The hot red sauce from the green-topped bottle now squeezed on everything from Thai noodles to tacos to burgers is the breakout condiment star of the last 10 years. Sriracha as we know it is a California-made, amped-up version of a sweet, semitranslucent, slightly viscous chile sauce from the coastal town of Si Racha, Thailand. It’s the knife-edge balance of sweet and heat that makes it so versatile. Predictably, various American artisans are now getting into the small-batch production game, as well. With so much product available, you might wonder why it’s worth the bother to make at home. Answer: It’s quick, it’s easy, and it tastes amazingly fresh—the essence of bright chile heat softened by the perfect amount of sweetness and tang.
Fiery Hot Red “Sriracha”
Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 8 ounces whole) red chiles, such as Fresno, serrano, and/or Jalapeño, in any ratio, split and seeded
- 1/2 cup garlic cloves (about 10 peeled)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup hot water
Preparation
- Combine chiles, garlic, sugar, salt, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Cover and heat gently, as if to steep, over very low heat for 30 minutes.
- Add chile mixture and 1/4 cup hot water to a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth, adding more hot water if necessary.
- Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for 7 to 10 days. If sauce separates, give it a good stir or shake.
Fiery Hot Green “Sriracha”
Nothing like the real thing, but searingly spicy and tangier.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole Jalapeño
- 1 (1/2-inch-thick) onion slice
- Cooking spray
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Preheat broiler to high. Place Jalapeño and onion slice on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes; turn vegetables. Add garlic cloves; broil 5 minutes. Wrap mixture tightly in foil. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel and seed peppers.
- Place peppers, onion, garlic, lime juice, water, sugar, and salt in a blender; process until smooth.
- Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for 7 to 10 days. If sauce separates, give it a good stir or shake.
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