Why I Love Sriracha Sauce (and Recipes Using Sriracha)
I’m definitely a huge fan of this spicy Sriracha Sauce that you can identify by the picture of a rooster on the bottle! I love using this to add a touch of spicy flavor to so many things, and this post has information about Sriracha Sauce and spotlights some of my favorite recipes using it!
For years I remember seeing Sriracha Sauce on the table in Asian restaurants, and my friends who loved spicy food called it Rooster Sauce because of the rooster on the bottle. But I’m not someone who loves ultra spicy foods, so for a long time I never tried it.
Fast-forward quite a few years later and I noticed food bloggers everywhere talking about the great flavor of Sriracha. And I finally tried it a few years ago, and ever since I’ve been loving this spicy Asian hot sauce whenever I want just a little spicy-hot flavor in something.
And Sriracha has become pretty mainstream in the U.S. and Sriracha lovers have been alarmed at recurring shortages of this popular hot sauce (mostly due to production and supply-chain issues.) But I still find Sriracha for sale, and these days Sriracha Sauce is something that’s always in my fridge so I’ve added it to Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks, my list of food items and products that I happily buy over and over.
How do I use Sriracha Sauce?
I mostly use Sriracha mixed into a dressing or stir-fry sauce, and I do have a few recipes where it’s used to add spicy flavor to chicken. Check below for a few of my favorite recipes using this tasty sauce, and be sure to check after the photos for even more recipes! (And if you have a favorite recipe that uses Sriracha, please let us know about it in the comments!)
Is Sriracha Sauce high in carbs?
This spicy hot sauce is something most people would use in small amounts, and the bottle of Sriracha lists 1 teaspoon as the serving size and says “less than one carb” for the amount of carbs. So even if you used a few tablespoons in a stir-fry, salad dressing, or marinade, Sriracha is definitely not going to add many carbs to whatever you’re making.
Want to make your own Sriracha Sauce?
If you want to try making it, my friends Todd and Diane have a Sriracha Recipe at White on Rice Couple and there’s also a recipe for Sriracha Chile Sauce at Viet World Kitchen.
Where can you get Sriracha Sauce?
When there was a shortage of Sriracha I would often see other brands of Sriracha at the grocery store, but you can still get authentic Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link) at Amazon.com. I haven’t tried any of the other brands; look for the green lid if you want the original Sriracha.
Want even more ideas for using Sriracha Sauce?
If you’re really a Sriracha fan you might want to look at my round-up post of 35+ Amazing Recipes with Sriracha, which has fun ideas from around the web!
Favorite Recipes with Sriracha Sauce:
This Thai-Inspired Turkey Larb Salad is a dish I love to order in the Thai restaurant that’s right by my condo!
Sriracha Beef Lettuce Wraps are one of my favorite dinners! If you’re a beef eater who likes Sriracha, you’ll probably make this over and over!
These Sweet and Spicy Baked Sriracha Chicken has that sweet-spicy flavor combo that makes Asian food so good!
I love the touch of Sriracha in the dressing for this Spicy Cilantro Peanut Slaw and this salad has been really popular on the blog!
Grilled Sriracha Chicken Kabobs will be a hit with anyone who enjoys spicy chicken!
Instant Pot Sriracha Chicken Tacos are a delicious taco variation and creamy Queso Fresco cheese and avocado flavor goes perfectly with the spicy chicken.
I love this tasty Thai-Inspired Ground Turkey Stir Fry and you can use as much or as little Sriracha as you prefer.
Sriracha adds just a hint of spicy flavor to this Shrimp and Broccoli Sheet Pan Meal!
Fun Recipes with Sriracha from Kalyn:
- Sesame Noodles with Chicken
- Peanut Butter Tofu with Sriracha
- Cabbage Bowl with Tofu and Peanut Sauce
- Shrimp Cucumber Salad
- Shrimp Cocktail with Sriracha Cocktail Sauce
- Sriracha Beef Cabbage Bowls
- Asian Cabbage Salad
- Sriracha Aioli Dipping Sauce
- Spicy Stir-Fried Sugar Snap Peas
- Sriracha Deviled Eggs
- Stir-Fried Tofu with Eggplant
- Zucchini Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce
- Spicy Baked Cabbage
- Maple Glazed Salmon
More About Sriracha from Around the Web:
- Sriracha Sauce from Wikipedia
- Dear Sriracha from The Oatmeal (very funny!)
- What you don’t know about Sriracha from The L.A. Times
About Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks
I love to share my favorite foods and kitchen tools and you can see the complete list of products and foods I’ve chosen at Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks. I purchased the Sriracha in the photo myself and this company has no idea that I’m writing about their product. All items featured as Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks are things I happily buy over and over, and because I want readers to know that my opinions are completely unbiased, I don’t accept review products from the many companies who offer to send them to me.
41 Comments on “Why I Love Sriracha Sauce (and Recipes Using Sriracha)”
The second ingredient is sugar. Can this be used with South Beach.
It only has one gram of sugar in a teaspoon, and you’re eating it in VERY small amounts so I would say yes. Very few people would eat more than a teaspoon or two, and most recipes don’t use much of it either. Whether it is “officially” approved, who knows? But I’m guessing it would be.
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I use Sriracha on everything!! I'm a professional singer and vocal coach, and my remedy for anything wrong involving vocal illness is a teaspoon of this. 😉 clears you right up. My FAVORITE thing to do is douse this stuff over jumbo shrimp with some green curry, scallions, and fresh garlic! So simple and yet, I feel like I had a special treat! 🙂 Thanks for letting me stop in. – Casta Jen
Jay I didn't know they had changed the name but I'm using my imagination about what I think it might have been! Glad you like the recipes.
I too love this sauce and have been buying it for years. Its adds a nice kick to Asian dressings as well as stir frys. I had to chuckle when they had to change the original name of the sauce because the odd person found the name offensive. Its funny how people think about things. Your recipes look lovely, can't wait to give them a go. Thanks so much for posting them!
They're both great aren't they, although being a lightweight I like the green Tabasco!
I have to admit…I have a bottle of Tabasco and a bottle of Sriracha sauce sitting next to each other on my kitchen shelf. I use them both…a lot!
I agree. I use Sriracha sauce quite often. It works great to add a little bit of spice to soups or curries.
Sriracha with bacon sounds great.
I already had a link to that piece from The Oatmeal in my post. 🙂
I love srirachi and used to use it with abandon when I was in the States. One of my favorite uses was to put in a few drops when frying turkey bacon! It gave the bacon a delicious spicy edge, and I could then cut the bacon into pieces and use in a salad too!
Here's a (somewhat over-the-top) ode to Srirachi Sauce from a very funny website! :http://theoatmeal.com/comics/sriracha
It is made in California and I think it is the only Sriracha sauce in the world. It looks Asian but it really is all American.
By the way, try a teaspoon or two mixed into your favorite brownie or Devil's food cake recipe for an out of the world dessert experience. The heat wakes up your mouth about 40 seconds after you bite into the brownie. It is great!
Diana, a few people have recommended that Chili Garlic Sauce, and I have it on my shopping list; can't wait to try it!
Kalyn,
My husband adores that sauce. We go through about a bottle every two months. He was thrilled to find it available in local stores.
I add a bit to my chili when I make it too.
You might want to try their Chili Garlic Sauce? It is also great stirred into sauces and stir fries when you want a bit of spice and garlic. I think it is hotter than the Hot Chili Sauce in the bigger squeeze bottle. I've only seen the Chili Garlic in a small jar. It is inexpensive as well. 🙂
Kris, we were posting comments at the same time. It sounds like I MUST get some of this chili garlic sauce! You're about the 5th person who has mentioned it to me.
Shirley, one reason I love this so much is that it's not only spicy, but it's also full of flavor. Try it; I bet you will like it.
Linda, thanks for that nice feedback!
My husband introduced me to sriracha several years ago – we love it too. But he actually prefers the chili-garlic sauce made by the same same company. And now, every fall, I buy a HUGE basket of chiles and a big bunch of garlic at the public market, and he makes his own.
This morning as I read your post, it dawned on me how doing the BIG things is usually much easier occasionally than being so faithful at doing something day after day.
I REALLY appreciate ;your efforts to provide us with sound advice, great recipes. DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY.
Thank you so much!
Even though I'm often not a fan of super spicy, I appreciate your endorsement that this will still work for those like us. 🙂 I love the rooster factor! I'll be on the lookout for this. I just did make a salad dressing for chickpea salad with hot sauce as a surprise ingredient (recipe from Mary at Gluten-Free Spinner) and it was fantastic, so I'm sure the Sriracha would work well in that recipe. Thanks, Kalyn!
Shirley
Lydia, I'll wait to hear what you think of the cookbook then, but you know I'll probably end up buying it!
My husband Ted ordered the Sriracha Cookbook for me, and I can't wait for it to come! My latest passion is Sriracha on scrambled eggs, but I'd happily put it on almost anything.
Hey, I do not think I have made any zippy red designs. Putting that on my list to try!
Sriracha sauce is probably the condiment we used the most in our house. In fact, I have 2 small bottles that I pack in our lunches whenever soemthing in the bag may need a kick of heat.
Love it on eggs. Soup. Heck . . . anything.
I also like that the squeeze bottle can be used to decorate a plate with a cook zippy red design . . . .
Elizabeth, now I am intrigued by that salsa. I've been to Purto Rico, but don't remember tasting anything like that.
I love Lizano Salsa sauce that I first had in Costa Rica — it makes even plain rice amazing. It's a little spicy, a little salty with lots of other flavor. I haven't had the rooster sauce, but that sounds really good!
Babsiegirl, oh yes! I bet that tastes great.
I use "Rooster sauce" for making super spice Asian hot wings. I use a stick of butter, about 1/2 bottle of the sauce, and maybe 1/4 cup of splenda for my wings.
Kat and Pat, Thanks for sharing; sounds like a fun project!
I have been reading for a while, and have yet to comment.
I ADORE Sriracha. It's amazing. And, you can make your own!!
Take a package of dried red chili peppers (I usually use about two cups).
Put four cups of boiling water into a bowl and put the peppers into the bowl. Put another bowl, on top (not as a lid, with the bottom down) to weigh down the peppers.
Let them sit for an hour or so, until they are softer. Then, toss them into the food processor. Add seasoned rice vinegar (or regular rice vinegar with some brown sugar, fish sauce, and a pinch of salt). Throw in some salt for flavor — and insert your own special spice mixture here (I do like dill — it adds an unexpected taste surprise!).
Blend it all up until it is a paste. Add water as you need to in order to create the consistency you want.
Take out and put into glass jars. Be forewarned!!! Peppers are INTENSELY HOT. Use gloves while preparing and do not inhale the fumes from the food processor when you open it!
Brittany, someone pointed out that post to me on Twitter, so I added it to this, very funny!
Nisrine, not sure if there are levels of spiciness. I know it's considered to be not that hot, but it's hot enough for me!
Kalyn, I tried Sriracha for the first time about two weeks ago at an Asian restaurant and loved it so much I bought a bottle at Target this weekend. It tasted spicier than the one I had at the restaurant. I don't know if they come in different levels of heat. It didn't say on the bottle.
I saw the post over at The Oatmeal about Sriracha Rooster Sauce yesterday! You're post about it made me chuckle! 🙂
– Brittany
Amanda, did not know about the Sriracha Sauce Cookbooks, but going to Amazon to look for it now!
Did you know there is a whole Sriracha sauce cookbook?! I got it for my boyfriend for Valentines Day because he loves the stuff. It has some really creative ideas.
Jackie, sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.
How timely! Sriracha was a key ingredient in last night's dinner of Korean-style kidney beans over brown rice with "kimchi slaw"!
http://visualcookbook.blogspot.com/2011/03/korean-style-kidney-beans-over-brown.html
Pam, me either.
Beth I am shaking my head at myself, because I've never tried it on eggs. Definitely will try soon!
Yes! I love Sriracha and put it on just about everything… My obsession has escalated to the point where I pour a bunch in a dish and will dip popcorn in it! But my favorite way it eat it is with eggs, preferably egg and cheese quesadillas!
Can't live without this!
Jess, thanks for sharing (and they do sound HOT!)
Sriracha is a very common condiment in our house. My husband LOVES it, and puts it on everything! I have his great recipe for Sriracha Jalapeno Poppers on my blog. They are delicious and verrry HOT!
http://sweetpotatolovin.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/sriracha-jalapeno-poppers-2/