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Home » Chili Pepper Recipes » Hot Sauces » Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe

Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe

by Mike Hultquist · Oct 6, 2017 · 214 Comments

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This homemade sriracha sauce recipe is more like the original Thai recipe, so much better than anything from the grocery store, and can be made with fresh or fermented peppers. Time to make sriracha hot sauce!

Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe

Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe

It's Homemade Sriracha Sauce time, my friends, so get your taste buds ready. I don't think there is a whole lot I can tell you about sriracha sauce that you haven't already heard.

Sriracha has taken the nation by storm in the last several years, overflowing from grocery store shelves and finding its way into a myriad of mass-made products, from potato chips to beer.

It's everywhere, isn't it?

It's so ubiquitous now here in the states, it's practically become synonymous with the term "hot sauce". This is not a bad thing! I should provide a bit of history, though.

Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe

What is Sriracha?

Famous “Sriracha” sauce is named after the town of “Sri Racha” in Thailand where it originated, but this is not what we consume here in the United States.

The stuff you get from the store is produced in California with red jalapeno peppers and has deviated quite a bit from the original Thai recipe.

The sriracha sauce we get here is thick, like ketchup, where the original has a thinner consistency.

My recipe will produce a Sriracha sauce closer to what was originally intended, though you can easily thicken it up with more peppers and less vinegar, or by adjusting your cooking times.

Best Peppers for Making Sriracha Sauce

Here in the United States, red jalapeno peppers are used to make sriracha sauce, though bright red Fresno chili peppers make a fine substitute. You can also use red Thai chili peppers to make your own sriracha hot sauce, which have more heat on the Scoville Scale. 

Of course the heat level of your sriracha sauce can vary based on your pepper choice, but some peppers have thicker walls and are therefore meatier, and will produce a fuller sauce.

I suggest going with red jalapeno peppers first, then experimenting from there.

For this particular batch, I used a combination of different hot red peppers grown in my garden, including red jalapeno peppers, and the results were out of this world.

Let's talk about how to make homemade sriracha, shall we?

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 1/13/25 to include new notes and clarify instructions. It was originally published on 10/6/17.

Sriracha Sauce Ingredients

  • Chili Peppers. Use a mix of red chili peppers, Red jalapenos are preferred, though Fresnos or red Thai peppers are great.
  • Garlic. I love the garlic flavor. Garlic powder can be used, but fresh garlic is best.
  • Brown Sugar. For the characteristic sweetness.
  • Granulated Sugar. Additional sweetness.
  • Rice Wine Vinegar. Other distilled vinegar can be used.
  • Water and Salt.

How to Make Sriracha Sauce - the Recipe Method

Chop the Peppers. Roughly chop the chili peppers and add them to a pot with the remaining ingredients - sugar, salt, vinegar, garlic, water.

Simmer the Ingredients. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Process the Sriracha Sauce. Cool, then add to a food processor. Process until smooth.

Strain and Bottle. Strain the solids out through a strainer and discard (or keep them for dehydrating – they make great seasonings). Pour into bottles and use as desired.

This is the simple fresh pepper version, though I suggest fermenting, which is more like the original Thai sriracha.

Fermenting the peppers breaks down the carbohydrates and converts them to acid, which mellows the peppers considerably, affecting the overall flavor. I suggest trying the recipe both ways, with and without fermenting, and see for yourself which version of sriracha you prefer.

I've include recipes below to make sriracha both ways.

For your reference, you may find this link useful: How to Make Fermented Pepper Mash.

Homemade Sriracha Vs. Store Bought Sriracha Sauce

There is an obvious difference between the sriracha you get from the store vs. your homemade version. The homemade sriracha has a thinner consistency and isn't quite as sweet, though you can adjust sweetness easily by adding more or less sugar.

You can also adjust the thickness of your final sriracha sauce by adjusting the amount of peppers used in the recipe, by adjusting the amount of vinegar and water used, and also by adjusting your cooking time. Simmer the sauce longer to thicken it up if you'd like.

The choice is yours. Would I say homemade sriracha is BETTER than what you get in the store?

Personally, I like my own homemade version better, but I wouldn't throw away my bottle of Huy Fong Food's rooster sauce! I mean, major KUDOS to David Tran for giving us a sauce that made Americans realize there is more to condiments than ketchup and mustard.

Bring on the sriracha, please!

What is a Substitute for Sriracha Sauce?

If you run out of sauce and need a good siracha sauce substitute, you can use Garlic-Chili Sauce, or consider using Gochujang, Sambal Oelek, or making your own fresh chili paste.

Harissa could work in a pinch, but you can always use a Louisiana Style Hot Sauce in place of the sriracha, depending on the recipe.

Recipe Tips and Notes for Making Homemade Sriracha

Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:

How long will this sauce keep?

It should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. It's all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 4.0 or so, to account for errors.

If you're concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. Sauces made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.

The best ph meters that I recommend are from Thermoworks. Get yourself a ph meter from Thermoworks today. I am a happy affiliate.

Can I process this hot sauce for longer storage? Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.

Where'd you get that sauce bottle?

I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4. If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack.

Learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.

Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe

Check out Some of My Other Popular Hot Sauce Recipes:

  • Homemade Tabasco Sauce
  • Fermented Aji-Garlic Hot Sauce
  • Fermented Serrano Hot Sauce
  • Sweet Habanero Chili Sauce
  • Pineapple-Jalapeno Hot Sauce
  • Ti-Malice - Haitian Creole Hot Sauce
  • Caribbean Style Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
  • Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
  • Homemade Caribbean-Style Sweet Chili Sauce
  • Sweet Pepper Chili Sauce
  • Homemade Louisiana Hot Sauce
  • Homemade Cocktail Sauce
  • Honey-Sriracha Sauce

Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes.

Try Some of these Recipes that Use Sriracha

  • Grilled Salmon with Honey-Sriracha Sauce
  • Korean Chicken
  • Creamy Tortellini Pasta with Fire Roasted Tomatoes
  • Honey-Sriracha Chicken
  • Easy Hoisin Sauce
  • Get More Sriracha Recipes

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe
Print

Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe

This homemade sriracha sauce recipe is more like the original Thai recipe, so much better than anything from the grocery store, and can be made with fresh or fermented peppers. Time to make sriracha hot sauce!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Thai
Keyword: hot sauce, spicy
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Fermenting Time: 7 days days
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Calories: 9kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 64 tablespoons
Tap or hover to scale
4.94 from 49 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

FOR FERMENTED SRIRACHA SAUCE

  • 2 pounds mixed red chili peppers (red jalapenos are preferred, though Fresnos or red Thai peppers are great)
  • 4 cups unchlorinated water
  • 3 tablespoons sea salt
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup rice wine vinegar

SRIRACHA SAUCE WITH FRESH PEPPERS

  • 2 pounds mixed red chili peppers  (red jalapenos are preferred, though Fresnos or red Thai peppers are great)
  • 1/2-4 cups unchlorinated water  (Use only 1/2 cup for a thicker sriracha sauce. Use 4 cups for a much thinner sriracha, which is more traditional)
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon  sea salt  (or to taste)

Instructions

FERMENTED SRIRACHA SAUCE

  • First, ferment the chili peppers. Process your fresh peppers in a food processor. If you don’t have a processor, use a mortar and pestle or simply finely chop them. Pack them into a jar, leaving at least 1 inch of head space. The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting.
  • Next, mix 1 quart unchlorinated water with 3 tablespoons sea salt. Pour just enough brine over the peppers to cover them, pressing them down a bit as you go. It is important to keep the peppers covered with brine to avoid spoilage. Check this daily.
  • Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F. The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, so be sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases - watch out for splatter. Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting. The peppers must be submerged beneath the water to avoid mold growth. If the peppers aren't submerged, they might not ferment properly.
  • After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish and the brine will turn cloudy and taste acidic.
  • Strain the fermented peppers but retain the brine. Add the peppers to a large pot along with garlic, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vinegar. Add 1 cup of the brine PLUS 1/2-3 cups fresh water, depending on desired thickness (see Notes). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
  • Cool slightly then add to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
  • Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the solids, if desired. Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy.

SRIRACHA SAUCE WITH FRESH PEPPERS

  • Roughly chop the chili peppers and add them to a pot with the remaining ingredients.
  • Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Cool, then add to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
  • Strain the solids out through a fine mesh strainer, if desired, and discard (or keep them for dehydrating – they make great seasonings). Pour into bottles and use as desired.

Notes

Makes about 4 cups of sriracha.
Brine. For a thicker sriracha, use only 1/2 to 1 cup of the water or brine when simmering. Use the full amount for a much thinner version, which is more traditional. You can use all of the brine in lieu of fresh water after fermenting, but the brine is quite salty.
For storage: Vinegar affects acidity levels. Homemade sauces should be kept at 4.0 pH or below to keep longer term. Use pH strips or a pH meter. If your hot sauce is not acidic enough, add more vinegar to lower the pH. Keep in the fridge for freshness and longer keeping. You can also bottle your sauces with proper procedures.
Heat Level: Medium.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 9kcal   Carbohydrates: 2g   Protein: 1g   Fat: 1g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g   Monounsaturated Fat: 1g   Sodium: 329mg   Potassium: 50mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 1g   Vitamin A: 167IU   Vitamin C: 34mg   Calcium: 4mg   Iron: 1mg
Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Sandi says

    March 28, 2025 at 6:09 pm

    5 stars
    I’m excited to try this recipe in the fall because I have a new pepper plant variety called sriracha!! From the research I did, it seems like a hybrid jalapeño. So interesting to try new peppers!

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      March 31, 2025 at 4:23 am

      Please let me know how it goes - super excited for you, Sandi!

      Reply
  2. Janice says

    November 30, 2024 at 12:35 pm

    Hi Mike, Can I use a cup of home made cider vinegar instead of rice wine?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      November 30, 2024 at 2:49 pm

      You sure can! Let me know how you like it! Enjoy.

      Reply
      • Janice says

        December 14, 2024 at 2:41 pm

        5 stars
        Hi Mike, Getting back to you. I fermented the peppers for 2 weeks.
        I used 1/2 cup each of apple cider vinegar (with mother) and rice wine vinegar. I added 1/2 fresh lime juice. My thought was the lime juice may give it a longer shelf life? Anyway, it is absolutely brilliant.

        Thanks Mike

        Reply
        • Mike Hultquist says

          December 15, 2024 at 2:42 pm

          Great! Thanks, Janice. Yes, the acid is what preserves it, so could be citrus or vinegar or a combo.

          Reply
  3. Janice says

    November 29, 2024 at 12:43 pm

    5 stars
    Hello,
    Would it be ok to replace rice wine vinegar with homemade apple cider vinegar?

    Thanks Mike, Love your recipes. I usually follow to a T and do not replace anything:)

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      November 30, 2024 at 7:22 am

      Absolutely, Janice. ACV works GREAT for hot sauce. Let me know how it turns out! Enjoy.

      Reply
  4. Marie L Leverenz says

    October 23, 2024 at 1:31 pm

    Can I pressure seal this sauce?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      October 23, 2024 at 2:23 pm

      You can, Marie, yes.

      Reply
  5. Patrick Entenmann says

    October 20, 2024 at 11:21 am

    5 stars
    A hot and drought challenging growing year has led to a glut of Jalapeños roughly 2x as hot as normal. I used the fermented recipe for the last of my red pods but added a few extra cloves of garlic and palm sugar in place of the light brown sugar. The flavor is a near match for Hoy Fong siracha with a little added heat from the hotter peppers this year. Best recipe I've used for this style of sauce.

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      October 21, 2024 at 4:10 am

      I am super happy to read this, Patrick. Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. Jennifer says

    October 13, 2024 at 8:29 am

    5 stars
    This looks like a great recipe! I have a bumper crop of Tabasco peppers and have made a bunch of that style. Do you think I could use Tabasco peppers for this sriracha recipe?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      October 13, 2024 at 10:52 am

      You sure can! Enjoy!

      Reply
  7. Econjack says

    September 11, 2024 at 7:08 am

    5 stars
    I did the "fresh" batch, but my garden only has jalapeno peppers (I can't find Freso here) so that's what I used. Wonderful with mild heat.

    BTW, I remove the core, seeds, and ribs by cutting off the stem end and using an old-style ("pointy") potato peeler to ream out the inside of the peppers...quick and easy.

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      September 12, 2024 at 2:34 am

      Amazing job. Thanks a lot for sharing!

      Reply
  8. Elliott says

    August 18, 2024 at 5:08 pm

    5 stars
    Your recipe says 1 quart but for a thicker recipe use 1/2 cup. Was the quart supposed to be 1 cup not quart? Can you clarify please.

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      August 19, 2024 at 4:28 am

      Sure, 1 quart = 4 cups 😉

      Reply
  9. Natalie Britt says

    August 13, 2024 at 3:58 pm

    My fermentation jars came with airtight lids and says no burping is needed. Should I be concerned?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 14, 2024 at 5:26 am

      Natalie, if they're made for fermentation, I imagine they'll be safe. They might have a membrane that allows gases to escape slowly, but let nothing in, so no need for burping. Check the product description to be safe.

      Reply
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