Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe

Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe delivers bright, garlicky heat with a fruity red pepper kick and a smooth, pourable texture. It suits heat lovers who want a balanced fermented chili sauce and takes about 20 minutes hands-on plus 3 to 5 days of fermentation. I stash a squeeze bottle in my fridge, and my family keeps sneaking it onto everything.

Why You Should Try This Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe

This Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe uses a short fermentation that builds deep flavor while keeping the process simple. You get tang, sweetness, and a clean chili bite that beats most bottles on the shelf.

You also control the heat level, sweetness, and thickness. Use mild red jalapeños for balance or toss in a few Thai chiles if you want a wilder ride.

Bright, balanced, and garlicky with a gentle tang that keeps you coming back for another drizzle ★★★★★

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Red jalapeños or Fresno chiles, 1 pound, stems removed (Fresnos taste slightly fruitier; use a few serranos for extra zip)
• Thai chiles, 2 to 4, optional for extra heat
• Garlic, 8 to 10 cloves (pre-peeled cloves from the produce section save time)
• Light brown sugar or granulated sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons (palm sugar or honey also work)
• Kosher salt, 1 tablespoon (Diamond Crystal measured; use about 2 teaspoons if using Morton)
• Distilled white vinegar, 1/2 to 2/3 cup (rice vinegar gives softer acidity)
• Water, 1/4 to 1/2 cup as needed for blending
• Optional umami boost: fish sauce, 1 to 2 teaspoons (I like Red Boat)

Equipment

• Kitchen gloves, cutting board, and knife
• Blender or food processor
• 1-quart glass jar with airlock lid or a loosely fitted lid
• Fermentation weight or a smaller jar to press the mash down
• Rubber spatula
• Saucepan
• Fine-mesh strainer and funnel
• Clean bottle or squeeze bottle for storage

How to Make Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe

1. Prep the peppers and garlic

• Put on gloves. Rinse peppers and pat them dry. Slice off stems and cut peppers into chunks. Peel the garlic.

2. Blend the mash

• Add peppers, garlic, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup water to the blender. Blend into a thick, spoonable mash. Add a splash more water only if the blender struggles.

3. Ferment the mash

• Pack the mash into the jar and press it down so liquid rises to cover the solids. Leave about 1 inch of headspace and place the weight on top. Close with an airlock or set the lid slightly loose, then set the jar on a plate at room temp for 3 to 5 days. Stir or burp daily, keep the mash submerged, and stop when it smells pleasantly tangy and shows gentle bubbling.

4. Cook with vinegar and sweeten

• Scrape the mash and its liquid into a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook 5 to 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste and add a pinch of sugar or a dash of fish sauce if you want more balance.

5. Blend smooth, adjust, and bottle

• Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then blend until very smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a classic silky texture, pressing with a spatula. Adjust thickness with a bit more vinegar or water, and adjust salt to taste. Funnel into a clean bottle and chill; the sauce thickens slightly and the flavor rounds out overnight.

Tips & Tricks

• Wear gloves; capsaicin hangs on like a catchy chorus.
• Use mostly red jalapeños for classic flavor; add a few Thai chiles for extra fire.
• Pull some seeds and membranes if you want a gentler heat.
• Want brighter color? Keep the simmer short and avoid high heat.
• For a thicker sauce, simmer a bit longer; for a thinner sauce, add a splash of vinegar or water.
• Rice vinegar gives a softer tang; white vinegar hits sharper.
• Sweeteners swap easily: white sugar, brown sugar, palm sugar, or honey all play nice.
• A teaspoon of fish sauce adds savory depth without turning the sauce fishy.
• Nervous about fermentation? Blend, simmer, and bottle the same day; you still get a bold, tasty chili sauce.

What to Serve with Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe

This spicy condiment loves eggs, fried rice, ramen, and pho. Drizzle it on tacos, burgers, grilled chicken, and roasted veggies. Stir it into mayo with lime for a quick sriracha aioli, or whisk it into soy and sesame oil for a speedy dipping sauce. I also splash it over avocado toast when the morning needs a little spark.

Make-Ahead and Storage

• Refrigerate: Store in a clean bottle for 2 to 3 months; acidity and salt help it hold flavor. Shake before each use.
• Freezer: Portion into an ice cube tray, freeze, then bag; keep up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge, then shake or whisk to bring it back together.
• To loosen thick sauce: Warm gently in a small saucepan over low heat or set the bottle in a bowl of warm water. Avoid boiling to keep the flavor fresh.

Ally Sanders

Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce Recipe

Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce delivers bright, garlicky heat with a fruity red pepper kick and a smooth, pourable texture, using a short fermentation for deep, balanced flavor.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 24

Course: Appetizer

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound red jalapeños or Fresno chiles, stems removed and cut into chunks
• 2 to 4 Thai chiles, optional, for extra heat
• 8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 to 4 tablespoons light brown sugar or granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use about 2 teaspoons if using Morton)
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar (or rice vinegar for softer acidity)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, as needed for blending
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fish sauce, optional, for umami depth

Instructions

 

1. Put on kitchen gloves. Rinse the peppers, pat them dry, remove the stems, and cut them into chunks. Peel the garlic cloves.
2. Add the peppers, garlic, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup water to a blender or food processor. Blend into a thick, spoonable mash, adding a splash more water only if needed to help it blend.
3. Pack the mash into a 1-quart glass jar. Press it down so the liquid rises to cover the solids, leaving about 1 inch of headspace. Place a fermentation weight on top, close with an airlock lid or a loosely fitted lid, and set the jar on a plate at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Stir or burp daily, keeping the mash submerged, until it smells pleasantly tangy and shows gentle bubbling.
4. Scrape the fermented mash and its liquid into a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes to meld the flavors, tasting and adding a pinch of extra sugar or a dash of fish sauce if desired for balance.
5. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes, then blend until very smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a silky texture, pressing with a spatula. Adjust thickness with a bit more vinegar or water and adjust salt to taste. Funnel the sauce into a clean bottle or squeeze bottle and refrigerate; it will thicken slightly and the flavor will round out overnight.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1-tablespoon serving (about 24 servings per batch): 10 calories; fat 0 g; saturated fat 0 g; carbohydrates 2 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 1 g; protein 0 g; sodium 200–250 mg. Values will vary based on the exact peppers used, vinegar type, fish sauce, and portion size.