Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

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Sriracha sauce is a popular condiment that adds a burst of delicious spice to any dish. Try making it from scratch so it tastes just the way you like it!

Trust me, sriracha sauce is going to be one of your favorite homemade condiments. It adds spice and flavor like no other! You can also use it to make sriracha mayo, a creamier version you’ll want to put on everything!

Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe - The Recipe Critic (1)

What is Sriracha Sauce?

Sriracha sauce is a popular condiment originating in Thailand. You’ve probably seen that unmistakable red bottle at your favorite Asian restaurants! To make sriracha, they mix together red chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and salt to create this awesome sauce that’s spicy and a bit tangy. It’s got that perfect medium-level heat that can jazz up any dish, whether it’s Asian food, loaded fries, or even your go-to sandwich or hamburger.

If you’re having trouble finding sriracha sauce (there’s actually a sriracha shortage!) or just want to be able to adjust the flavors, here’s how to make it at home! This way, you avoid all the exorbitant prices on eBay. It’s super easy to whip up and still has that tangy, spicy flavor we all know and love. So break out your food processor and get ready to make a batch of your own! Once you have it on hand, you will want to put it on all of your favorite dishes.

How Hot is Sriracha Sauce?

Sriracha sauce is pretty spicy, but not the hottest thing out there. It’s got a good kick that might make you feel a bit of heat on your tongue, but it’s not going to set your mouth on fire. It’s a little firecracker of flavor that adds excitement to your food without overwhelming your taste buds. If you’re into a medium level of spiciness, sriracha will be your new go-to hot sauce!

Ingredients in Sriracha Sauce

Remember, cooking is all about you. Especially when you make homemade sauces! Mix things up, adjust the ingredients, and create a sriracha that’s as unique as your taste buds. Note: all of the measurements that I used are in the recipe card at the end of the post.

  • Thai Peppers: Also known as birds eye peppers, these little firecrackers are what give sriracha sauce its spicy punch and vibrant red color. Want it a little less spicy? Try using red jalapeño peppers or mild chili peppers instead.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice or Lime Juice: Adding a bit of lemon or lime juice gives the sauce a zesty kick.
  • White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar: Helps to balance out flavors. White vinegar keeps things neutral, while apple cider vinegar adds a little fruity flair. Rice vinegar also works!
  • Garlic Cloves: Add a pop of delicious savory flavor.
  • Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds that touch of sweet to balance out the spice and tang. You’re the boss of your sauce, so adjust the sweetness to your liking. Brown sugar can also be swapped out with honey or maple syrup, but it will alter the flavor slightly.
  • Salt: Our trusty flavor booster! Salt amps up all the other flavors in the sriracha sauce and makes them pop. Just a little pinch is enough.

Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe

Now that you’ve got your ingredients ready, here’s how to make the perfect batch of homemade sriracha sauce! Simply blend everything up and adjust the flavor to your liking until it’s perfect.

  1. Prepare Peppers: Remove the stems and chop the chiles including the seeds.
  2. Blend: Add the chilies, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and vinegar to food processor and or blender and blend until smooth.
  3. Simmer: Strain the sriracha sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
  4. Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2)

Tips and Tricks

This delicious hot sauce is easy to make your own. Here are a few fun varieties to try out!

  • Different Peppers: Experiment with different pepper varieties for your desired heat level and flavor. Thai peppers are classic, but feel free to swap in milder peppers like red jalapenos or even hotter ones like habaneros if you’re feeling bold.
  • Adjust the Flavors: Adjust the sweetness and tanginess by tinkering with the amount of sugar and citrus juice. Taste as you go and find that perfect blend.
  • Adjust the Consistency: If you prefer a smoother texture, blend the sauce longer. (You can also use a strainer to remove any pulp.) For a chunkier version, blend less. It’s all about your sauce style.
  • Adjust the Spiciness: Try using red jalapeño peppers or mild chili peppers instead. You can also remove the seeds and membranes of the peppers before chopping them. This is where the heat is!
Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe - The Recipe Critic (3)

How Long Will It Last?

The vinegar and acidity in the sriracha sauce help with preservation. Store your sriracha in an airtight jar or bottle in the fridge, and it should keep for a month or two. I love that homemade sriracha has a nice, long shelf life so you can have it on hand for whenever you need it!

Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe - The Recipe Critic (4)

What Can I Use Sriracha For?

Really, the options are endless. Just like hot sauce, you can add sriracha sauce to basically any savory dish to add some delicious heat. Use a sauce bottleto drizzle it on pizza, fries, eggs, fried rice, the list goes on and on. It’s also great for dipping! Here are a few tasty ideas to get you started!

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Homemade Sriracha Sauce

5 from 2 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

Sriracha sauce is a popular condiment that adds a burst of delicious spice to any dish. Try making it from scratch so it tastes just the way you like it!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Remove the stems and chop the chiles including the seeds.

  • Add the chilies, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and vinegar to your food processor and or blender and blend until smooth.

  • Strain the sriracha sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Notes

*For a more mild heat use half the amount of peppers. You can also use red jalapeno peppers.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 36kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 586mgPotassium: 133mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 357IUVitamin C: 55mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

Read More About Me

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Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What really caused the sriracha shortage 2 friends and the epic breakup that left millions without their favorite hot sauce? ›

That partnership came to an end in 2016 after a contract dispute over payment for the next season's crop, severing their relationship and hurting both parties financially. The schism left Tran without the peppers he needed to meet the growing demand for his sriracha.

Did they change the sriracha recipe? ›

We spoke to Huy Fong Foods, the company behind the sauce. It turns out that there may be no "real Sriracha" after all. While it insisted in a statement that the recipe doesn't change, the company did say the taste may vary with every batch.

What is the main ingredient in sriracha sauce? ›

sriracha, bright-red hot sauce of Thai origin made of chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar that has become a popular condiment in the United States and elsewhere.

How long does homemade sriracha last? ›

Check the expiration date on store-bought bottles of sriracha sauce before using. Generally, homemade sriracha can last around four to six months when properly stored. To keep your homemade sriracha sauce tasting fresh and great, store your sauce in the fridge in an airtight container.

What makes sriracha so good? ›

Basic Sriracha is made of chilli peppers, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. The quality of the chillis and garlic and the ratios of the added ingredients are the other defining factors of the classic Sriracha flavour. Thai chefs are masters at combining simple ingredients in exact amounts to create a definitive taste.

Who was the first hot sauce billionaire? ›

How Vietnamese Refugee David Tran Became America's First Hot Sauce Billionaire. Forty-five years after arriving in Los Angeles, David Tran has built sriracha into a billion-dollar business.

Who owns Huy Fong Foods? ›

2023 Billionaires Net Worth. David Tran is the founder and owner of Huy Fong Foods, the Irwindale, California-based company that makes Sriracha hot sauce. Tran arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam in 1979 and started selling hot sauce from a blue Chevy van in Los Angeles in February 1980.

Why doesn t sriracha taste the same anymore? ›

The Change in Taste of the Well-loved Sriracha Sauce

Whether it was the end of its relationship with Underwood Ranches or the fact that Huy Fong Foods is now sourcing its peppers from various suppliers, the change in such a crucial ingredient meant that the taste of Huy Fong's iconic sriracha was no longer the same.

What did Huy Fong do to Underwood? ›

Over the years Huy Fong induced Underwood to buy more farmland, to grow peppers to the exclusion of other crops, and to focus its business on selling almost exclusively to Huy Fong.

Can sriracha expire? ›

In short, yes — all food goes bad eventually. But fear not, sriracha has an extremely long shelf life, so it's much more likely that you'll use it all before any spoilage occurs. This means that an open bottle of sriracha is totally okay in the fridge for up to three years!

What chili pepper is used in Sriracha? ›

Huy Fong Foods makes the extremely popular Sriracha brand sauce. They use red-hybrid Jalapeno peppers for their sauce along with other ingredients. Homemade Sriracha sauces will vary in taste but the two main components that resonate with Sriracha sauces are heat and garlic.

What's the difference between Sriracha and Frank's hot sauce? ›

Louisiana-style hot sauces, like Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco, are much thinner (runnier) than sriracha. They also tend to be quite vinegary and spicy, without any sweetness. These differences make it not the best substitute for sriracha.

Is there red 40 in sriracha? ›

Sriracha has no food coloring added to it, the distinct bright red color is natural. Sriracha sauce is made at Huy Fong Foods in Irwindale California.

What makes sriracha different from hot sauce? ›

Apart from being a lot less chilli, the flavour profile is almost the same, but keep in mind that sriracha sauce is different from tabasco or any other hot sauce. It is much thicker with a strong hint of garlic. What is the difference between hot sauce and sriracha? Sriracha is the same as hot sauce.

Is sriracha hot sauce healthy? ›

Because sriracha is consumed in small amounts, it does not contribute greatly to your overall nutrient intake. But, there are vitamins and minerals present. Sriracha contains 1.75mg of vitamin C, 0.1mg of iron, 8.4mg of vitamin A, and 0.7mg of vitamin K.

Is sriracha made by tabasco? ›

A few years ago, the McIlhenny Company, the family behind Tabasco, rolled out their own version of the thai chili sauce, Tabasco Sriracha. And friends?

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