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    Home » Recipes » Sauces/Dips » Sambal Oelek

    Sambal Oelek

    Last Modified: January 1, 2021 - Published by: christieathome - Comments: 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Sambal Oelek

    Sambal Oelek. A VERY spicy chili paste sauce made with bird’s eye chilies, onion, shallots, garlic, tomatoes and oil. A flavourful sauce used to cook your favourite dishes with or used as a condiment.

    What is a sambal oelek? Well it is a spicy condiment or sauce that is often used in South-East Asian cuisine especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam! It originates from Indonesia.

    Every time I watch YouTube videos of South-East Asian street food vendors use this paste while frying noodles or make some spicy curry, I always have thought, “I need to make my OWN paste!”. And so I did but I will warn you, this sauce is extremely spicy and is not for those who cannot tolerate spice. You only need to use a little bit of this sauce to flavour your dish.

    You can tone this sambal oelek paste down by using the larger red chillies that look like jalapenos and de-seed them. Another trick is to add more oil or sugar if needed.

    Sambal Oelek

    What does sambal oelek taste like?

    It’s a spicy sauce thanks to the chilies with a sweet and more flavourful profile because of the sugar and chicken powder.

    How do you use sambal oelek?

    This is a great sauce in cooking noodles like Mee Goreng or Mee Bodoh or in very spicy curries! Or use it as a condiment to spice up your favourite dish. You can even use it to flavour meat too.

    Easy to make!

    This sambal oelek recipe is incredibly easy to make at home! You simply need to char your prepared aromatics and chillies in some oil. Then blend it in a blender or food processor. And lastly, saute it in a pot with the remaining ingredients for 10 minutes.

    Sauté sauce outdoors!

    I would highly recommend doing the latter outdoors to avoid inhaling the spicy smoke that comes from the chilies or it can result in a coughing fest!

    Can I make this less spicy?

    Yes, instead of using bird’s eye chillies (the tiny baby ones) use the larger red and green chilis that look like jalapenos. Alternative you can add more oil and sugar to fan the flames in the last step.

    Tips for making the best Sambal Oelek

    Use quality ingredients. It is common sense but fresher ingredients yield a better tasting sauce.

    When you sauté your sauce, do it over low-medium heat to avoid burning the sauce. Trust me, it’s already going to burn your tongue so you don’t need to smoke it up even more.

    Where can I find birds eye chili?

    You can find this ingredient at most Asian grocers in the fresh produce aisle.

    Can I use dried chillies?

    I would not recommend it as a substitute. If you can’t find these chilies, use the larger red and green chilis that are usually a few inches long. ps. I know they're seen in the above pictures but it was only used to style the shot as I used up all my fresh ones.

    Can sambal oelek go bad?

    Yes, if you leave it out at room temperature for prolonged periods. I would recommend storing this sealed in the fridge.

    How long will it last for?

    It will usually last 5-6 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Or you can freeze it so it can last for 5-6 months.

    Other recipes you may like!

    • CHINESE CHILI OIL
    • CHINESE GREEN ONION SAUCE
    • 3-INGREDIENT DUMPLING DIPPING SAUCE

    For this recipe

    You will need the following sambal oelek ingredients:

    • 2 tbsp avocado oil
    • 70 grams bird’s eye red chilies (Less spicy version: use larger red chilis that look like jalapenos)
    • 70 grams bird’s eye green chilies (Less spicy version: use larger green chilis that look like jalapenos)
    • 260 grams tomatoes of any kind (I used cherry tomatoes for a sweeter flavour)
    • 2 shallots, halved
    • 1 small cooking onion, sliced
    • 1 bulb garlic cloves, peeled
    • ½ cup avocado oil for later
    • 4 tbsp sugar
    • ½ tbsp salt
    • 3 tsp chicken powder

    How to make Sambal Oelek

    In a hot wok or deep pan set over high heat add 2 tbsp avocado oil, followed by your chilis, onion, shallots, tomatoes and garlic cloves. Char them until the edges are browned. Remove from stove.  Transfer to a blender or food processor.

    Blend on high until the ingredients are grounded finely.

    Pour the ingredients into the same wok or pan (I would recommend doing this outdoors on a portable stovetop to prevent inhaling hot chili smoke which can lead to a coughing fest!)

    Sambal Oelek

    Bring the liquid to a boil and add ½ cup avocado oil, sugar, salt and chicken powder. Stir to mix.  Allow this to simmer on low heat for 10 minutes uncovered.

    Sambal Oelek

    Allow this to cool and transfer to a mason jar.  Serve as a condiment with your favourite dish! Store refrigerated up to 6 days or freeze for up to 5-6 months.

    Give it a try!

    Well I hope you give my Sambal Oelek recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

    Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this sambal oelek garlic chili paste, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!

    Made this recipe and loved it?

    If you could leave a star rating for my sambal oelek homemade recipe, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Take care,
    Christie

    *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    Very Spicy Sambal Oelek (20-minute. Recipe)

    christieathome
    Sambal Oelek. A VERY spicy chili paste sauce made with bird’s eye chilies, onion, shallots, garlic, tomatoes and oil. A flavourful sauce used to cook your favourite dishes with or used as a condiment. Beware this is very spicy! I share a less spicy version below.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course condiment, dip, sauce
    Cuisine indonesian, malaysian, singaporean, south east asian
    Servings 2 cups
    Calories 786 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tbsp avocado oil
    • 70 grams bird’s eye red chilies For LESS spicy version: use larger red chilis that look like jalapenos
    • 70 grams bird’s eye green chilies For LESS spicy version: use larger green chilis that look like jalapenos
    • 260 grams tomatoes I used cherry tomatoes for a sweeter flavour
    • 2 shallots halved
    • 1 small yellow onion sliced
    • 1 bulb garlic peeled
    • ½ cup avocado oil for later
    • 4 tbsp white granulated sugar
    • ½ tbsp salt
    • 3 tsp chicken bouillon powder omit if vegan

    Instructions
     

    • In a hot wok or deep pan set over high heat add 2 tbsp avocado oil, followed by your chilis, onion, shallots, tomatoes and garlic cloves. Char them until the edges are browned. Remove from stove. Transfer to a blender or food processor.
    • Blend on high until the ingredients are grounded finely.
    • Pour the ingredients into the same wok or pan (I would recommend doing this outdoors on a portable stovetop to prevent inhaling hot chili smoke which can lead to a coughing fest!)
    • Bring the liquid to a boil and add ½ cup avocado oil, sugar, salt and chicken powder. Stir to mix. Allow this to simmer on low heat for 10 minutes uncovered.
    • Allow this to cool and transfer to a mason jar. Serve as a condiment with your favourite dish!

    NOTES

    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Wok
    Food processor
    Silicone Spatula 3-Piece Set
    Measuring Set
    Keyword sambal oelek chili paste, sambal oelek diy, sambal oelek garlic, sambal oelek ground chili paste, sambal oelek recipe, what is a sambal oelek
    Nutrition
    Calories: 786kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 2591mg | Potassium: 568mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 1418IU | Vitamin C: 77mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

    Suggested Products

    « Char Siu
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle | Sift & Simmer

      January 04, 2021 at 10:22 am

      5 stars
      Always had a jar of this hot sauce in the fridge! Love the addition of chicken powder to the sambal olek... gonna have to try this recipe!

      Reply
    2. Tasia ~ two sugar bugs

      January 05, 2021 at 12:11 am

      5 stars
      My husband and I love hot sauce!! I definitely need to try this one, especially since I make our dishes less spicy for the girls; then my husband and I can make our as spicy as we want!

      Reply
    3. Rosemary

      January 07, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      5 stars
      This is the little dish I always see on the table at ramen places right?! PS- I love your tip for cooking it outdoors to reduce indoor air pollution!!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 08, 2021 at 5:42 pm

        Thanks Rosemary! At the ramen places, they probably serve a chili oil that is similar to this but Sambal Oelek contains tomatoes and chicken powder sometimes 🙂

        Reply
    4. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      January 11, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      5 stars
      That was a great tip for using jalapenos without the seeds to help tone down the heat so I can serve this to my whole family!

      Reply

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    Christie

    Hello! My name is Christie. I enjoy sharing Asian recipes from around the world. So that you can make them from the comfort of your own home. In my spare time, I enjoy spending it with my wonderful husband and two pups.

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