Sriracha sauce, often fondly referred to as “rooster sauce” or simply “red sauce,” has become a staple in kitchens and restaurants everywhere. It’s that go-to condiment that adds the perfect blend of heat, sweetness, and tang to almost any dish. But have you ever thought about making your own? Trust me, once you do, there’s no going back to store-bought.

Creating your own Sriracha sauce at home is surprisingly simple and incredibly satisfying. Plus, it’s a fun way to play around with flavors and heat levels to suit your taste. Whether drizzled over a steaming bowl of Pho, slathered on a burger, or gently tossed with scrambled eggs, homemade Sriracha brings a unique, vibrant kick to your meals. What’s great about this recipe is its perfect balance of flavors – it’s not just spicy, but a harmonious blend of salty, savory, and sweet, with just the right level of heat. And the best part? It’s all done in just 20 minutes! This homemade Sriracha sauce recipe is all about bringing that rich, deep flavor to your table, turning ordinary dishes into extraordinary experiences.

homemade sriracha sauce in bottle

Why This Homemade Sriracha Sauce Is So Good

  • You’re the Boss of Spice: Here’s the cool part about DIY-ing your Sriracha – you get total control. Want it hotter? Go wild with those chilies. Prefer it sweeter? A little extra honey has got your back. It’s all about making your taste buds happy.
  • Fresh Beats Factory Every Time: There’s something special about the zing of freshly made sauce. It’s like the difference between a live concert and a recording – both are great, but one’s just a bit more lively. When you make Sriracha yourself, it’s bursting with flavors that are just waiting to jazz up your meals.
  • Quick and Foolproof: Forget about spending ages in the kitchen. In 20 minutes, you can go from zero to hero with a sauce that might just ruin store-bought for you. It’s so easy, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing this all along!

 

Ingredients

  • Red jalapeno and sweet snacking peppers
  • Garlic cloves
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Tomato paste
  • Honey
  • Fish sauce 

How To Make This Sriracha Sauce Recipe – Step by Step

  • In a food processor or high speed blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • In a medium saucepan over high heat, pour the sauce in and cook on high until it begins to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust with additional honey, vinegar or Bragg’s (or whatever you’re using) if needed. You’re looking for a nice balance of flavor. Fry an egg and try a spoonful on it. Tastes wonderful? Turn off heat and allow sauce to cool completely
  • Transfer the sriracha sauce to jars. Sriracha will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Better yet, can them and store in pantry!

 

20 Minute Sriracha Sauce Recipe in bowl

An Easy Sriracha Recipe

It’s actually easier than you think to make your own Sriracha – a food processor and medium pot is all you need. If you’re used to just squeezing the rooster bottle (heehee) for your hot sauce fix, you’ll be shocked at how many more flavor profiles you can get from homemade.

Plus, the bonus of homemade is that your sauce is so much more vibrant, bright and full flavored. You’ll want this sauce in your noodle soup, on your meatloaf, in your stir-fries.

What Is Sriracha Sauce?

Back before Sriracha was a “thing” – we just called it “red sauce” and squirted it on just about everything, including scrambled eggs. 

The original “rooster brand” Huy Fong recipe was so perfect that they had a virtual monopoly at Vietnamese restaurants and competitors didn’t even try to imitate their formula. Fun fact from Forbes: Huy Fong Foods has seen a 20% increase in revenue nearly every year since its founding in 1980.

After the news of the temporary shutdown of Huy Fong operations in Irwindale, California, the people of the Internets went crazy. Apparently, the fumes from cooking thousands of pounds of chiles were becoming unbearable for Huy Fong’s residential neighbors. (We hear they’ve resumed shipping, but I haven’t been able to confirm this.)

What Does This Sriracha Sauce Taste Like?

While I love the original Huy Fong sauce, it’s missing balance and depth.

Here’s what good  flavor translates to – a balance of the 5 S’s:

  • Salty
  • Savory
  • Sour
  • Spicy
  • Sweet

I’d also add in a B – bitterness – but people don’t like that “B” word (plus it doesn’t start with an “S” ruining my awesome convenient and catchy teaching moment.) *eye roll and head shake*

The perfect condiment should have all of these flavor elements. Here’s why this 20-Minute Sriracha recipe that I’ve modified from Nom Nom Paleo Cookbook is perfect:

  • Salty and Savory: choice of fish sauce, coconut amino or Bragg’s. Not only do these sauces provide a salty flavor, but they all have “umami” which adds savory notes.*
  • Sour – vinegar
  • Spicy – chiles. But not too spicy. I like using s combo of hot peppers and mild peppers. If a sauce is too spicy, you can’t taste anything else on your plate.
  • Sweet – honey, and sweetness of peppers

Gluten Free Sriracha Sauce

With a few swaps you can make this sauce gluten free.

Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is found in health food stores, Whole Foods and most major supermarkets have this too. Look near the BBQ sauces and Worcestershire sauce. Love this stuff. I’ve been using this in place of soy sauce and fish sauce on everything. It’s healthier, non-GMO, gluten-free, non-fermented. Every homemade salad dressing I’ve been making lately has a Bragg’s in it! Good stuff.

*Coconut Aminos is a new ingredient for me. I found it at my local health food store. It’s raw, gluten-free, 100% organic, dairy-free, vegan, soy-free and contains 17 naturally occurring aminos. I like this just as much as Bragg’s. Give it a try!

20 Minute Sriracha Sauce Recipe

Top Tips For This 20 Minute Sriracha Sauce Recipe

  • You can make your sauce thinner if you like – run the sauce through a blender to get it less chunky. But I like mine chunky.
  • If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use rice vinegar (unsweetened).
  • For gmo/gluten free sauce, swap the fish sauce for liquid/ coconut aminos. 
  • Allow sauce to cool before using it.

20 Minute Sriracha Sauce Recipe Video

Check Out These Other Great Recipes And Sauces

Have you tried this 20 minute Sriracha Sauce recipe? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

20 Minute Sriracha Sauce Recipe

Jaden Hair
Servings: 3 cupsPrep Time:5 minutesCook Time:15 minutes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course condiment, dip
Cuisine Asian
Servings 3 cups
Calories 172 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 pound fresh red jalapeno peppers
  • 1/2 pound fresh mini sweet snacking peppers
  • 7 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or white or unsweetened rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce Braggs Liquid Aminos or Coconut Aminos

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor or high speed blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • In a medium saucepan over high heat, pour the sauce in and cook on high until it begins to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust with additional honey, vinegar or Bragg's (or whatever you're using) if needed. You're looking for a nice balance of flavor. Fry an egg and try a spoonful on it. Tastes wonderful? Turn off heat and allow sauce to cool completely.
  • Transfer the sriracha sauce to jars. Sriracha will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Better yet, can them and store in pantry!

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1082mgPotassium: 662mgFiber: 4gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 3331IUVitamin C: 211mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg
Keyword homemade sriracha, red sauce, sriracha sauce
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

 

Screen Shot 2014-01-28 at 9.11.47 AMBig thanks to Nom Nom Paleo Food for Humans Cookbook by my friends Michelle Tam and Henry Fong for another stellar recipe. LOVE this cookbook, I can’t recommend it enough and have purchased copies for my friends.

None of us are Paleo dieters, but the recipes are so versatile and delicious that anyone can benefit from this book! Every recipe has a photo, most with vibrant step by step photos.

If you haven’t already, check out the Cauliflower Bacon Fried Rice that I’ve made from the Nom Nom Paleo.

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