Sriracha is a popular condiment added to lend some heat and acidity to dishes. It’s created by blending chili peppers, sugar, salt, garlic, and vinegar into a viscous paste. As the ingredients that go into making sriracha are pretty basic and easy to find, it’s an easy condiment to replace.
While there are many different kinds of hot sauces you can substitute for sriracha, you may not get the same flavor. If your recipe calls for sriracha sauce and you don’t want to make any compromises, use this curated list to help you find the right substitute.
#1. Sambal Oelek
Sambal oelek is probably the next best multi-purpose sauce after sriracha. It’s an extra spicy chili paste of Indonesian origin. It usually combines the flavors of a variety of peppers. Sambal has a slightly thicker consistency than sriracha and is often spicier too. Sambal oelek is also sugar-free.
If it’s spiciness and heat you’re craving, sambal oelek may prove to be a better choice than sriracha. But if you want to make it taste the same as sriracha, you could add a spoonful of sugar and squeeze in some lime or vinegar.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha = ¾ Tbsp. Sambal.
#2. Peri-Peri Sauce
Peri-peri sauce is made with peri-peri, a cultivar of the Malagueta pepper invented by the Portuguese in South Africa to go with their spicy cuisine. It has a distinctly tangy, spicy flavor that closely resembles sriracha.
You can purchase peri-peri in powdered form or as a sauce, and it comes in a couple of varieties. The usual peri-peri contains lemon, onion, pepper, bay leaf, chili, vinegar, and garlic. Together these ingredients are the perfect recipe for a hot sauce quite similar to sriracha.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha = 1 Tbsp. Peri-Peri Sauce.
#3. Sweet Chili Sauce
Sweet chili sauce is an Asian condiment that’s commonly made with rice wine vinegar, chili peppers, and a sweetening agent. You might think sweet chili sauce is the polar opposite of sriracha as sriracha has a hot and spicy taste whereas sweet chili tastes sweeter and more garlicky.
What makes sweet chili sauce unique, however, is that it lends spiciness to food without the heat. You can swap sweet chili sauce for sriracha in any given recipe where heat or spiciness isn’t a crucial factor.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha = 1 Tbsp. Sweet Chili Sauce.
#4. Tabasco Hot Sauce
Tabasco is an American brand of hot sauce available in almost every supermarket and grocery store. Although it has a thinner consistency than sriracha, Tabasco uses some of the same ingredients like vinegar and chili peppers, making it a worthwhile alternative to try out.
There are a couple of flavors of Tabasco, each with its own distinguished taste. But they all add some heat to your dish. Tabasco is a bit more potent than sriracha, so be careful when substituting. If you want to use Tabasco as a dip, you can add it to ketchup or a tomato puree for a thicker texture.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha = ¼ Tbsp. Tabasco Hot Sauce.
#5. Louisiana Hot Sauce
Louisiana hot sauce is a lot like Tabasco, but slightly milder. Just one drop is enough to spice up the portion of food you add it to. It has a bright peppery taste that resembles that of sriracha.
It’s a very spicy ingredient so remember to use it sparingly and only add more after tasting. There are a couple of varieties to choose from depending on the range of spiciness. But even the mildest one is still an upgrade from sriracha.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha = ¼ Tbsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce.
#6. Chipotle Ketchup
Chipotle ketchup is regular tomato ketchup that has been flavored using chipotle peppers, a variety of red jalapenos. Its consistency is like that of ketchup, so it’s easy to use as a dipping sauce and spread.
Chipotle ketchup has a very balanced taste. It’s sweet at the beginning and saves the heat for the finish. The heat is smoky, and you’ll feel it in the nose. It’s a unique alternative to sriracha and pairs well with all kinds of fast foods, like grilled cheese and fries. If spiciness is important to the recipe, feel free to sprinkle some chili flakes on top.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha Sauce = 1 Tbsp. Chipotle Ketchup.
#7. Korean Hot Pepper Paste
Korean hot pepper paste, also known as “gochujang,” is an adventurous switch from sriracha. You can find it in most Asian supermarkets.
Korean hot pepper paste is made by grinding red chili pepper flakes, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. The absence of vinegar may give your dish a slightly different taste than sriracha. But swapping either of the two for each other won’t affect the heat profile.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha = 1 Tbsp. Korean Hot Pepper Paste.
#8. Dried Cayenne Pepper
If you’re in a pinch and need something to spice up your dish, cayenne pepper can work for most dishes that call for sriracha.
It’s a neutral spice with a pretty decent kick to it. The best part about dried cayenne pepper is that it does the job of adding heat without altering the flavor of the dish. If you need to add more tanginess, a squeeze of lemon will do the trick.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha = ¼ Tbsp. Dried Cayenne Pepper.
#9. Tapatio
Tapatio is a prolific Mexican-American hot sauce that uses regular peppers and adds significant heat to a dish. It’s stronger than sriracha sauce but also often used as a substitute.
If you’re into spicy challenges, try switching sriracha with Tapatio the next time you need a dipping sauce. You can also glaze your meats with Tapatio before cooking to give them a smoky finish.
1 Tbsp. Sriracha = 1 Tbsp. Tapatio.
#10. Ketchup
When all else is unavailable, ketchup is the last resort. The sweetness and viscosity of ketchup are so ideal that it goes with all food types. Ketchup hasn’t become the number one condiment in the world by accident.
The only problem with using ketchup as a replacement for sriracha is that it won’t supply nearly enough heat. But you can easily remedy this by adding some dried chili flakes or chili powder to ketchup.
1 Tbsp. Ketchup = 1 Tbsp. Sriracha.
