10-Minute Chili-Garlic Sauce (Bold, Spicy, and Umami-Rich)

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Looking for a punchy, flavorful condiment that comes together in minutes and elevates everything from noodles to dumplings to stir-fried greens? This 10-minute chili garlic sauce is your answer.

Loaded with garlic, bird’s eye chilies, Shaoxing wine, and a surprise hit of umami from dried shiitake mushroom, this sauce packs a powerful flavor punch — and it keeps in the fridge for weeks. Whether you’re meal prepping or just want to have a go-to sauce on hand, this one delivers big flavor with minimal effort.

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Why You’ll Love This Chili Garlic Sauce

• Fast — Ready in 10 minutes
  
• Customizable heat — Add as many (or as few) chilies as you like
  
• Versatile — Great on rice, noodles, dumplings, grilled meat, tofu, and more
  
• Stores well — Keeps in the fridge for up to a month

Ingredients

• 2 heads garlic, minced
  
• Bird’s eye chilies (to your spice preference), minced
  
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
  
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
  
• 6 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  
• 3 tbsp sugar
  
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
  
• 1 dried shiitake mushroom, finely grated or minced
  
• 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (for slurry)
  
• Water (optional, to dilute if needed)
  
• Neutral oil (for sautéing)

Instructions

1. Mince the aromatics
Finely mince the garlic, ginger, and chilies. You can use a food processor for speed, but a knife works just as well.

2. Sauté until fragrant
In a small pot or saucepan, heat a small amount of neutral oil over medium-low heat. Add the chili-garlic-ginger mixture and sauté until fragrant but not browned (about 2-3 minutes).

3. Add liquids and mushroom
Pour in soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and rice vinegar. Grate or finely chop the dried shiitake mushroom and add to the pot. Bring everything to a gentle boil.

4. Thicken the sauce
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Add to the boiling sauce and stir until slightly thickened (about 1 minute). If the flavor is too intense, add a splash of water to balance.5. Cool and store
Let the sauce cool to room temperature. Transfer to a clean jar or airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Pro Tips

• Want more umami? Add a splash of fish sauce or a dab of fermented bean paste.
  
• Don’t overcook the garlic — it should smell toasty, not bitter.
  
• Use a microplane to grate the dried shiitake mushroom for better flavor extraction.

How to Use This Sauce

• Toss with noodles or rice bowls
  
• Drizzle over dumplings or scallion pancakes
  
• Stir into stir-fries or soups
  
• Spoon over steamed greens or roasted vegetables
  
• Use as a base for spicy dipping sauces

Final Thoughts

This 10-minute chili garlic sauce is one of those pantry staples you’ll find yourself reaching for again and again. It’s bold, it’s spicy, it’s complex — and it’s shockingly easy to make.

Homemade sauces like this prove you don’t need hours in the kitchen to create something deeply flavorful. Batch it once, and enjoy weeks of upgraded meals.