A.K.A

Asian chile sauce; chile paste; Thai chile paste

What is it?

亚洲智利贴热酱汁主要from ground chiles, oil or vinegar, and salt. They may also include other flavors, such as garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame, black beans, or soybeans. Unlike most of the thin, smooth, chile-based hot sauces of the Americas, Asian chile pastes tend to be coarse and on the thick side, full of bits of ground chiles and sometimes whole seeds.

Don’t have it?

Though they won’t provide the full flavor spectrum of most chile pastes, you can use hot sauce or red chile flakes to add some heat (use less than the amount of chile paste called for).

How to choose:

You’ll find the broadest variety of chile pastes at an Asian grocery store. Be sure the first ingredient listed is chiles. Chile pastes aren’t usually labeled as to their heat intensity, so experiment to find a brand you like. A few of our favorites are Lan Chi brand in glass jars, Szechwan brand in cans (both are Chinese), and Indonesian-style sambal oelek by Huy Fong Foods in plastic jars.

How to prep:

Use right out of the can or jar at the beginning of cooking if you want it to really permeate the dish, or at the end if you want more of a surface heat.

How to store:

Some pastes separate during storage, so stir them before using. Once opened, chile pastes will last indefinitely if tightly covered and refrigerated. Transfer canned paste to a jar before storing because the metal can get unpleasant.

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Recipes

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  Recipe

  Rotini with Ground Pork and Spicy Peanut Sauce

  You may not expect bright, Asian-inspired flavors to be paired with Italian rotini pasta, but it’s a great choice for holding onto the sauce.

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  Recipe

  Chinese-Style Brussels Sprouts with Black Beans, Smoked Almonds, and Cilantro

  Spicy and salty and savory, these are not your mother’s Brussels sprouts. You may have to stop at the Asian market for a couple of the ingredients, but the recipe…

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  Recipe

  Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Farm Stand Veggies

  The brick-adobe red color of red quinoa was the inspiration for this Southwestern-style salad, with spices, black beans, and farm stand veggies like corn and zucchini (perfect for potlucks and…

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  Recipe

  Chinese Grilled Chicken and Bibb Lettuce Wraps

  You know those late May evenings when the days are getting longer and the air is a bit warmer? When lettuce is in season and it just feels right to…

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  Recipe

  Crispy Tofu with Sesame Asparagus and Dipping Sauce

  A coating of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) is the secret to these ultracrisp tofu triangles. Hoisin sauce does double duty, adding flavor to the tofu’s coating and serving as a sweet-tangy…

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  Recipe

  Sesame Beef and Snap Peas

  A drizzle of chili sauce gives the tangy sauce in this dish a touch of heat while toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil offer a double shot of flavor. The…

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  Recipe

  Tilapia with Scallions and Black Bean Sauce

  Tilapia is readily available and it takes no time to cook, making it a great choice for weeknight dinners. It's also a mild-flavored fish, so it's the perfect vehicle for…

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  Recipe

  Crispy Noodle Cakes with Hoisin Chicken

  This recipe calls for dried rice vermicelli, the rice flour version of Italy’s classic thin pasta. Here, the cooked vermicelli is formed into cakes, pan-fried until crisp, and topped with…

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  Recipe

  Stir-Fried Beef & Broccoli with Black Bean Sauce

  You won’t believe how good this Chinese take-out classic can be when you make it at home. It's easily adaptable to serve meat-lovers and vegetarians alike: see the variation below…

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  Recipe

  Broccoli & Shiitake Stir-Fry with Black Bean Sauce

  Dried shiitake mushrooms add an almost “meaty” flavor to this vegetarian version of a Chinese take-out classic.