By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 2
37 cal · 10 min
Thai-style Chili, Lime, and Cilantro Dipping Sauce
Recipe GLPRa6af042d17ff90
A vibrant Southeast Asian-inspired dipping sauce that combines the brightness of fresh lime juice with the heat of red Thai chilis, balanced by sweet brown sugar and aromatic garlic and cilantro. Fish sauce provides the umami backbone that makes this condiment authentic. Perfect for serving alongside spring rolls, grilled vegetables, or satay.
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Ingredients
2 cloves garlic cloves, grated on a microplane grater
½ cup fish sauce
½ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup brown sugar
2 to 4 chilis red Thai chilis, finely minced (or 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek crushed fresh chili sauce as a substitute)
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely minced
¼ cup scallions, finely sliced
Directions
Combine the grated garlic, fish sauce, and fresh lime juice in a small bowl and stir to blend the flavors.
Add the brown sugar to the mixture and stir thoroughly until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 1 minute.
Fold in the finely minced red Thai chilis (or Sambal Oelek if using as a substitute) and mix until evenly distributed throughout the sauce.
Gently stir in the fresh minced cilantro and sliced scallions just before serving, reserving a small pinch of each for a fresh garnish on top if desired.
Taste and adjust the balance of flavors as needed—add more lime juice for tanginess, more fish sauce for depth, or more chili for heat. Serve immediately as a dipping sauce.
Comments
Red Thai chili and fish sauce are the real barrier here: neither Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, nor ALDI stock these reliably, so you're budgeting a trip to an Asian market or Kroger's international aisle to complete the sauce. The other ingredients—garlic, lime, brown sugar, cilantro, scallion—are grocery-store staples at any major chain. Cost per serving lands under $1 once you have the specialty items. The 10-minute claim is honest; there's no chopping technique that surprises, and the sauce comes together immediately. It's a dipping sauce, not a meal, so leftovers keep refrigerated for a week and reheat without loss, but you're making it specifically to use the same night or the next day with another protein.
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