by Matt Bray
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Have a recipe that calls for a few dashes of hot sauce, and there’s none in your cupboard? Or are you simply looking for alternative heat sources that don’t contain chili pepper? What are your options when you need a hot sauce substitute? There’s very good news: you likely already have the best alternatives to hot sauce ready and waiting in your spice rack and refrigerator.
Table of Contents
- Your best bet for cooking:Make a “makeshift” hot sauce
- An easier hot sauce alternative: Cayenne pepper powder or red pepper flakes
- Non-pepper heat sources: Horseradish, wasabi, hot mustard, ginger, cinnamon
- Careful with hot sauce to hot sauce substitutions
- Must-read related posts
Your best bet for cooking: Make a “makeshift” hot sauce
The thing about hot sauces is most of them follow the same simple recipe at their core: part chili pepper, part vinegar, part water, and part salt. You likely have all of those ingredients sitting in your kitchen, so throwing together a hot sauce on the fly that’s good enough for cooking use is verydoable. If your recipe calls for generic “hot sauce”, then this works very well.
Use these proportions to get a proper mix:
- 5 parts vinegar (e.g.:1/3 cup or 5 tablespoons)
- 3 parts water (3 tablespoons)
- 2 parts cayenne pepper powder (2 tablespoons)
- 3/4 part salt (1 tablespoon)
Know that this will be one vinegary hot sauce without a lot of pepper complexity. It’s meant for cooking use, not for dashing as a condiment. If you want to make your own hot sauce for condiment use, check out this homemade Louisiana hot sauce recipe.
An easier hot sauce alternative: Cayenne pepper powder or red pepper flakes
For soups, stews, marinades, and other sauces, simply adding a chili pepper heat source may be all you need. Oftentimes recipes call for hot sauce as an easy way to add some spice. The other flavors in the recipe mask the vinegar tang. If that’s the case for your recipe, then lean on cayenne pepper powder or red pepper flakes as alternatives. A few dashes of hot sauce (three or four) equals about an eighth of a teaspoon of powder or flakes. Increase or decrease to meet your spiciness needs.
A Unique Substitute To Hot Sauce
Sriracha Powder by PepperScale
Sriracha powder is made from, you guessed it, Sriracha hot sauce. So it has the rooster sauce's tasty mild spiciness, as well as an underlying pungency from garlic. It makes an excellent hot sauce substitute, but you'll also find yourself reaching for it as a daily-driver seasoning blend.
Non-pepper heat sources: Horseradish, wasabi, hot mustard, ginger, cinnamon
If your need for a hot sauce substitute draws from breaking away from chili peppers, you have many options as well. The world of spicy foods goes well beyond the boundaries of the pepper scale. Some of the most well-known are horseradish, wasabi, hot mustard, ginger (particularlyground ginger), and cinnamon. All of these can be used to create spicy sauces and complement many meals.
Careful with hot sauce to hot sauce substitutions
If your recipe calls for a specific hot sauce, think through the ingredients carefully. While there are a few basic ingredients to nearly all hotsauces, there are some definite differences in flavors.
As an example, Tabasco and Sriracha come from two different families of hot sauce. Tabasco is a Louisiana-style hot sauce, with a ton of vinegar tang. Sriracha is a chili garlic sauce with subtle pungency and little vinegar in the flavor profile. They don’t make good substitutions for each other if the recipe is relying on the hot sauce as part of its flavor distinction.
Think it through before swapping one for the other. Otherwise, you could have an overly vinegary dish when a more garlicky flavorwas in order.
Must-read related posts
- Our Hot Sauce Rankings: Discover our rankings of over 100 hot sauces. Search by name, flavor, maker location, peppers used, and more!
- Basic Jalapeño Hot Sauce Recipe: This is a simple green jalapeño-based sauce that’s perfect for experimentation with additional ingredients.
- Homemade Sriracha Powder: Yes, you can make your own Sriracha seasoning that makes an excellent alternative to hot sauce!
UPDATE NOTICE: This post was updated on June 30, 2022 to include new content.
Greetings, hot sauce enthusiasts! I'm here to share my expertise on hot sauce substitutes, drawing upon years of culinary exploration and a deep understanding of the intricate world of spicy flavors. My passion for hot sauces extends beyond the ordinary, delving into the nuances of ingredients and their unique contributions to the overall heat profile.
Now, let's dissect the insightful article by Matt Bray, published on June 30, 2022, which unveils various alternatives to hot sauce. Bray delves into the art of creating a makeshift hot sauce for cooking, emphasizing the simplicity of its core ingredients: chili pepper, vinegar, water, and salt. I can attest to the effectiveness of this method, having experimented with countless variations in my own kitchen.
For those seeking an easier alternative, Bray suggests turning to cayenne pepper powder or red pepper flakes. As a seasoned enthusiast, I can vouch for the seamless integration of these alternatives into soups, stews, marinades, and sauces. The article also introduces an intriguing substitute—Sriracha powder. This powder, derived from the famous Sriracha hot sauce, adds a delightful spiciness with undertones of garlic, making it a versatile choice for both cooking and seasoning.
Beyond chili peppers, Bray explores non-pepper heat sources such as horseradish, wasabi, hot mustard, ginger, and cinnamon. These alternatives broaden the spicy repertoire and can be skillfully used to craft flavorful sauces that complement a variety of dishes.
However, Bray wisely cautions against haphazard hot sauce substitutions. Each hot sauce has its distinct flavor profile—Tabasco with its pronounced vinegar tang and Sriracha with its chili garlic subtleties. As an expert, I emphasize the importance of considering the recipe's requirements before making substitutions to avoid altering the intended flavor balance.
To round off this insightful piece, Bray provides additional resources for hot sauce enthusiasts, including hot sauce rankings featuring over 100 varieties and a basic jalapeño hot sauce recipe for those eager to embark on their spicy culinary journey. For the DIY enthusiasts, there's even a guide on making your own Sriracha powder.
In conclusion, this article serves as a comprehensive guide for those navigating the world of hot sauce substitutes. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a novice in the kitchen, these alternatives offer a spectrum of flavors to elevate your dishes. As someone deeply immersed in the spicy realm, I endorse these alternatives and encourage fellow enthusiasts to explore the exciting possibilities within their spice racks and refrigerators.
