A jar of homemade sweet chili vinaigrette.

A few weeks ago I was craving a big ‘ol bowl of crunchy veggies, but I was over hummus and needed something to amp up the flavor and add just a touch of sweetness. Enter this homemade sweet chili viniagrette. And unlike some other homemade dressings, this one is a breeze to put together; just combine, shake, and serve.

Looking for More Recipes Like This?

Then you’ve got to try our carrot ginger salad dressing. I know that carrot isn’t a typical dressing ingredient, but the subtle sweetness plus zesty ginger totally work.

Individual bowls of honey, minced garlic, sweet chili sauce, olive oil, rice vinegar, sesame oi, and garlic chili sauce.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.

sweet chili sauce – There are a handful of varieties out there, but just know that it’s sometimes labeled sweet Thai chili sauce. Both would work great in this recipe.
rice vinegar – We love this variety of vinegar for it’s slightly sweet and mild flavor profile. You could swap it out for apple cider vinegar.
honey – This could be swapped out for maple syrup.
garlic chili sauce – I absolutely love this stuff and reach for it whenever I need some flavor and mild heat. Experiment with the amount that suits your spice level.

How To Make Sweet Chili Vinaigrette

A mason jar with the salad dressing ingredients being shaked. — Add all of the ingredients into a small mason jar, put the lid on, and give it all a good shake.

Sweet chili vinaigrette being poured over a chopped pea salad. — Serve it on top of our crunchy and colorful chopped pea salad or any crisp summer salad.

Recipe FAQs and Tips

What’s the difference between sweet chili sauce vs sweet and sour? Sweet chili sauce tends to be sweet and spicy while sweet and sour is usually just sweet with little to no heat.
Is there a difference between chili sauce and sweet chili sauce? There sure is! the difference is all in the spice level. Chili sauce is savory while sweet chili sauce is savory with some sweetness added.
What goes well with sweet chili vinaigrette? Sweet chili salad dressing to serve over salads or to be used as a dipping sauce for veggies. It would also taste amazing with our grilled chicken lettuce wraps or our sushi burrito.

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Sweet Chili Vinaigrette Recipe

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Author: Erin Jensen
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Dressing
Method: Counter Top
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired

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Description

A simple to throw together Sweet Chili Vinaigrette that packs flavor with just the right amount of sweetness to bring any salad to the next level!

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2–4 teaspoons garlic, minced
2–4 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

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Instructions

Combine: Put all of the ingredients in a mason jar or another container with a lid. Give it a good shake and it’s ready to enjoy!
Serve: Serve it over your favorite crunchy salad – we love it with our Chopped Pea Salad!

Notes

Spice level: Adjust the spice level by adding more or less garlic chili sauce.
Storage: Store this homemade dressing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.