Easy Sweet Chili Jam

This easy sweet chili jam recipe is one you NEED in your repertoire. Sweet, spicy, sticky, and absolutely loaded with flavor, it’s a versatile kitchen hero. Spoon it over salads, sandwiches, cheese boards, grilled meat, and pizzas, or use it as a gorgeous dipping sauce. Plus, it keeps well and makes a wonderful homemade gift.

Sweet Chili Jam, at a Glance

⏰Time: About 40 minutes

🍽️Makes: 2 cups (500ml)

🛒 Key Ingredients: Red chilies, garlic, ginger, lime, superfine (caster) sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce

🧠 Skill Level: Easy

👩‍🍳 Cooking Method: Stovetop

🌶️ Spice Level: Mild to medium

💃 Perfect For: Cheese boards, dipping things into, gifting, jazzing up everyday meals

The Sweet Chili Jam I Put on Basically Everything

Homemade jam can feel intimidating. Often it needs to cook down for hours, then cool, then be properly stored and sealed in jars. The whole process can take a literal day, and I don’t know about you, but I just don’t have time for that!

But this insanely delicious and easy sweet chili jam recipe is truly so simple. Just throw chilies, ginger, and garlic into a food processor, then combine that with all the other ingredients, and leave it to bubble away for about 30 minutes. No long boiling time here.

And I can’t even explain how often I use this chili jam:

• I use it in salad dressings (like in this lovely crunchy Asian-style salad, crispy ramen noodle salad, Korean grilled chicken crispy rice salad, or this fresh, juicy peach and halloumi salad).
• Drizzle it over grilled miso chicken or miso chicken poke bowls,
• It adds gorgeous depth to my go-to five-minute peanut satay sauce, one-pot satay chicken noodles, one-pot satay meatballs, and baked satay dumplings.
• It makes a brilliant dipping sauce for chicken and mushroom potstickers, juicy pork dumplings, or cheesy gochujang pizza dumplings.
• Throw it in sandwiches (or two-ingredient dough Greek yogurt bagels or high-protein cottage cheese bagels) with cheese for the most unreal grilled cheese you’ve ever had!

It’s easy to scale up and makes a very lovely homemade gift too – I love it for Christmas and holiday gifting.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Long red chilies. Try to use longer chilies in this recipe (they tend to be milder than the smaller ones). If in doubt, give the chili a little taste before you use it. I do de-seed the chilies in this recipe, but for ease, you could keep them in. Just be aware that it will make the jam spicier. You can also use frozen, chopped chilies for ease.
• Fish sauce. I ADORE the savory depth fish sauce brings to literally anything, so I use quite a bit here. It smells a little scary, but I promise it doesn’t taste fishy at all in the jam. You just get a wonderful salty, deep flavor that you can’t replicate with salt alone. You can use a vegan alternative if you want to keep it vegan, or use 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce (or tamari) and 1 tablespoon of lime juice instead.
• Rice vinegar. This recipe uses Asian-style flavors, which is why I love using rice vinegar. It works perfectly here, but you could use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you don’t have any.

There are also two pieces of essential equipment you’ll need for this recipe:

• Food processor. This is to blitz the chilies, garlic, and ginger into a paste. It just makes it a lot easier (and quicker) to do it this way, but if you don’t have one, you can chop everything finely with a knife.
• Sterilized glass jars. These are essential if you’re looking to store your chili jam for a long period. You can use a plastic container if you don’t have anything, but you’ll need to store this in the fridge straight away. I’ll show you how to do this a little further down the page if you’re unsure. I also have a full post all about how to sterilize jars if you’d like more information.

How to Make Sweet Chili Jam

This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the chili jam. The full instructions with the ingredients list and quantities are at the bottom of the page for you.

1. Start by de-seeding and roughly chopping your chilies (you can leave the seeds in if you like, for a spicier jam).

1. Peel your garlic and roughly chop your ginger.

1. Add the chilies, ginger, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor or chopper.

1. Blitz the ingredients into a thick paste.

1. Add the paste to a pot along with all the other ingredients. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

1. Reduce the heat and let the jam simmer, stirring occasionally.

1. It will be bubbling, sticky, and look deeply red. Once thickened, remove from the heat.

1. Spoon into sterilized glass jars and seal.

How to Sterilize Glass Jars

This is a key component for making any preserve shelf-stable at room temperature. Just remember, once you open it, you’ll want to store it in the fridge.

Here’s the simplest way to sterilize your jars:

1. Wash your jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Rinse them well, but don’t dry them. Place them upright on a baking tray or baking sheet.

1. Heat in the oven at 250°F (120°C) fan for 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave them in there until you’re ready to fill them.

You can also run them through an empty dishwasher on the hottest cycle to sterilize them.

I like to do this while the chili jam is simmering, so they’re ready for filling once the jam is done. If you’d like more details, I have a full guide on how to sterilize jars.

PRO TIP: If your jars have a rubber ring around the lids, remember to take them off before putting them in the oven.

REMEMBER: Glass reacts to sudden temperature changes, so make sure you’re not adding hot jam to cold jars, or cold jam to jars straight out of the oven, as they can shatter. I discovered this the hard way..!

Five Ways to Use Chili Jam

1. It forms a key part of the sweet chili dressing in this crunchy chopped Asian salad.
2. Try sweet chili jam glazed halloumi for the perfect summery appetizer.
3. Use it in a grilled cheese for the best cheesy snack.
4. Drizzle it over grilled chicken poke bowls, baked salmon poke bowls, this salmon sushi bake, or mini baked salmon sushi cups.
5. Use it as a dipping sauce with chicken and mushroom potstickers, drizzle it over smash dumpling tacos or mini crispy dumpling cups.

Sweet Chili Jam FAQs

Is sweet chili jam spicy?

I think it has the perfect level of heat! It’s softened with the sugar, so it’s really quite mild.

If you’re worried, you can take two chilies out and add one roughly chopped red pepper instead.

How long will the chili jam keep?

When stored in sterilized jars, chili jam will last for about 3 months at room temperature, unopened.

Once you open it, store it in the fridge, and it will still last for months. Just make sure you’re always using a clean spoon when you’re getting anything out of it to prevent cross-contamination.

Can I reduce the sugar in the chili jam?

You can try to reduce the sugar if you like. Just be aware that the consistency will change and won’t be as sticky and ‘jam-like’ as you’d expect. This comes from sugar. It will be more liquidy, and the sugar also helps the jam keep as long as it does.

Do I have to use fish sauce in the chili jam?

I definitely recommend using the fish sauce for the amazing depth of flavor you get from it, but if you really don’t like it or are vegan, replace the fish sauce with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce/tamari and 1 tablespoon of lime juice.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @Zageer on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.

This easy sweet chili jam recipe is one you NEED in your repertoire. Sweet, spicy, sticky, and absolutely loaded with flavor, it's a versatile kitchen hero. Spoon it over salads, sandwiches, cheese boards, grilled meat, and pizzas, or use it as a gorgeous dipping sauce. Plus, it keeps well and makes a wonderful homemade gift. Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 35 mins

Servings: 2 cups

Course: Condiments
Cuisine: asian

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

• 1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled
• 2 oz fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (or use 2 tablespoons of crushed ginger or ginger paste), (60g)
• 6 long red chilies, de-seeded and roughly chopped (keep the seeds for a spicier jam)
• Zest of 2 limes
• 2 ¼ cups superfine (caster) sugar, (450g)
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ⅓ cup water
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce, or a vegan alternative
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, or tamari

Equipment

• 1 food processor or chopper, or blender
• Glass jars to store

Method

1. Prepare your jars.Water bath method: Wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Place the washed jars in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, then leave the jars in the water until you're ready to fill them. Simmer the lids separately for 10 minutes.Oven method: Wash your jars and lids in hot, soapy water, then stand them upside down on a lined baking sheet. If you have rubber seals on your jars, remove them and simmer them on the stovetop for 10 minutes (the oven can damage them). Pop the jars into the oven at 250°F (120°C) fan for 15 to 20 minutes until dry. Leave them in the oven until you're ready to fill them.
PRO TIP: Glass reacts to extreme temperature changes, so don't add hot chili jam to a cold jar, or the glass may shatter. Adding hot jam to warm jars will be fine. I like to prepare my jars as the jam is simmering, and this works out well timing-wise.
2. Blitz the garlic, ginger, and chili.Add the peeled garlic cloves, chopped ginger, and deseeded and chopped chilies to the bowl of a food processor. Blitz for about 2 minutes, until a thick paste forms.You may need to scrape down the sides of your bowl a couple of times to make sure everything is mixing evenly.
3. Combine the jam ingredients.Add the chili, ginger, and garlic paste to a large, high-sided pot. Add the lime zest, 2 ¼ cups sugar, ½ cup rice vinegar, ⅓ cup water, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon light soy sauce.Set the pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves (you’ll be able to feel this with your spoon – initially it will feel quite heavy and be harder to stir, and when the sugar dissolves, it’ll become more liquidy).
4. Simmer the chili jam.Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and leave the jam to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom and it’s cooking evenly.It will start bubbling up – this is what you want. You want the liquid to reduce by roughly a third so the jam looks thick, sticky, and deeply red.
If your jam is still a little watery after 30 minutes, continue cooking it for another 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't reduce too much. Remember that the jam will thicken as it cools.
5. Transfer the jam into jars.Carefully spoon the hot jam into the warm, sterilized jars, leaving a little space at the top. Seal the jars with their lids. You can store the chili jam in the sterilized jars for up to 3 months at room temperature, then store it in the fridge once you've opened it.
REMINDER: Don't spoon your hot jam into cold jars, as the glass may shatter. If your jars are cold, leave the jam to cool on the stovetop for about 30 minutes, and then transfer it to the jars.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons
Calories: 121kcal
Carbohydrates: 30g
Protein: 0.7g
Fat: 0.1g
Sodium: 301mg
Potassium: 52mg
Fiber: 0.2g
Sugar: 28g
Vitamin A: 54IU
Vitamin C: 9.3mg
Calcium: 5mg
Iron: 0.1mg

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Always use a clean spoon when getting jam from the jar. This will prevent cross-contamination and ensure the jam lasts longer. You can keep it in the fridge for months in this way after opening. SUBSTITUTIONS: If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can switch out the fish sauce for an extra tablespoon of light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of lime juice, or use a vegan alternative. For ease, I often use frozen chopped chilies – you can throw them straight into the pot (there’s no need to defrost). I love making this chili jam as gifts for my friends over Christmas and the holidays – the recipe is easily scaled, so you can make a big batch and prepare as many jars as you like. The jam will take a little longer to reduce, so make sure to give yourself a little more time to make it. Just make sure you share storage instructions when you give the jars as gifts. The recipe makes approximately 2 cups, or 500ml of sweet chili jam (depending on how long you let it reduce!) While jar sizes vary wildly, I find this is usually enough to fill 1 medium jar (300ml to 400ml), with a little extra, or 2 smaller jars. If you want to be exact with it, just check the capacity of your jars, then divide the total yield (say 500ml) by that number. I have a whole guide that shares more about how to sterilize jars if you’d like to explore that further.