Thai Prik Kluea Chili Salt Seasoning

Name: Thai Prik Kluea Chili Salt Seasoning
Prep time: 17 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 20 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: ½ oz (15 g) dried Thai bird's eye chilies, stems removed (about 25 chilies); seeds left in for full heat; 3 tbsp (54 g) fine sea salt; 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar; 2 tsp (6 g) garlic powder; 2 tsp (4 g) lime zest, finely grated from about 2 limes, green part only (no white pith)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, fiery Thai chili salt made from toasted dried bird's eye chilies, fine salt, a little sugar, garlic and dried lime zest. Sprinkle it on fresh fruit, grilled meat, fried eggs, or rim a glass with it.

Prep: 17 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 41 min
Total: 1 hr 13 min
Makes: About ½ cup (100 g), enough for 20 one-teaspoon servings

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Steps

Before you start

Open a window or turn on the range hood. Toasting and grinding chilies releases fumes that irritate the eyes and throat.
Wear gloves (or wash your hands well with soap afterward) when handling the chilies, and don't touch your face.
Use fine-grained salt. Coarse or flaky salt won't blend evenly with the chili powder.
Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C) before you start zesting the limes.

1
Zest the limes
- Wash and dry 2 limes.
- Using a microplane, grate only the green outer skin into a fine, fluffy pile, rotating the lime so you avoid the bitter white pith.
- You need 2 teaspoons (4 g).
- Spread the zest in a thin, even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Ready when: You have 2 teaspoons of loose, fluffy zest with no white showing.
Tip: Zest before juicing; a whole lime is far easier to grate.
2
Dry the zestOven 200°F / 95°C
- Slide the baking sheet into the oven at 200°F (95°C).
- Dry for 10–12 minutes, stirring once halfway through with a fork, until the zest is dry and brittle.
- Remove and let it sit on the sheet while you prep the chilies.
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Ready when: Zest feels dry, curls slightly, and crumbles easily between your fingers; it should still look green-yellow, not brown.
Tip: Moist zest will make the finished salt clump and shorten its shelf life, so don't pull it early.
3
Stem the chilies
- Pinch off and discard the stem of each dried chili (about 25 chilies, 15 g).
- Keep the seeds in for authentic heat.
- For a milder salt, shake out about half of the seeds.
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Ready when: All chilies are stemless and 15 g in total.
Tip: Wear gloves; the oils from dried chilies linger on skin for hours.
4
Toast the chilies
- Heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute.
- Add the chilies in a single layer and toast for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly.
- Tip them immediately onto a plate.
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Ready when: Chilies smell fragrant and smoky, darken slightly to a deeper red, and puff a little; none are black.
Tip: Burnt chilies turn acrid and the whole batch will taste bitter. If any blacken, discard them.
5
Cool until crisp
- Leave the toasted chilies on the plate for 10 minutes.
- Cooling lets residual moisture escape so they grind to a dry powder instead of a paste.
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Ready when: Chilies are completely cool to the touch and snap when bent.
6
Grind the chilies
- Put the cooled chilies in a spice grinder and pulse in 1-second bursts, about 8–10 times, until they form a coarse flake with some powder.
- Let the dust settle for 1 minute before opening the lid, then tip into a small bowl.
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Ready when: The chilies look like coarse red flakes mixed with fine powder, with no large pieces.
Tip: Open the lid away from your face. If using a mortar, pound the chilies in small batches.
7
Combine the seasoning
- Add the fine sea salt, sugar and garlic powder to the chilies.
- Crumble the dried lime zest over the top, rubbing it between your fingertips to break up any pieces.
- Stir with a fork for about 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until the color is uniform.
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Ready when: The mixture is an even pinkish-red with no white streaks of salt or sugar.
8
Rest and jar
- Spoon the seasoning into a clean, dry jar, seal, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so the flavors meld.
- Taste a pinch; add up to ½ teaspoon more sugar if too harsh, or a pinch more salt if the heat feels flat, then shake the jar well.
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Ready when: The salt tastes salty first, then sweet-sour, then hot, with a lingering lime and garlic aroma.
Tip: Shake the jar again after the first day to prevent settling.

Good to know

Tips

Start with ¼ teaspoon when seasoning food; this blend is very hot and salty.
Traditionally this salt is served as a dip for sour fruit like green mango, pineapple, guava and watermelon.
Weigh the salt and sugar if you can; volume measures of fine salt vary between brands.
For a smoother texture, sift the finished blend through a fine mesh strainer and re-grind the larger pieces.

Make ahead

Make the seasoning up to 1 month ahead; the flavor is best after a day or two.

Storage & reheating

Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 2 months (the lime aroma fades after that). Refrigeration is not necessary and can cause condensation and clumping. For longer storage, freeze in a sealed container for up to 6 months and bring to room temperature before opening. No reheating needed; if it clumps, break it up with a fork or shake in the jar.

Substitutions

dried Thai bird's eye chilies → dried arbol chilies or crushed red pepper flakes (about 2 tbsp). Arbol is slightly milder; flakes can skip the grinding and toasting but will taste less smoky.
fine sea salt → fine kosher salt, about 54 g by weight. Fine kosher salt is less dense than sea salt, so measure by weight rather than volume.
granulated sugar → light brown sugar or palm sugar, finely grated. Adds a caramel note; mix very well to avoid clumps.
lime zest → kaffir lime leaf, dried and crushed, 4–5 leaves. Gives a more floral, authentically Thai aroma.