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 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.

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
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Learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.

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
- Sriracha Substitute - for if you've run out of sriracha. Gasp!
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
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
Nutrition Information

XiXi says
Thanks for all your hot sauce recipes! I want to try this one using dried Calabrian peppers.
Does the fermentation produce different flavor profiles?
How much dried peppers should I use in lieu of fresh peppers? Your Calabrian Chili Paste recipe uses a 1:0.25 ratio, would that work?
Mike Hultquist says
XiXi, yes, fermentation adds a whole new dimension of flavor, a nice funk factor that many people enjoy. For dried pods, use 4x the amount, as dried pods are 1/4 the weight of fresh. Let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
Jo says
Two of my fav things: ferments and sriracha. This was delicious. Thank you!
Mike H. says
Awesome to hear, Jo. Enjoy!
Larry says
I've fermented my peppers and want to make the sauce but the recipe says 2 pounds in either case fresh or fermented. I realize chopped size makes a difference (I just chopped mine into rings not ground up like a mash) but I've fermented a large amount and an estimated volume measurement per recipe batch would be most helpful even if only an estimate? Thank you
Mike H. says
Hi Larry, thanks for asking. First things first, converting weight to a volume measurement can be a bit tricky due to the difference in size and density of peppers you are using VS mine. So it is safer to go by weight. But a very approximate one pound of chili peppers roughly equals to 2-3 cups, more or less, when chopped. Again, this can vary based on the size and type of the peppers being used. Plus, chopping into rings may occupy even more volume compared to a finer chop or mash. The fermentation can change the volume slightly, too. So you could start with something like 4 (-6) cups, and see how it goes - it is always easier to add more than to go the other way around.
George Peterman says
I’ve used this sriracha recipes twice now and love it. In the batch I made this past week (the fermented version) I used my neighbor’s honey in place of the brown sugar, a nice variation
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, George! Glad you're enjoying it!
Melissa says
I made two batches - one with red jalapeños and one with Thai hots. I’m super happy with the taste, but it’s super thin and separates in the fridge. Is there anyway to get a thicker sauce that doesn’t separate?
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you're enjoying them, Melissa. Really you can just give them a shake to bring them together again. However, for the next time, use less liquid - you can use NONE or only some of the brine, and even reduce the amount of vinegar. You can also add in more peppers and reprocess. Lastly, you might try xanthan gum as a thickener. I hope this helps.
Beth says
Mike, thanks for the overview and the details for making either a fresh or a fermented sauce. I have bunch of ripe red peppers from my garden (Early Flame and Jalafuego jalapenos and some red Anaheims). I think I will follow the more authentic/traditional Fermented recipe, because I naturally read both.
I'm excited to see how it turns out, I'm glad I found this post! Thank you for taking the time to write this interesting overview and for offering options.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent, Beth! Glad to be helpful! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Adam G. says
Awesome recipe. I went the fermentation route as it seemed more authentic and I was in no rush. I fermented for about 12 days and it turned out perfect. I think I like it better than the store bought version! Anybody who likes Sriracha should give this a try because it's so easy, and if you don't have time to ferment, I'm sure the fresh version is just as good. Thanks Mike!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks so much, Adam!
Rysta says
What ph meter would you recommend? Something not too expensive, but trustworthy.
Mike H. says
I recommend Thermoworks. I am a happy affiliate.
Maegan says
I found the titles a bit confusing. I thought you had to start with fermented pepper for the fermented peppers recipe, and fresh peppers for the second recipe. Might be better labeled as “authentic” and “15 minute” as I naturally did not read both recipes first to compare. Still tasty, but was wanting to make the traditional sauce.
Mike Hultquist says
Sorry, Maegan. I spend the entire post discussing sriracha and the different ways to make it, and also include 2 recipes. Sorry it was confusing.
Dave says
I used red wine vinegar in place of rice vinegar in this recipe. Will it still be shelf stable in the woozy bottles, and if so ,how long will it keep before it spoils?
Mike Hultquist says
Dave, that's a fine substitution. Sauces with enough vinegar/acidity typically last 6 months out and 12 months in the fridge or longer. If you want to make them shelf stable very longer term storage, look into water bath preserving. It really should last a long time, though.
Susan Wheeler says
Red jalepeno peppers. Are they just ripened green ones? It’s not a special jalapeño?
Mike Hultquist says
Susan, yep, they are just ripened jalapeno peppers.
Christine says
I tried this recipe and loved it. Made it with some peppers that I had smoked and dehydrated. I used the kombucha vinegar from my scoby hotel which is the first time I’ve tried it in a recipe. And I fermented the sauce for a week.
Do I have to move it to the fridge now or will it keep in the pantry at room temperature?
Mike H. says
I am glad to hear it, Christine. Enjoy! And it's better to keep it in the fridge - for freshness and longer keeping.
Roger says
This is a great recipe. The only change I make when making the sauce is to smoke my peppers before I ferment them.
Mike H. says
Good for you! I love a nice smoky flavor to hot sauce. Nice.
Elizabeth Hussain says
Love your website.
Question: how does one find unchlorinated water? Does filtering remove chlorine? Our system uses a form of chlorination that does not evaporate--an issue for those who keep fish tanks. I presume that distilled water does not have chlorine but also no flavor.
How do I test for acidity? What do I need to get?
Mike Hultquist says
Elizabeth, you can buy distilled water, or filtered water at home. Just make sure your supplier doesn't add chlorine to your water supply. For pH, you can purchase a good pH meter.
Robert F Copple says
Hi Mike,
I want to try your sriracha recipe, however, here in Arizona we are between our spring and fall pepper seasons. The summer heat stops the process. However, I do have bags of dehydrated peppers. I'd like to try fermentation. Will the dried peppers work? Also I have lots of ground pepper powder. Would that work?
Thanks
Bob
Thanks
Bob
Mike Hultquist says
Robert, you can ferment dehydrated peppers, but it is best to add some fresh peppers, too, to get the fermentation process started. Or, you can use some other fermentation starter.
Kelly Peterson says
I made your recipe, and I had to use the green jalapeno peppers. Turned out just as well, other than it is xx hot. I was wondering how to make the sauce thicker?
Thank you in advance.
Mike Hultquist says
Kelly, this is more of a thin sauce. The best way to thicken it is to either add in more processed peppers or other ingredients, or use a thickener like Xanthan gum.
Christine says
How could I can a jar of this? Water bath can or pressure canner?
Mike Hultquist says
Christine, start with this page: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/canning-or-jarring-chili-peppers/. I have some info, as well as links for you to find further information.
Corey says
I make this recipe every year with my red Jalafeugo jalapenos. Your website is an incredible source of information. Thank you for all the work you put into it!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Corey! Glad to be helpful!
MathewHammett says
Learning from your recipes and watching your YouTube channel make me so happy! I have had beyond a crappy couple of days (some of the worst in my life actually) and coming home and cooking these wonderful recipes has been my pride and joy! I tried one of your hot sauces and what started as a depressing day put a smile one my face
Mike Hultquist says
Glad to inspire, Matthew. I hope you find many recipes you enjoy!
Luke says
Should there only be a couple tablespoons of brine in the jar? That’s all I could get in with the ground up peppers.
Mike Hultquist says
Luke, there is usually more brine than that, yes. All of the peppers should be covered in the brine.
FR says
Questions about using dried chilis for this (for the fresh version, not fermented). 1. Do I re-hydrate the chilis first? 2. Do I base the 2lbs of peppers on the fresh or dried weight of them? Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
The recipe is for fresh peppers, not dried. 2 pounds of FRESH by weight. Enjoy.