• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Devil Wears Salad
  • Recipe Categories
  • Salad Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Salad Dressings
  • Pairings
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Fall Salads
  • Recipe Categories
  • Salad Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Salad Dressings
  • Ingredient Pairings
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Salad Dressing Recipes

    Sambal Chilli Lime Dressing

    Published: Aug 12, 2020 · Modified: Jan 13, 2021 by The Devil Wears Salad

    Jump to Recipe

    Time to add some serious oomph into your salad! This spicy and pungent sambal chilli dressing is balanced out beautifully by the juices of the citrusy lime. Definitely not for the faint hearted!

    Sambal Chilli Lime Dressing

    Giving a nod to Nyonya food, we create a salad dressing that is spicy, tangy, aromatic and pungent all in one bite. Nyonya food is very rich with so many flavours going around that you kind of need to reset between mouthfuls just so you can enjoy the individual tastes.

    The strong pungent flavour in our Sambal Chilli Lime Dressing stems from the shrimp paste in the sambal chilli. Some people may get put off from the initial smell but the flavours combined with the lime juice mellows out and gives it the tartness it needs.

    What is Sambal?

    You may have heard of sambal chilli before but do you know what’s in it?

    Essentially it is a chilli sauce made with a variety of chilli peppers mixed with other ingredients typically including shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, palm sugar, spices and citrus juice.

    Making this spicy chilli paste is a great way to preserve chillies when there is an abundance during chilli season.

    We are sometimes lucky to have fresh sambal at home made by our extended families but often we rely on the store bought sambal in a jar.

    They can be found in any Asian grocery store and it will literally say sambal on it. Get the normal sambal if it’s available. The preference is not to get the sambal with anchovies or the sambal with prawns. But if you can’t find regular sambal, either of those will also work well.

    Not your typical salad dressing but a fantastic one to get the taste buds moving. It’s simple to make and fantastic to match with crunchy vegetables like cucumber, bean sprouts, four-angled bean or fruits like mango, pineapple and jackfruit.

    This spicy dressing would also be a delicious condiment with grilled fish, barbeque chicken or charred prawns.

    Sambal Chilli Lime Dressing Ingredients

    Sambal: For this recipe we’re getting a pre-made sambal paste. It’s again one of those Asian ingredients where there are so many choices.

    Whatever you do, don’t get the sambal oelek which you will see everywhere. It’s a completely different paste and although it would work, it won’t give you the flavours we’re after.

    Also, sambal always comes in a jar. Bottled “sambal” is just plain chilli sauce.

    The sambal paste which would work well include; Conimex Sambal Badjak, Nasi Lemak Sambal or brand called Glory.

    Lime: The lime is the much needed tartness and also the liquid to dilute the sambal paste.

    Caster sugar: Using caster sugar for extra sweetness and to ensure there are no granules in the salad.

    Sambal Chilli Lime Dressing Method

    In a small bowl or jug, mix the sambal, juice of 2 limes and caster sugar together. Mix until the sugar has all dissolved. Super simple recipe.

    Best Salad for This Dressing

    Zucchini and Cucumber Salad with Dried Shrimp

    Dive into a traditional style salad that heralds from the intertwining of Chinese and British Malay cultures of centuries past. This Zucchini and Cucumber Salad celebrates the fusion between the 2 cuisines, replicated nowhere else in the world.

    Zucchini and Cucumber Salad with Dried Shrimp

    More Salad Dressing Recipes

    Salad dressings are incredibly easy to make in the comfort of your own home. This way you can control the ingredients to suit your palate and you can make the exact portion you need for that one meal. We have a huge collection of recipes and you may just like some of these:

    • Beetroot Tahini
    • Citrus Red Wine Vinaigrette
    • Miso Mayo Dressing
    • Pomegranate Molasses Dressing
    • Tamari Lime Dressing

    Salad Recipes You May Like

    Get inspired by the biggest collection of salad recipes in the one place. We have recipes to suit lifestyle preferences and different occasions. These salads are created for entertaining and are both delicious and stylish. Search for your favourite ingredient to find a salad you’ll love!

    • Charred Truss Tomato Salad with Stracciatella
    • Egg Tofu Salad with Omelette and Chives
    • Roasted Heirloom Carrots with Pearl Couscous
    • Red Tamarillo Salad with Basil
    • Miso Cannellini Bean Salad with Salmon

    Ingredient Pairing Ideas

    If you’d like to create your own salad and have an ingredient you’d like to hero, we have a some great pairing suggestions to help you work out what flavours go well together.

    • What Goes Well with Potato
    • What Goes Well with Grapefruit
    • What Goes Well with Basil
    Sambal Chilli Lime Dressing

    DON’T WANT TO MISS RECIPES? Click HERE to get them sent to your inbox. Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
    Sambal Chilli Lime Dressing
    Print Recipe
    5 from 27 votes

    Sambal Chilli Lime Dressing

    Time to add some serious oomph into your salad! This spicy and pungent sambal chilli dressing is balanced out beautifully by the juices of the citrusy lime. Definitely not for the faint hearted!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Total Time5 mins
    Course: Salad Dressing
    Cuisine: Asian
    Dietary: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 23kcal
    Author: Amy Chung

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp sambal
    • 2 lime, juiced
    • 2 tsp caster sugar

    Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl or jug, mix the sambal, juice of 2 limes and caster sugar together.
    • Mix until the sugar has all dissolved.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 23kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

    *Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.

    Tried this recipe? We’d Love To See It!Mention @thedevilwearssalad or tag #thedevilwearssalad!

    Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.

    « Grilled Courgette and Broad Bean Salad
    Charred Truss Tomato Salad with Stracciatella »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alex

      November 15, 2020 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      Used this on my salad for lunch – SO delicious!

      Reply
      • The Devil Wears Salad

        November 23, 2020 at 12:34 pm

        That’s awesome Alex! Thanks for the feedback.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The Devil Wears Salad Team

    United by a common love for salads, us 3 girls decided to embark on a journey to show you that you CAN win friends with salad!

    Tried and tested, these recipes are designed for all discerning home cooks. We have everything from no cook recipes right through to showstoppers. Something for everyone!

    More About Us →

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Korean Cucumber Salad - Oi Muchim (오이무침)
      Korean Cucumber Salad – Oi Muchim (오이무침)
    • Roasted Asian Eggplant with Gochujang Glaze on a brown plate with black cutlery served with noodles
      Roasted Asian Eggplant with Gochujang Glaze
    • Air Fryer Parsnip Fries with Red Pepper Mayo on dotted grey and white napery
      Air Fryer Parsnip Fries
    • Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad] served with naan bread and veg pulao
      Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad]
    • Miso Mayo Dressing
      Miso Mayo Dressing
    • Yuzu Dressing
      Yuzu Dressing

    Spring Salad Recipes

    • crunchy noodle salad with wombok in a round grey bowl with serving spoon on the right
      Crunchy Noodle Salad with Cabbage
    • fennel courgette salad on a white plate in the middle with a smaller black plate filled with salad on the top left corner
      Courgette Salad with Fennel and Citrus
    • Grilled Little Gem Salad with Tahini Ranch Dressing served on a white plate over grey napery
      Little Gem Salad with Vegan Ranch Dressing
    • White Asparagus Salad Recipe on a grey plate with blue napkins and a bunch of parsley in the background
      White Asparagus Salad Recipe
    The Devil Wears Salad | Salad Gazette

    Fall Salad Recipes

    • Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin Salad surrounded by fresh feijoas and fall leaves
      Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin Salad
    • 2 serves of Baked Tempeh Salad on a grey plates
      Baked Tempeh Salad
    • brown mushrooms marinated in parsley, shallots, garlic, chilli flakes and vinegar served in a bowl with spoon on the side
      Quick Pickled Mushrooms Recipe
    • a bowl of freekeh grain salad with roasted beetroot and spiced sumac dressing drizzled on the side. Using gold fork and spoon to serve.
      Freekeh Grain Salad with Preserved Lemons
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    The Devil Wears Salad Team

    United by a common love for salads, us 3 girls decided to embark on a journey to show you that you CAN win friends with salad!

    Tried and tested, these recipes are designed for all discerning home cooks. We have everything from no cook recipes right through to showstoppers. Something for everyone!

    More About Us →

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Korean Cucumber Salad - Oi Muchim (오이무침)
      Korean Cucumber Salad – Oi Muchim (오이무침)
    • Roasted Asian Eggplant with Gochujang Glaze on a brown plate with black cutlery served with noodles
      Roasted Asian Eggplant with Gochujang Glaze
    • Air Fryer Parsnip Fries with Red Pepper Mayo on dotted grey and white napery
      Air Fryer Parsnip Fries
    • Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad] served with naan bread and veg pulao
      Kachumber Salad [Authentic Indian Salad]
    • Miso Mayo Dressing
      Miso Mayo Dressing
    • Yuzu Dressing
      Yuzu Dressing

    Spring Salad Recipes

    • Watercress Salad with Apple and Pear in a grey bowl with cheese and bread on the side
      Watercress Salad with Apple and Pear
    • Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad on a grey plate with black cutlery and grey napkin
      Creamy Cucumber Avocado Salad
    • Spicy Asian Chicken Salad in a grey bubble plate
      Spicy Asian Chicken Salad
    • hand holding spoon scooping chickpea salad from a beige plate with a small bowl of salad, lemons and feta around the plate.
      Chickpea Salad with Feta
    The Devil Wears Salad | Salad Gazette

    Fall Salad Recipes

    • soba noodles, pearl mushrooms, edamame, spring onions, cilantro and sesame seeds served in a grey bowl with fork on side
      Pearl Oyster Mushroom Noodle Salad Recipe
    • pear arugula salad on large grey plate next to a bowl of candied walnuts and arugula
      Pear Arugula Salad with Candied Walnuts
    • a plate of Waldorf salad with gold fork and spoon serving, a smaller bowl of salad and two bread rolls at the top of the plate.
      The Best Waldorf Salad Recipe
    • Vegan Couscous Salad with Blistered Tomatoes on a blue plate served with fresh basil and lemon on the side
      Vegan Couscous Salad with Blistered Tomatoes

    Footer

    The Devil Wears Salad Favicon

    About Us
    Accessibility Statement
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
    Work With Us

    Facebook
    Instagram
    Pinterest
    Twitter

    ↑ back to top

    Copyright © 2022 The Devil Wears Salad