Hot Thai Chilli Lime Dressing
A quick, punchy dressing with green chilli, garlic, lime and fish sauce—perfect for seafood salads and Thai beef salad.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 26kcal
Equipment
- 1 mortar and pestle
- 1 small serving bowl
Ingredients
- 6 g Thai hot green chillies
- 3 g table salt salt helps with the grinding as well as adding flavour
- 12 g peeled garlic cloves
- 40 ml fish sauce
- 90 ml lime juice freshly squeezed or substitute half bottle juice and half fresh if limes are expensive or in short supply
- 12 g castor sugar
Instructions
- Pound the chilli and salt together in a mortar until very fine.
- Add the garlic and continue pounding until you have a smooth paste.
- Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and caster sugar.
- Mix until the sugar dissolves.
- Ready to serve.
Notes
This is a sharp, punchy dressing built on the Thai balance of hot, sour and salty, with just enough sweetness to round it out. It’s made quickly and used fresh, which is what gives it its energy.
Pounding the chilli with salt first breaks it down properly and releases the heat and oils. Adding the garlic after keeps the flavour clean and prevents it from becoming harsh or dominant.
The lime juice brings brightness and lift, while the fish sauce gives depth and savoury length. The sugar shouldn’t make it sweet—it just softens the edges.
Chillies can vary a lot in heat. When they’re hot, this dressing really comes alive. It should be lively and a little aggressive—that’s the point.
Best used fresh, straight after making.
Nutrition
Serving: 35ml | Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 1066mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 13IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.2mg