Food
Check out these Sriracha substitutes and recipes that bring the heat.
10 Condiments Like Sriracha To Get You Through The Depressing AF Hot Sauce Shortage

Catch me whipping up gourmet condiments all summer long.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

After Huy Fong Foods, the company that produces Sriracha, announced that a chili pepper shortage could get in the way of the company’s hot sauce production, fans of the condiment are bracing for the worst. But despite the impending sauce shortage, summer 2022 doesn’t have to be completely Sriracha-less. Keep the season spicy with these nine Sriracha substitutes and recipes that also bring the heat.

If you haven’t been keeping up with the latest Sriracha drama, here’s what you need to know. On April 19, Huy Fong Foods disclosed the details of the shortage in a letter, sharing that because weather conditions have been affecting the quality of chili peppers, the company is facing a chili pepper shortage and therefore will be unable to fulfill orders placed after April 19, 2022 until after Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 6. TL;DR: the sauce won’t ship until the end of the summer. The letter goes on to say that the shortage will affect production of all its products, including Sambal Oelek, Chili Garlic, and of course, Sriracha Chili Hot Sauce.

Sriracha is thought to have been created in Sri Racha, Thailand by a woman named Thanom Chakkapak, according to The Los Angeles Times. In Thailand, Sriracha is commonly used as a dipping sauce for omelettes, seafood dishes, and pad Thai, and it’s a popular condiment for foodies everywhere looking to spice up their takeout or at-home dishes – so a shortage could mean trouble.

As hot sauce enthusiasts bracing for a less-than-hot summer, there are plenty of Sriracha substitutes and easy-to-make recipes that are sure to fill the Sriracha-sized hole in your heart until the sauce is back on shelves later this year. Fair warning, some of these hot additions span different cuisines, so keep that in mind as you decide what to use them with.

We at Elite Daily only include products that have been independently selected by our editors. We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Chili Garlic Sauce

Yes, this condiment from Huy Fong foods will become harder to find, but while it’s available, you can snag a few jars and keep the spice comin’ all summer long.

Sweet Chili Sauce

Just like Sriracha, sweet chili sauce is often made with red jalapeño peppers, making it a great alternative to the beloved red pepper sauce.

Peri Peri Sauce

Peri Peri sauce is a Portuguese condiment that gets its spice from African bird’s eye peppers, but don’t expect this substitute to be a perfect flavor match. Peri Peri is commonly made with lemon or apple cider vinegar and red peppers, which means it has a sweeter flavor palate than Sriracha, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Gochujang

Gochujang is a popular Korean condiment that uses chili powder, rice, and fermented soybean powder to create a red chili paste. Gochujang functions a bit differently than Sriracha sauce — it’s typically used as a base in soups, stews, and salads, or as a savory meat marinade — but if you’re just looking to get your flavorful fix from another spicy alternative, you’ll definitely want to give gochujang a try.

Tabasco

A classic never goes out of style. Though Tabasco uses tabasco peppers instead of jalapeños, the two sauces have comparable heat levels, which means you can swap the Huy Fong Foods favorite for the McIlhenny Company option and your taste buds will be none the wiser.

Louisiana Hot Sauce

If Tabasco is still a little too spicy for your palate, Louisiana Hot Sauce is often considered to be a milder take on the popular pepper condiment.

Tapatío

If you’re a true hot sauce lover, then your pantry is probably already stocked with Tapatío. It’s usually used with Mexican cuisine, but if spice is what you need, Tapatío is definitely a worthy substitute. Be warned — Tapatío is known to pack more heat than Sriracha.

Green Sriracha Recipe

TikTok/@OmnivorousAdam

If you’ve tried all the Sriracha dupes on the market but are still craving the OG flavor, it might be time to make your own. Luckily, TikTok user @OmnivorousAdam shared their go-to Sriracha recipe, and it’s so easy to follow.

You’ll need 1 pound of jalapeño peppers (the creator used green peppers, but the recipe can be used with red peppers, too), a 1/2 pound of Serrano peppers, 3 TBSP of brown sugar, 1 TBSP of salt, a 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar, and 1/3 cup of water. Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, cut the stems off your peppers and cut them into chunks.

Add everything but the distilled vinegar into your blender, and blender until you have a thick pepper puree. Afterwards, place the Sriracha in a container and store it in a dark, cool place for three days (or until it’s slightly bubbly) to let the mixture ferment. When it’s ready, blend the Sriracha once more with water and put it through a strainer until it produces a liquid. Then, you’ll want to reduce the liquid by boiling it on a hot plate until it has a nice, thick consistency.

Gourmet Sriracha Recipe

TikTok/@Ballehurns

There’s nothing wrong with elevating your hot sauce, just ask creator @Ballehurns, who shared their recipe for gourmet Sriracha on TikTok. To make the fancy dupe, the creator used a variety of different peppers, but I’m sure you can stick to one if you want. Here’s the rundown of the recipe.

Cut up about 2 cups of peppers, then add them into a pot with garlic and one cup of vinegar. Cover the top of the pot and let the peppers cook on the stove for 15 minutes. Next, place the hot peppers into the blender, and then strain the mixture to produce a liquid. Once you’ve collected the liquid, you’ll want to cook it one more time with a helping of sugar, salt, and Xanthan gum. Then, pour the sauce into a bottle, and boom — you’ve got yourself some fancy Sriracha.

Sriracha Mayo Recipe

TikTok/@WeekdayKitchen

Just because there’s a Sriracha shortage doesn’t mean you have to cut Sriracha mayo out of your diet. According to this recipe from TikToker @WeekdayKitchen, you can create your very own batch of Sriracha mayo at home just by whisking together 1/4 cup of your homemade Sriracha (or a Sriracha alternative), 1/2 TBSP of sesame oil, and 1 cup of Kewpie mayo.

Thanks to these Sriracha alternatives and recipes, summer 2022 won’t just be hot — it’ll be spicy, too.