Getting a kebab or shawarma is one of those things we reserve for moments of intense craving, takeaways, or late-night hunger attacks.
Remember that flaming-hot, garlicky, red sauce you generously poured all over the wrap (and a few bites later, yourself)?
Ever wondered how to get your hands on some of that goodness?
Just keep reading, and we'll show you how to make the perfect DIY “kebab shop” chilli sauce in less than 5 minutes.
You can enjoy our sauce whatever your diet: It is vegan (therefore dairy-free and egg-free), gluten-free and nut-free! A guaranteed success among all of your friends and loved ones.
We picked healthy ingredients and kept fats to a minimum to help you avoid post-snack guilt. A whole serving is less than 80 kcal and adds less than 5% of your daily recommended dose of saturated fats. Awesome!
How spicy is this?
It will depend on which chillies you use.
If you are an intermediate “hot-head” then it’s probably worth buying medium-hot chillies from your local store and use the dose in the ingredient list below.
But if you are into crazy stuff, then grab some ghost chillies or scotch bonnets! Just make sure you only use a tiny amount at first, as they are insanely hot.
Ready to start?
Let's make this homemade Kebab chilli sauce together. It'll be just like the one from the Kebab shop, but healthier!
Once you have it, you'll use it on all your takeaway or homemade kebabs with much gusto!
Should I keep the chilli seeds and pith?
The best way to tone down the spiciness of your chillies is by removing the seeds and the white pith surrounding the seeds.
If instead you want to your kebab chilli sauce fiery hot, leave the seeds and pith in place and just blitz it all together as shown in the recipe.
How to store this chilli sauce?
You can store this sauce in the fridge for up to a week in the cooler section of your fridge without problems. If you batch-cooked it and couldn't finish it all, you can freeze it!
To avoid altering the fresh taste of tomatoes, you should let it thaw naturally. But if you are in a hurry, let the frozen sauce sizzle in a pan quickly.
Can I cook chilli sauce in a cast iron pan?
It is never advised to cook tomatoes in a cast iron pan, especially tomato sauces that need to simmer a while.
This is because tomatoes, like other acidic foods, can erode the top layer of the skillet and even make the cooked food taste metallic and iron-like.
Use a non-stick pan or a good stainless steel pan like we did.
Ingredients
| Garlic Clove | 1 |
| Shallot | 1 |
| Medium-Hot Chillies | 2 |
| Brown Sugar | 1/2 tsp |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | 1 tbsp |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 2 tbsp |
| Canned Chopped Tomatoes | 200 g |
| Cayenne Pepper | 1 pinch |
Step 1
Thinly slice the garlic clove and chop the shallot. Then, cut the red chillies into small bits (1).
You can also use dried chillies or chilli flakes instead of fresh ones, but adding in bits of chilli skin will contribute to the look and feel of the sauce.
Next, mix the sugar with vinegar in a small cup and keep it aside for later (2).
Step 2
Now you could just blend everything together and the recipe would be complete. But we suggest you take an extra two minutes and follow our tip below to get an even better result.
Take a small pot and pour the extra virgin olive oil. Keeping the heat low, add all of the chillies and half of the shallot and garlic.
As soon as you hear the ingredients sizzling, count to ten and remove from the heat.
Now we have spicy oil infused with garlic and onion flavours, which will give us a more balanced and enhanced taste after blending.
Step 3
Now, add the canned chopped tomatoes to a food processor, followed by cayenne pepper, the remaining garlic and shallot. Then, tip in the vinegar mixture and the infused oil (1).
Finally, proceed with blending thoroughly if you want a smooth sauce, or just give a few pulses if you like it choppy (2).
Done! Time to proudly show off your own "kebab shop" chilli sauce at the next barbecue.
Tips
We used fresh red Thai (bird's eye) chillies which are medium-hot. You can opt for scotch bonnet or habanero chillies if you prefer a spicier sauce. Choose ghost chillies or Carolina reaper for insanely hot sauce.
If the variety of tomatoes you use are a bit acidic, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the mix and give it a good stir. Then proceed with blending.