Chili sauce is a condiment prepared with chili peppers and sometimes red tomato as primary ingredients. Chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauces. Several varieties of chili sauce include sugar in their preparation, such as sweet chili sauce and Thai sweet chili sauce, which adds sweetness to their flavor profile. Chili sauce may have a thicker texture and viscosity when compared to that of hot sauces.
Chili sauce can be used as a dipping sauce, cooking glaze and marinade. Sweet chili sauce is used in Thai cuisine, and is also sometimes used in the preparation of sushi.
Many commercial varieties of mass-produced chili sauce exist.
Ingredients typically include puréed or chopped chili peppers, vinegar, sugar and salt that are cooked, which thickens the mixture. Additional ingredients may include, water, garlic, other foodstuffs, corn syrup, spices and seasonings. Some varieties use ripe red puréed tomato as the primary ingredient.
Many commercial varieties of mass-produced chili sauce exist. Some commercially produced chili sauces are canned, with red tomato that is processed into a pulp used as the primary ingredient. The H. J. Heinz Company is one major producer of chili sauces. In the United States, commercially produced chili sauces are assigned various grades per their quality. These grades include U.S. Grade A (also known as U.S. Fancy), U.S. Grade C (also known as U.S. Standard) and Substandard. Criteria in food grading for chili sauces in the U.S. includes coloration, consistency, character, absence of defects and flavor.