’s so versatile, which is why I’m sure it’s going to become your new favorite condiment!

Use your chili garlic sauce in these dishes:

• 15-Minute Curry Ramen with Leftover Ham
• Hokkien Noodles
• Hokkien Prawn Mee Noodle Soup (Hae Mee)
• 15-Minute Garlic Noodles
• Vegetarian Pho Noodle Soup

How to store chili garlic sauce

Store chili garlic sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I wrote down 1 month in the fridge. But in reality I’ve stored homemade chili garlic sauce in the fridge for more than 3 months and it was still good. It’s important to always use a dried clean spoon when using the sauce, to keep the bacteria out. Before using the sauce, always smell it first if you have stored it for a long time. If you plan to store the chili garlic sauce for even longer, it’s better to freeze a portion of it so it lasts longer. 

Other homemade sauce recipes

• Chinese BBQ Sauce
• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Black Bean Sauce
• Orange Sauce
• Chinese Chili Oil

Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.