By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 4
14 cal · 15 min
Thai Green Chili Dipping Sauce
Recipe GLPR7b63dc9ddc14bf
A vibrant, herbaceous Thai dipping sauce that brings bright heat and complex flavor to any dish. Made by pounding fresh green chilies with garlic, cilantro root, and balanced with tart lime juice, sweet palm sugar, and umami-rich fish sauce. This no-cook condiment is ready in minutes and perfect for serving alongside spring rolls, grilled meats, or seafood.
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Ingredients
4½ Fresh spicy green chilies
1½ cloves Garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup Fresh cilantro with roots
¼ cup Fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
1 tablespoon Palm sugar or coconut sugar
Directions
Remove the stems from the green chilies. For less heat, remove and discard some or all of the seeds; for maximum heat, keep the seeds intact. Roughly chop the chilies.
Add the chopped chilies and garlic cloves to a mortar. Using a pestle, pound them together until broken down into a coarse paste, working for about 1-2 minutes.
Add the cilantro with roots to the mortar. Continue pounding until the cilantro is well bruised and the mixture becomes more aromatic and fully combined, about 1-2 minutes more.
Pour the lime juice and fish sauce into the mortar. Stir and pound briefly to incorporate and fully blend all ingredients together.
Add the palm sugar and stir or pound until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is evenly mixed. Taste and adjust the balance of heat, sourness, saltiness, and sweetness as desired.
Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and serve immediately as a dipping sauce, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Comments
Fish sauce and palm sugar require a special trip to an Asian market or well-stocked Harris Teeter international aisle, adding real cost and time to a weeknight plan. The stated 15 minutes is honest for blending, but sourcing these ingredients in Charlotte means budgeting for either ALDI's limited Thai section or a dedicated stop, which defeats the quick-sauce premise. Fresh cilantro and lime are available everywhere, and chilies and garlic are standard, so the bulk of the ingredient list poses no problem. The recipe itself is sound and makes a small, shelf-stable batch that keeps well, but the sourcing caveat is real for most readers.
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