There’s a good reason Sriracha has amassed a devoted following over the years. The sauce is one of a kind and remains a top pick among spicy sauce-lovers. It can be added to literally anything. While the Sriracha shortage is ongoing, there are plenty of substitutes out there, which is good news for your taste buds.
Much to the dismay of fans, the producers of Sriracha last year announced a supply shortage of this cult-favorite hot sauce, and limited inventory appears to be likely in 2023, too. The shortage is due to a particularly meager spring harvest of chili peppers used in making the Thai-inspired condiment, Huy Fong told CBS recently.
Sriracha rations have become depleted on store shelves and on online retailers. While a world without the spicy and slightly sweet sauce sounds like a bummer, there are some excellent substitutes for Sriracha to add to your pantry shelves to tide you over.
From knockoff Srirachas to spins on the original and even a few similar-but-different condiments to try on your soups, sandwiches and stir-fries, these are the best Sriracha substitutes for when you can’t have the real thing.
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Melinda’s
Melinda’s makes over a dozen substitutes for Sriracha that every spice lover can buy online. The closest to Sriracha is the tasty Thai Sweet Chili, but don’t sleep on others, including the habanero honey mustard and black truffle hot sauce.
Fly by Jing
Fly by Jing also makes an excellent chili crisp for topping sandwiches, ramen, stir-fries, and dipping your dumplings and other dim sum favorites into. This Sriracha substitute sports a harmony of sweet, spicy and salty flavors, but with a bit more of umami punch courtesy of sesame oil, mushroom and fermented black bean.
A jar of this addictive condiment will run you $17 or you can nab them at a discount if you buy The Spicy Duo, which features one jar of Chili Crisp and a jar of the Zhong Sauce.
Fly by Jing
While we’re trying new sauces, Fly by Jing’s Zhong sauce is equally excellent, although perhaps not as close in flavor to Sriracha as chili crisp. This dipping sauce gets a rich sweetness from brown sugar and aromatic soy sauce.
Momofuku
David Chang and Momofuku make an equally delicious chili crunch condiment. This version has a healthy dose of sesame seeds and will keep your food sufficiently spiced until Sriracha comes back in stock.
Bushwick Kitchen
As you might expect, the popularity of Sriracha has spawned some knockoff creations. Bushwick Kitchen makes the Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha sauce. It’s made from most of the same ingredients as Hoy Fung’s sizzling sauce and appears to be in stock (for now).
Bushwick Kitchen
The Sriracha shortage is as good a time as any to experiment with twists on the sauce. Bushwick Kitchen also makes a curry Sriracha that’s in stock and selling for $12 a bottle.
La Gon Ma
Chili crisp isn’t an exact Sriracha replacement, but it has a lot of the same flavors: heat, sweet and umami. Lao Gan Ma’s chili crisp is another cult-favorite condiment and can add some nice pop to your foods when Sriracha isn’t an option.
You can buy the 24-ounce bottle is available for $17 or the smaller size for $4.
Polar
This is one I haven’t tested yet, but the recipe is similar to Hoy Fung’s Sriracha and this Thai-made chili sauce gets enthusiastic reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. A pack of six bottles will run you $19 on Amazon.
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