Chunky red and green chilies, tomatoes, and aromatics cooked into a rich, spicy Indonesian chili paste. This easy sambal oelek recipe is ready in just 20 minutes. I char the chilies and aromatics before blending to develop a deeper, slightly smoky flavor.
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Sambal oelek, also known as sambal ulek, is a traditional Indonesian chili paste made by grinding fresh chilies with a mortar and pestle. It's commonly served as a spicy condiment with rice, noodles, stir-fries, and other savory dishes throughout Southeast Asia.
I still remember the first time I tried sambal oelek in Malaysia with KL Hokkien Mee. I loved how its spicy, savory flavor complemented the rich noodles.
My version combines red and green chilies with tomatoes, shallots, onion, and garlic for a rich, savory flavor.
I found that simmering the blended paste uncovered to evaporate excess moisture, creates a thicker, more concentrated chili sauce.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Exact ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Fresh Red Chilies: Use Indonesian red curly chilies (cabai merah keriting) or large red chilies (cabai merah besar). For a milder sambal, substitute Korean red chilies, red jalapeños, or red serrano peppers with the seeds and membranes removed. For extra heat, use red cayenne peppers or bird's eye chilies.
- Fresh Green Chilies: Use Indonesian green chilies (cabai hijau). For a milder sambal, substitute Korean green chilies or green jalapeños with the seeds and membranes removed. For extra heat, use green cayenne peppers or bird's eye chilies.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Add moisture, acidity, and body to the chili paste. Grape tomatoes also work for their naturally sweet flavor.
- Shallots: Add a mild, sweet onion flavor.
- Onion: Adds sweetness and savory depth when charred.
- Garlic Cloves: Use fresh garlic for a stronger, more pronounced garlic flavor than jarred minced garlic.
- White Granulated Sugar: Balances the heat and acidity of the chilies and tomatoes. Cane sugar also works.
- Salt
- Chicken Bouillon Powder: Adds savory depth to the chili paste. Use vegetable bouillon powder for a vegetarian version.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Adds acidity to balance the rich, spicy flavors.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps cook the chili paste and develop its rich flavor. Canola, refined avocado, or peanut oil are also suitable substitutes. Avoid olive oil or coconut oil, which can noticeably change the flavor.
Expert Tips
- Choose your chilies carefully because their variety and heat level determine how spicy the sambal becomes.
- Pulse the vegetables briefly to maintain a chunky texture instead of creating a smooth puree.
- Keep your kitchen well-ventilated because cooking chilies can release irritating fumes that cause coughing.
- Adjust the seasoning after simmering because the flavors become more concentrated as the paste reduces.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make sambal oelek:
- Char the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over high heat. Add the red and green chilies, onion, shallots, cherry tomatoes, and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly charred around the edges.
- Blend the vegetables: Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large plate and spread them out to cool slightly. Once cool enough to blend safely, transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse until a chunky paste forms. Alternatively, pound them using a mortar and pestle.
- Prepare to cook the paste: Turn on your stove's exhaust fan and ensure the kitchen is well-ventilated, as cooking the chilies can release irritating fumes. Transfer the blended paste back into the pan.
- Simmer the sambal: Bring the paste to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the remaining 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) of vegetable oil, sugar, salt, lime juice, and chicken bouillon powder. Reduce to low heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the paste thickens and turns a darker red.
- Season and cool: Taste and adjust with more sugar, salt, or chicken bouillon powder as needed. Remove from the heat and let the sambal cool slightly before serving. Transfer any leftovers to a shallow, clean, airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking for up to 4 days.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store the cooled sambal oelek in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Always use a clean, dry spoon when scooping out the sambal to prevent contamination.
- Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Serving: Sambal oelek is best enjoyed at room temperature. Remove only the desired portion from the refrigerator shortly before serving, and keep the remaining sambal refrigerated.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve sambal oelek as a condiment with:
- Nasi Goreng: Serve with Indonesian fried rice for extra heat and flavor.
- Bihun Goreng: Add a spoonful to these savory stir-fried rice noodles for a spicy kick.
- Malaysian Chicken Curry: Serve alongside the curry for extra chili heat.
FAQ
Can I use dried chilies instead of fresh chilies?
I don't recommend dried or rehydrated chilies for this recipe because they produce a different flavor and texture. Fresh chilies work best for this sambal.
Is sambal oelek gluten-free?
Yes, this recipe can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free chicken bouillon powder. Check the labels of any packaged seasonings to ensure they're gluten-free.
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📖 Recipe
Easy 20-min. Sambal Oelek
Chunky red and green chilies, tomatoes, and aromatics cooked into a rich, spicy Indonesian chili paste. This easy sambal oelek recipe is ready in just 20 minutes. I char the chilies and aromatics before blending to develop a deeper, slightly smoky flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil, for charring the vegetables
- 2.46 oz red chili peppers (Indonesian red curly or large red chilies; substitute red jalapeños or bird's eye chilies)
- 2.46 oz green chili peppers (Indonesian green chilies; substitute green jalapeños or bird's eye chilies)
- 9.17 oz cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 2 shallots halved
- 1 small onion quartered
- 1 bulb garlic cloves peeled
- ½ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil, for simmering the chili paste
- 4 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly-squeezed
- 3 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over high heat. Add the red and green chilies, onion, shallots, cherry tomatoes, and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly charred around the edges.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large plate and spread them out to cool slightly. Once cool enough to blend safely, transfer to a food processor or blender and pulse until a chunky paste forms. Alternatively, pound them using a mortar and pestle.
- Turn on your stove's exhaust fan and ensure the kitchen is well-ventilated, as cooking the chilies can release irritating fumes. Transfer the blended paste back into the pan.
- Bring the paste to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the remaining 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) of vegetable oil, sugar, salt, lime juice, and chicken bouillon powder. Reduce to low heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the paste thickens and turns a darker red.
- Taste and adjust with more sugar, salt, or chicken bouillon powder as needed. Remove from the heat and let the sambal cool slightly before serving. Transfer any leftovers to a shallow, clean, airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking for up to 4 days.
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!
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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
Blaze
Love Love Love this recipe, I've tried many, this is clean, simple and delicious.
And I've made it many times, recently l subbed peaches for the tomatoes as my tree was loaded, turned out amazing. I didn't add the peaches until the second fry and only added half the oil, as the mixture was more moist then the original recipe.
Taste's brilliant, keep up the great work Christie
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the very kind and positive review, Blaze!!! I'm so happy that you love this recipe so much 🙂 Music to my ears! Thanks for also sharing your recent experience in substituting with peaches this time! How creative. I will have to try that myself. Have a wonderful weekend!
Angie B
What a great find, your recipe. I have been searching stores in Canada and they are telling me there is a problem with the ingredients, sauce is not available any more here. So I put together the best I could your recipe and I have a lovely sauce. Many thanks!!!
christieathome
Amazing, thanks so much for making it with the ingredients that you could find! Happy it worked out.
Rebecca
This recipe is amazing, thank you
christieathome
So happy to read this! Thanks so much for making it, Rebecca! Have a great day.
Anja
Thanks for sharing this more authentic Sambal Olek recipe Christine. Everyone in the internet food universe is using food processors, but so many skip the cooking part, which is closer to how it's made in Indonesia. I'll be putting this one in my recipe book, because like you, I can't live without Sambal Olek. I love making Nasi Goreng but it's become either to expensive, or harder to find good Sambal Olek's to buy.
christieathome
You're very welcome Anja! I'm so glad I could share this authentic way of making this delicious condiment! Thanks for your kind comment and have a lovely day!
Sharron LeVere
Hi Christie! I am making this recipe and I have noticed that in the list of ingredients you ask for 1 bulb od garlic! Is that 1 clove or the whole bulb? If so that is a lot of garlic! Can you please verify this for me. Much thanks!
christieathome
Hi Sharron! It's the whole bulb so that would be about 8 cloves of garlic. The garlic gives the sambal that delicious garlickly flavour so lots is needed 🙂
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
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!
Rosemary
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!!
christieathome
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 🙂
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
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!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
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!