Bottom Line: Diamondback Texafied Sriracha is bolder than its Huy Fong competition with more heat and garlic, but still acts as a good substitute.
If you have been looking for that familiar bottle of Huy Fong Sriracha Sauce with the rooster on the front and have not been able to track it down in your local market, you are not alone. The company ran into a chili pepper shortage back in 2022 (more on that here) and apparently still has not been able to fully replenish the spicy pods it needs for its sauce. I got wind of the shortage last Summer and stocked up on Sriracha and Chili Garlic sauce and have been doing fine until I got to my last bottle of each recently. Now, as I have been looking to restock, I have not been able to find the Huy Fong stuff.
Apparently, in Fall 2022 the green-topped bottles started returning to the shelves, but the chili pepper shortage persists and supplies of the sauce are sparse once again. According to a USA Today article in April 2023, the company has said that they “have no estimations of when supply will increase”. I have heard that Asian and International markets tend to be better-stocked on the Huy Fong products because that is the primary customer base for the company. I don’t have one near me, though, so I cannot attest to that. If you do have one in your area, I suggest giving it a try.
This has been good for Huy Fong’s competitors, though, because they have been trying to muscle in on the Sriracha business since it exploded in popularity over the past ten to twenty years. (Sriracha itself is a traditional Thai sauce, so Huy Fong does not own the name.) When the shortage first reared its ugly head, I offered up some options to the rooster sauce (and you can read about those here). I guess it is time to start that up again, and Diamondback Texafied Sriracha–made in Austin, Texas–definitely presents a good alternative.
It looks similar to Huy Fong’s with a green top, though it does not have the squeeze spout like the better-known sauce. It has an immediate tang to it along with a brightness to its taste and a notable vinegar flavor, but not to the point that delivers too much pucker. There is definitely some garlic there, more than Huy Fong Sriracha and similar to their Chili Garlic sauce. They use garlic powder and garlic oil instead of the fresh stuff, though, so it has a slight artificial taste, but that is just a nitpick. It has a nice sweetness to it, but that is not overpowering or too cloying. It has even more of a peppery funkiness to it than Huy Fung (which comes from the fermenting of the chilis), and some may find that off-putting. I don’t think it is too much, though, and rather enjoy it. It is a bolder sauce, but close enough that it still acts as a good substitute.
Heat-wise, this does outpace Huy Fong as it comes in around the Medium level on my scale as opposed to the milder burn of the rooster sauce. Its kick is closer to the heat of the Chili Garlic Sauce even if the consistency is more like the Sriracha. If you are dabbing this onto some noodles or a stir fry or a slice of pizza, you may not notice too much difference from the Huy Fong version. But the more you use it, the more it will stand out as a variation from the competition and the more heat it will bring. If I can’t find another bottle of the HF sauce in the coming month, this one will certainly tide me over.
HEB carries the sauce in Texas, and it is priced similarly to the Huy Fong Sriracha. You may also be able to find this at some gourmet shops or you can search for it online.
Sadly, I have yet to find a good substitute for the Chili Garlic sauce. That has basically the same ingredients as Sriracha, but it is courser ground with a more garlic-forward flavor and more heat. Sambal can act as a stand-in, but that is a Huy Fong product as well and also impacted by the pepper shortage. If you know of any good substitutes for the Chili Garlic stuff, let me know so that I can give them a try and pass along the information. But in the meantime, the Diamondback sauce will suffice in place of HF Sriracha.
Nutrition Info:
Ingredients: Red jalapeno mash, distilled vinegar, sugar, granulated garlic, xantham gum, ascorbic acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, garlic oil
Serving Size: 1 tsp
Calories: 5
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 1g
Sodium: 110mg