Easy 3 Ingredient Vietnamese Chili Salt (Muối Ớt)

Try this simple 3 ingredient Vietnamese chili salt to elevate your fruit or meat protein. This combination of spicy, salty and citrus blend will make each bite send intense sweetness with a bit of spiciness. This can be made in under 5 minutes and can be stored for up to 3 days. This is a crowd pleaser and all the fruit served will be gone in no time

Vietnamese chili salt was introduced to me by my mother-in-law when I was still in the early days of dating my boyfriend (now husband). She served some cut-up pineapple and beside it, there was a bright orange mixture in a pinch bowl. She told me to dip the pineapple into it.

I was surprised how it just mixed so well with the pineapple. It was salty, sweet and spicy all at once. It sent my taste buds into overdrive and it was amazing. I asked for seconds. I never looked at unripe fruit the same and Muoi ot is a simple fix when I buy fruit that isn’t ready to be eaten buy I decided to cut or peel it too early.

I sometimes even add some salt to some of the fruit I peel for my girls If its not sweet enough but I already cut it open.

Thai Chili

Thai Chili can be found at your local supermarket. Luckily my mother-in-law grows these in her garden. The Thai Chili I used is large so I only used one pepper. The seeds inside are very spicy. If you want to cut this up and remove the seeds to make it less spicy I would suggest doing it.

What is this used for?

This chili salt pairs really well with any unripe fruit. If there is a bit of tartness to the fruit this chili salt would  Most commonly used are pineapples, oranges, unripe mangos (aka green mango), watermelon, guava and grapefruit.

Adding this will draw out the sweetness and round out the flavour of the fruit but also add a kick of spice. This results in such a big flavoursome bite.

I have also used this to dip chicken from this Vietnamese Chicken curry (Ca ri ga) recipe. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.

Mortar and pestle to crush the Thai chili

The mortar and pestle is a great tool to crush the Thai Chili so all the oils are released. The consistency you are aiming for is a slight liquid with a red-orange paste. The pepper skin should be all finely crushed.

What is the difference between Thai Chili Salt (Prik Glua) vs Vietnamese Chili salt (Muoi Ot)?

Thai prik glua has all the same components of salt, sugar and Thai chili. However, Thai chili is powder. Generally, the Thai prik glua is equal parts of all three of these ingredients. In Thailand, it’s commonly used for fruit as well. Fruit in Thailand is sold in stalls and the fruit is sold unripe compared to the west. The prik glua is included when you buy from these vendors. 

Is the Vietnamese Chili salt the same as Mexican Chili Salt (Tajin)?

They have similar key ingredients but Muio Ot uses fresh Thai chili peppers whereas Mexican chili salt uses chili pepper powder. Tajin is a popular seasoning in Mexico. My rendition of this recipe actually takes an element from the Mexican recipe and I add lime juice. 

What if I don’t have a mortar and pestle?

If a mortar and pestle are not readily available, the alternative is to use a food processor. The results will not be the same since the food processor is finely chopping up the Thai chili peppers instead of pounding them to draw out the oils and flavour. 

Ingredients and substitute

Thai chili peppers – Fresh is best for this. If you have some growing in eh garden or a family or neighbour has some extra homegrown Thai chili peppers even better. The next best option would be picking up a pack of fresh ones in the grocery store. You can find it besides all the herbs.

Salt – Any salt would work for this. I prefer to use sea salt or Himalayan sea salt.

Sugar – Adding some sugar balances out the saltiness and spiciness.

Lime juice – Lime juice is not traditionally added to muoi ot, but my mother-in-law squeezes this into it really mix the flavours together. The lime juice adds another layer of flavour to this. I would also suggest only squeezing lime juice when you are ready to use.

Did you make this easy 3 ingredient Vietnamese Chili Salt (Muoi Ot)? I would love to see it

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