If you are a fan of hot sauces, you should try both sambal oelek and chili garlic sauce. But aren’t they the same, you ask?
No, they have some key differences, so read on to learn more.
What is Sambal Oelek?
Sambal Oelek is a chili paste or sauce that originated in Indonesia. It contains chili peppers, and it can sometimes use a variety of peppers. Other ingredients include garlic, ginger, lime juice, palm sugar, scallions, shallots, and shrimp paste.
The sauce offers a tangy flavor that is quite light. You can use it for a variety of dishes, e.g. B. Many Indonesian foods. When preparing the sauce, you can expect some sweetness from the peppers as well, and the texture will be quite thick.
There are tons of recipes online that you can try. You can also buy the sauce if you prefer not to make it yourself.
What is Chili Garlic Sauce?
Chili garlic sauce is very similar to sambal oelek. This sauce starts with the same chili peppers to add some spice and a little sweetness. It also has a chunky texture and you can use it in a variety of foods and dishes.
In Chili Garlic Sauce you will find garlic, rice vinegar and salt. The garlic adds flavor so it can pack a punch to the foods you are preparing.
Like sambal oelek, chili garlic sauce is available at many grocery stores. However, you can find a recipe if you want to make it yourself.
Here’s how the sauces compare
At first glance, the sauces may look almost identical. The chili peppers give both sauces their red color and they have a thick texture. However, chili garlic sauce might be a bit thicker than some sambal oelek sauces.
Some people use the names for these sauces interchangeably. While that’s not the worst thing in the world, the ingredients are so different that the terms aren’t interchangeable.
Luckily, you can usually substitute one sauce for the other. So if you can’t get your hands on the particular one, you can go with the other. This way you can get as close to the recipe as possible when preparing a complete meal.
Unfortunately, both sauces have different recipes online. Some recipes for each sauce call for more ingredients, while others are easier. Be sure to consider the ingredients of any sauce recipe you find.
Then you can tell if a recipe is more like sambal oelek or chilli garlic sauce. Knowing this will help you choose the right sauce for your needs.
Substitute for both sauces
You might not find sambal oelek or chilli garlic sauce. Also, you either can’t find the ingredients or don’t want to make the sauce from scratch.
Fortunately, there are plenty of suitable alternatives. They won’t be identical to any of the sauces, but you have options if you can’t find what you need.
Sriracha
Many people have compared chili garlic sauce to sriracha. Its main ingredients are chili peppers, garlic, sugar and vinegar. This is almost the same as chili garlic sauce, except it has sugar instead of salt.
In recent years Sriracha has gained popularity around the world. The sauce may come from Thailand and not from Indonesia. But it’s readily available at many grocery stores, and you can make it at home if you prefer.
Harissa
Harissa is another chilli-based sauce. Unlike the other sauces, this one comes from North Africa and uses garlic, spices and olive oil. Many people add it to stews, but it also works as a sauce.
It can add a little flavor and spiciness to anything you cook. The sauce is also fairly easy to find at some grocery stores. But if you want to make it, there are only a few ingredients, so it’s not too difficult.
gochuyang
Another alternative is gochujang, a Korean sauce. The paste uses chili peppers, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt. Some recipes add sweeteners, but you don’t have to get a sweet version.
This sauce is more concentrated than many other options. But if you want something thicker, it can be a suitable option instead of sambal oelek and chili garlic sauce. For better or worse, gochujang can be a lot spicier than sambal oelek, so keep that in mind when swapping it out.
Red pepper flakes
Many sauces are good substitutes for sambal oelek and chili garlic sauce. But maybe your dish specifically doesn’t need a sauce. In this case, you can replace the sauce with a few dashes of red pepper flakes.
The red bell pepper is hot and can add some flavor to anything you want to eat. Because it’s not a liquid, it can prevent weighing down the dish or adding more moisture. Depending on what you’re cooking, that could be a good thing.
Yakisoba sauce
Yakisoba sauce combines soy sauce with ketchup, spices and Worcestershire sauce. It’s not as spicy as the sauces that use chili peppers. That can make it a good option for people who don’t have a high tolerance for spicy foods.
You can also make it for kids who might be a bit picky. This sauce can add flavor to any dish you prepare. If you find that a chili-based sauce is too spicy, try yakisoba sauce. The Japanese sauce might go well with noodles, but you can use it for other things as well.
