I have perfected my recipe for homemade sambal oelek. It is the perfect balance of spicy, slightly sweet, aromatic, and deeply savory. This sambal oelek recipe features a blend of red chili peppers, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, Roma tomatoes, belacan shrimp paste, and other umami seasonings.

The best part about this Indonesian sambal recipe is that it can be easily completed in under 30 minutes. This chili sauce is incredibly versatile! It can be used to marinate any protein, or add spice to soups, stir-fry rice and noodle dishes, and other condiments.

Ingredients

You can find all of the ingredients for this sambal oelek recipe at your local Asian grocery store. I have also linked everything that I used for you in the recipe card below.

• Belacan: a Malaysian fermented shrimp paste condiment that is commonly used in most Southeast Asian cuisines. It adds a very savory umami and addicting flavor. Be careful it is very smelly!
• Vegetable Oil: used to char the vegetables and to slow cook the sambal chili sauce.
• Red Chili Peppers: for a classic version use exclusively Thai bird’s eye chilis. And for a milder version use de-seeded Korean red chili peppers, red serrano peppers, or red jalapenos. I recommend using a variety for a more complex flavor profile.
• Roma Tomatoes: adds a subtle umami tang and gentle sweetness.
• Shallots: Add a combination of garlic and onion flavor.
• Garlic: use about an entire head of garlic for a robust aromatic flavor.
• Lemongrass: adds citrus, floral, sweet, and tangy notes with hints of ginger and mint.
• Brown Sugar: balances out the heat from the peppers. It also adds a more molasses-forward sweetness than regular sugar.
• Chicken Bouillon Powder: a popular cooking ingredient in Malaysian cuisine that adds a salty, savory comforting flavor.
• Fish Sauce: adds a funky, umami, and salty layer.
• Salt: season the sambal oelek sauce.
• Lime juice: adds a pinch of acidity to break through the heavy heat.

Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

• Tomatoes: any type of tomatoes will work such as cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or beefsteak tomatoes.
• Tomato paste: about 1 tablespoon of tomato paste as an alternative to the tomatoes.
• Sugar: granulated sugar, palm sugar or coconut sugar are also good alternatives.
• Tamarind paste: an alternative to fresh lime juice.
• Neutral oil: any neutral oil with a high smoke point will do such as avocado oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil.

Additions

• Green chilis: you can also create a mixture of red and green chilis for more flavor.
• Ginger: for additional aromatic flavors
• Soy sauce: adds a salty, umami flavor.
• Lime Leaves: for more added citrus flavor.

How to Make Sambal Oelek

Here are the step-by-step photo instructions for how to make this sambal oelek recipe. See the recipe card below for full measurements and detailed instructions.

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until hot and turn your stove fan on high. Toast the belacan shrimp paste for 1 minute until crumbled and charred.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat until hot. Add the red chili peppers, tomato, shallots, garlic, and lemongrass and char on each side until browned.

3. Place the vegetables in a food processor, or a mortar and pestle. Blend the charred vegetables until they form a chunky paste.

4. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, add the vegetable oil, blended chilis, belacan, brown sugar, chicken bouillon powder, fish sauce, and salt. Mix until combined. Simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes uncovered. Turn off the heat add 1 tablespoon of lime juice and mix until combined.

5. Let the sauce cool before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Storage Instructions

You can store this sambal oelek in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freeze: You can also freeze the sambal in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pairing Suggestions

This sambal oelek recipe is incredibly versatile and can be used to spice up any of the following pairing suggestions below.

• Appetizers such as Vietnamese egg rolls, pork and chive dumplings, banh tom (Vietnamese shrimp and sweet potato fritters), or Vietnamese spring rolls (goi cuon).
• Proteins such as air fryer soy sauce chicken, Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, chicken bulgogi, air fryer teriyaki salmon, miso salmon, and bo lu lac (Vietnamese shaking beef).
• Noodle dishes such as mie goreng (Indonesian noodles), chicken lo mein, soy sauce pan-fried noodles, bami goreng (Indonesian stir-fried noodles), bihun goreng (vermicelli stir fry), pad see ew (Thai stir-fried noodles), chicken pad Thai and yaki udon.
• Fried rice dishes such as shrimp fried rice, spam fried rice, garlic fried rice, Thai basil fried rice, egg fried rice, or Thai pineapple fried rice.
• Soup or stew dishes such as Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, wonton soup, Chinese egg drop soup, bo kho (Vietnamese beef stew), bun rieu (Vietnamese crab and tomato soup) and chao ga (Vietnamese chicken porridge).

FAQ

Can I make sambal oelek in advance?

Yes, you can make this sambal oelek recipe for up to 1 week in advance if refrigerated or 3 months frozen.

Is sambal oelek spicy?

Yes, sambal oelek can be quite spicy since it is made with fresh red chili peppers. However, the level of heat can vary depending on the type of chilis used.

What is the difference between sambal oelek and sriracha?

Sambal oelek is more of a red chili paste that is chunkier and thicker rather than a smooth liquid hot sauce like sriracha. Sambal can vary in heat level depending on the chili peppers and sriracha is typically milder. Sambal originated in Indonesia while sriracha originated in Thailand.

Sambal Oelek Recipe