Easy Sambal Oelek Recipe – Indonesian Chili Paste
Homemade Indonesian Sambal Oelek Recipe: The Ultimate Chili Paste Recipe – I’ll never forget the first time I encountered real sambal oelek in a tiny Indonesian restaurant tucked between a laundromat and a nail salon in Queens.
Sambal Oelek Recipe (Indonesian Chili Paste)
Ingredients
- 100 grams Fresno chilies (stems removed)
- 100 grams red bird’s eye chilies (stems removed)
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic (optional)
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the Fresno chilies and red bird’s eye chilies. Place them in a food processor or mortar and pestle with the vinegar, garlic cloves (if using), and water. Blend into a chunky paste with visible seeds.
- Transfer the puréed mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the pepper pieces have softened and the sauce is thicker.
- Stir in the salt.
- Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool. Transfer the sauce to sterilized jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Nutrition
The server, a sweet grandmother with flour-dusted hands, placed a small ceramic bowl of what looked like chunky red paste next to my nasi goreng.
“Just a little,” she warned with a knowing smile, holding up her pinky finger.
Being the stubborn food blogger I am, I immediately ignored her advice and took a generous spoonful.
The heat hit me like a freight train—not the one-dimensional burn of hot sauce, but a complex, layered fire that somehow made my taste buds sing while simultaneously making me reach for my water glass.
But here’s the thing: even as tears streamed down my face, I couldn’t stop eating it.
There was something about that chunky, garlicky, slightly tangy paste that elevated every single bite of my fried rice from good to absolutely transcendent.
That night, I went home and immediately started researching how to make my own sambal oelek recipe.
I discovered that this Indonesian chili paste isn’t just a condiment—it’s the backbone of Indonesian cuisine, the secret weapon that home cooks have been using for generations to add depth, heat, and complexity to everything from stir-fries to grilled meats.
Unlike the smooth, processed versions you find in squeeze bottles at the grocery store, authentic sambal oelek has texture, personality, and a fresh, vibrant heat that can’t be replicated in a factory.
What Makes Sambal Oelek Recipe (Indonesian Chili Paste) So Special?
Sambal oelek occupies a unique place in the pantheon of chili pastes and hot sauces.
While sriracha gets all the Instagram fame and harissa claims the Mediterranean spotlight, sambal oelek quietly does the heavy lifting in kitchens across Southeast Asia.
The name itself tells the story: “sambal” refers to any Indonesian chili-based sauce or paste, while “oelek” comes from the Dutch word for the mortar and pestle traditionally used to grind the chilies.
What sets this Indonesian chili paste apart from its global cousins is its beautiful simplicity and chunky texture.
Unlike smooth hot sauces that rely on vinegar for preservation and tang, or complex curry pastes loaded with aromatics, sambal oelek focuses on showcasing the pure, unadulterated flavor of fresh chilies.
The traditional recipe calls for just chilies, salt, and sometimes a touch of vinegar—that’s it.
This minimalist approach allows the natural sweetness, heat, and subtle fruitiness of the peppers to shine through without interference.
The Perfect Balance of Heat and Flavor
The genius of a good sambal oelek recipe lies in the careful selection and combination of different chili varieties.
Traditional versions use a mix of red chilies with varying heat levels—some for fire, others for flavor.
The Fresno chilies in our recipe provide a moderate heat with a slightly sweet, fruity undertone, while the bird’s eye chilies (also called Thai chilies) bring serious heat and a sharp, clean burn.
This combination creates a paste that’s not just hot for the sake of being hot, but one that adds genuine flavor complexity to whatever it touches.
Ingredients and Equipment for Your Sambal Oelek Recipe (Indonesian Chili Paste)
Before we dive into the actual cooking, let’s talk about what you’ll need to create this Indonesian chili paste masterpiece.
The beauty of sambal oelek lies in its simplicity—you probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already, and the equipment requirements are refreshingly minimal.
Essential Ingredients
- 100 grams Fresno chilies, stems removed: These provide the bulk of your paste with moderate heat and great flavor
- 100 grams red bird’s eye chilies, stems removed: The fire-breathers of the bunch—use fewer if you’re heat-sensitive
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar: Adds tang and helps with preservation
- 2 cloves garlic, optional: Traditional recipes sometimes skip this, but I love the depth it adds
- ½ cup water: Helps with blending and cooking
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste: Essential for flavor and preservation
Equipment You’ll Need
For this sambal oelek recipe, you can go traditional with a mortar and pestle (which gives you the most authentic texture), or modern with a food processor (which saves your arm muscles).
I’ve made this paste both ways, and honestly, while purists might disagree, the food processor works beautifully and gets you to dinner faster.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Sambal Oelek Recipe (Indonesian Chili Paste)
Now comes the fun part—actually making this incredible Indonesian chili paste.
I’ve refined this process through countless batches, and I’m sharing all my hard-won wisdom to help you avoid the mistakes I made along the way.
Step 1: Prepare and Blend Your Chilies
Start by removing the stems from both the Fresno chilies and the bird’s eye chilies.
Here’s where I need to give you a serious warning that I wish someone had given me during my first attempt: wear gloves, and for the love of all that’s holy, don’t touch your eyes afterward.
I learned this lesson the hard way when I spent an entire evening with one eye streaming tears, looking like I was perpetually winking at everyone.
Place the stemmed chilies in your food processor along with the white vinegar, garlic cloves (if you’re using them), and water.
Pulse the mixture until you achieve a chunky paste with visible seeds and small pieces of chili.
The key word here is “chunky”—you’re not making a smooth puree.
Those little bits of chili and visible seeds are what give sambal oelek its characteristic texture and visual appeal.
Step 2: Cook the Mixture
Transfer your chunky chili mixture to a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes.
This cooking step is crucial—it softens the pepper pieces, concentrates the flavors, and helps the paste develop that deep, complex taste that makes homemade sambal oelek so much better than store-bought versions.
During this simmering phase, your kitchen will fill with an aroma that’s equal parts heavenly and potentially tear-inducing.
Open a window, turn on your exhaust fan, and maybe warn any housemates that things are about to get spicy in there.
Step 3: Season and Finish
Stir in the salt during the last minute of cooking.
Taste carefully (and I mean carefully—this stuff is hot!) and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Some batches might need a touch more salt, others might benefit from an extra splash of vinegar.
Step 4: Cool and Store
Remove the pan from heat and let your sambal oelek cool completely before transferring it to sterilized jars.
This Indonesian chili paste will keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, though in my experience, it rarely lasts that long.
Pro Tips and Variations for Your Sambal Oelek Recipe (Indonesian Chili Paste)
After making this recipe more times than I can count, I’ve picked up some tricks that make the difference between good sambal oelek and absolutely incredible sambal oelek.
Essential Cooking Tips
Control the heat level: If you’re new to spicy food or cooking for a mixed crowd, start with fewer bird’s eye chilies and more Fresnos.
You can always add heat, but you can’t take it away.
I learned this the hard way when I made a batch so hot that even I couldn’t eat it, and I have a pretty high spice tolerance.
Don’t skip the simmering: That 8-10 minute cooking time isn’t just a suggestion—it’s what transforms your chunky chili mixture from a raw, harsh paste into a complex, flavorful condiment.
The heat mellows the sharpest edges of the chilies while concentrating their natural sweetness.
Sterilize your jars: This step ensures your sambal oelek stays fresh for the full three weeks.
Simply run your jars and lids through the dishwasher or boil them for 10 minutes.
Taste as you go: Every batch of chilies is different—some are hotter, some are milder, some are more acidic.
Trust your palate and adjust accordingly.
Creative Variations
Smoky sambal oelek: Add one or two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a deep, smoky flavor that’s absolutely incredible with grilled meats.
Ginger-spiked version: A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, minced and added with the garlic, creates a warming, aromatic variation that’s perfect for stir-fries.
Sweet and spicy: A tablespoon of palm sugar or brown sugar added during cooking creates a more complex flavor profile that pairs beautifully with pork and chicken.
Extra garlicky: Double the garlic for a more pungent version that’s incredible stirred into noodle soups.
How to Use Your Homemade Indonesian Chili Paste
Once you’ve made your first batch of this sambal oelek recipe, you’ll start seeing opportunities to use it everywhere.
Stir a spoonful into fried rice for instant depth and heat.
Mix it with mayonnaise for the world’s best spicy sandwich spread.
Add it to marinades for grilled chicken or beef.
Swirl it into soups just before serving.
The possibilities are truly endless.
Final Thoughts on This Sambal Oelek Recipe (Indonesian Chili Paste)
Making your own sambal oelek is one of those cooking projects that seems intimidating until you actually do it, and then you wonder why you waited so long.
Yes, your eyes might water a bit during the cooking process, and yes, you’ll need to be careful about touching your face afterward, but the payoff is enormous.
This Indonesian chili paste will transform your cooking in ways you didn’t expect.
It’s not just about adding heat—though it certainly does that—it’s about adding a layer of complexity and authenticity that you simply can’t get from a squeeze bottle.
Every time I open a jar of my homemade sambal oelek, I’m transported back to that little restaurant in Queens, remembering the grandmother who first introduced me to this incredible condiment.
The best part?
Once you master this basic sambal oelek recipe, you’ll start experimenting with your own variations, adjusting the heat level to your preferences, maybe adding your own signature ingredients.
That’s the beauty of traditional recipes like this—they’re not meant to be followed blindly, but to serve as a foundation for your own culinary creativity.
So grab some chilies, fire up that food processor, and get ready to add some serious flavor to your cooking.
Your taste buds (and your dinner guests) will thank you.
