If you’ve ever run out of sriracha or wondered if there was a quick and easy way to make it at home, good news: There is!
Today we’re sharing our quick, go-to recipe that produces sriracha that tastes just like the real thing in 15 minutes! No fermenting required and BIG spicy flavor! Your stir fries are never going to be the same. Let us show you how it’s done!
Origins of Sriracha
Sriracha is a spicy condiment originating in a city called Si Racha in Thailand. It’s believed to have been created out of the desire to have a sauce that went well with any Thai dish. You can read more about its origin story here.
Our easy DIY version is not traditional but mimics the flavor using easy-to-find ingredients and simple methods!
How to Make Homemade Sriracha
While some methods require fermenting, this easy homemade sriracha is as simple as blending up 7 simple ingredients in a small blender until you achieve a smooth paste.
Red bell pepper and tomato paste provide the sweet base, garlic adds zing, and red pepper flakes add heat. Maple syrup adds a hint of sweetness to balance the other flavors. And vinegar and salt help preserve freshness for up to a week in the fridge while also adding a perfect amount of tang and saltiness.
If you’re really into heat, you can choose to step it up a notch with a small amount of habanero pepper.
We hope you LOVE this homemade sriracha! It’s:
Spicy
Salty
Sweet
Tangy
Balanced
Quick & easy
& SO delicious!
Use it to add a burst of flavor to your favorite Thai-inspired dishes, such as our Creamy Thai Carrot Soup with Basil, 1-Pot Pumpkin Yellow Curry, or Easy Tofu Pad Thai. It’s also delicious on our 30-Minute Tempeh Stir Fry and Coconut Curry Ramen. Or try it in aioli with one of these recipes: Cauliflower Banh Mi, Crispy Garlic Brussels Sprouts with Sriracha Aioli, or Grilled Corn with Sriracha Aioli. The possibilities are endless!
More Spicy Homemade Sauces
- Easy DIY Harissa Paste
- Easy Gochujang Sauce (Korean Chili Paste)
- Spicy Habanero Hot Sauce
- Easy Red Enchilada Sauce
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Homemade Sriracha (15 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 ½ – 2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust according to preferred heat level)
- 1 tsp maple syrup (or other sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or sub white vinegar)
- 1/4 – 1/2 small habanero pepper (optional // for extra spice)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste (adds depth of flavor)
Instructions
- To a small blender or small food processor (or in a large food processor if making a double batch) add bell pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, maple syrup, salt, apple cider vinegar, and habanero (optional).
- Option to briefly cook tomato paste in a small metal or non-stick pan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, to slightly reduce the raw tomato flavor. Otherwise, add to the blender or food processor, no cooking required.
- Blend until well mixed, then taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tomato paste for depth of flavor / tomato flavor, salt to taste, red pepper flake or habanero for heat, maple syrup for sweetness / to balance the flavors, or vinegar for acidity. We added a bit more red pepper flake and salt.
- Use immediately, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, sometimes longer (discard when the flavor or appearance appears off). Note that the color deepens and the texture thickens after refrigerating overnight. Option to freeze leftovers into ice cube molds to use as needed (store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3-6 months).
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
*Inspiration from Steamy Kitchen.
Amy says
Made this recipe, used lemon and lime
juice instead of vinegar. Had to adjust the ratios of things at the end during tasting, but I love it. It turned out great. Really grateful for this quick and easy recipe! It gives a closeness to my favorite hot sauce, without all the ingredients that don’t fit my diet. Thank you so much!
Yay! We’re so glad it reminds you of your favorite hot sauce! Thank you for sharing, Amy! xo
Courtney B says
Made one batch, needed a whole habanero pepper and more flakes and was still not as spicy as we like it, but the family still loved it! Next time I’m going to try korean chili flakes and possibly red jalapeño instead of bell pepper. Thanks for this! Definitely better than store-bought!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Courtney. Thank you for sharing! Keep in mind all spicy peppers will vary in their spiciness depending on growing conditions, so you might get a different result each time. Peppers get spicier when the weather is hotter!
Sylvia says
I made Sriracha tripled the recipe and refrigerated it overnight, and it’s like soup. Had to pour so much liquid off last night and today it is still too wet. What should the consistency be, like a sauce or wet and runny. Thankyou
Strange! It should definitely be saucy with just a little liquid – see the video for reference. The only thing that comes to mind is if you didn’t add the tomato paste or had super watery peppers.
Sylvia Garratt says
Can you freeze the homemade sriracha sauce. Sounds delicious .
Hi Sylvia, you can freeze it!
Emily says
Wow this was amazing! Loved it. Really easy to throw together and so delicious.
Yay! Thanks so much, Emily!
Speedwell says
I made this because I now live in Europe and it is nearly impossible to get authentic (Huy Fong) Sriracha here. I still had some authentic Sriracha to compare this recipe to. Looking at the ingredients on the bottle, I note there is no tomato. I am aware the authentic sauce uses ripe red jalapenos, white spirit vinegar, and garlic powder, but I made this recipe as written. A side-by-side taste test showed that this recipe is a good sweet and garlicky sauce, but does not taste like authentic Sriracha sauce. On the other hand, it is better than the knock-off sauces full of MSG and thickeners sold in bottles with green tops around here, so I’ll probably try this again with real red jalapenos, Korean red pepper powder, spirit vinegar, and garlic powder to see if I can get closer to an authentic flavour. Thanks for working on this unfermented version and for your creativity.
Thanks for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed the sauce overall, but sorry to hear it wasn’t quite what you were hoping for. We find red jalapeños are difficult to access except during certain times of the year, so we went with bell pepper + red pepper flakes to keep it accessible for readers. If you can get red jalapeños, you could try subbing them for those two ingredients. Hope that helps!
RW says
Hi, can u sub citrus juice for the vinegar? Thanks.
Hi, Lemon or lime juice might work okay here. Let us know if you try it!
Kei says
Hi. This looks great. How do you thaw & use the frozen sriracha?
I want to use it for as long as possible ( 7 days is not enough). How do you thaw it? How long does it take to thaw? If it’s in a sealed freezer container, can it be thawed & refrozen?
Thanks!
Hi Kei, we’d suggest freezing in an ice cube tray, then transferring the cubes to a sealed container. That way you can take out only what you need and it will thaw quickly.
Kei says
THANK YOU. That sounds like a plan! ❤️️
Christina says
Will have to give it a try. I’ve been using Nom Nom Paleo’s recipe which uses red jalepeños (which i think is what the Rooster brand uses).
Yes, we’ve always had a hard time finding red jalapeños at the store, which is part of what inspired this recipe! Hope you enjoy it.
Christina says
Mostly I find red jalepeños at local Farmers’s Market (seasonally, late Summer, early Fall) — but also at Asian and sometimes Latinx Markets. I frequent our local Thai market and have seen them there. Not sure on the whole pesticides thing but our Thai market has the most *gorgeous* veggies, fruit, fresh spices and herbs. Dana, I really enjoy your blog/mailing list. Ya’ll do a great job.
Thanks for the tips and kind words, Christina!