by The ubiquitous green-topped sriracha sauce from Huy Fong has been hard to find over the last few of years because that company changed its chili pepper distributor and then ran into a shortage of the pods (you can read more about all that here). It is finally starting to make a return to stores (though in limited quantities), but during the time of its absence, I offered several substitutes in case you couldn’t find it at your local market. Following are the ones that I consider the Top 5 alternatives with the best substitute ranked I found at Number 1. (Links are to the full reviews on this site for each sauce.)
5. Diamondback Texafied Sriracha: This sauce certainly mimics the look of the Huy Fong stuff with its green top, and it also brings a similar taste. It is bolder in flavor with an immediate tang along with a brightness to its taste and a notable vinegar punch. It is also strong on the garlic, though with a bit of an artificial taste since they use garlic powder and garlic oil instead of the fresh stuff. It has the sweetness you expect from Sriracha as well as the funk from the fermentation, with a heavier emphasis on the latter. It comes in at close to Medium on my scale which is higher than the Mild level of the Rooster Sauce. Overall, it acts as a good substitute, though some may find it a bit overpowering.
4. Flying Goose Original Sriracha Sauce: This one comes from Thailand, where Sriracha sauce originated, and acts as a good stand-in for Huy Fong if you can handle the saltiness. It has the funk you expect from this type of sauce, and like the Diamondback stuff above that can be a bit much. The notable sweetness along with the red pepper taste do act as a counterbalance for that, though, and the garlic is there but a little further in the background. But then it has a strong punch of salt, the most of the different ones I tried so far. If you are eating this with something that is not too salty, that may work out okay. But if you add this to an already salty dish, it may overwhelm. This one has a Mild heat level which is similar to the Rooster Sauce, but Flying Goose also makes a Hot version (which is around Medium heat) and a Blackout sauce which is supposed to really kick things up (I have not tried that one yet).
3. Trader Joe’s Sriracha Sauce: If you have a Trader Joe’s in your area, then know that you have a good Huy Fong substitute available (as well as several other really good hot sauces). Their version does not quite have the same bite or fermented pungentness (they use ground chili peppers), but it still delivers a good Sriracha taste. It also has almost a tomatoey tang even though that fruit is not one of the ingredients. It is pretty strong on the garlic, and not as heavy on the sweetness, but the overall balance works pretty well. This is another one that comes in at the Mild heat level which compares favorably to the Huy Fong stuff.
2. Sprouts Organic Sriracha: If you have a Sprouts Farmers Market near you, then you may want to stop by and pick up a bottle of this stuff. It delivers the expected sriracha tang along with a nice peppery kick, and it is pretty heavy on the sweet side. It has less of the vinegar pucker than Huy Fong and not so much of the garlic or funkiness. All of those flavors are still there, though, just not at the same levels as the Rooster Sauce. Still this is a very pleasing substitute, and as a bonus it kicks in some extra heat. They use habaneros in this sauce, and while you don’t get the distinct taste of that chili, it bumps this up to a little over Medium on my scale. So even if you do have a bottle of the Huy Fong stuff on hand, you may want this or the next one on the list for the extra heat.
1. Tabasco Sriracha Sauce: And the winner is the Sriracha option from Avery Island, which has been available for quite a while but that I did not get around to trying until Huy Fong was scarce. The makers of the king of hot sauces know about fermenting peppers and they definitely put that to use with this stuff. It has a stronger vinegar tang and not as much sweetness, but that expected Sriracha taste is definitely there with a very similar fermented pepper funk. Basically, imagine what you would get if you mixed regular Tabasco with the Rooster Sauce and maybe boosted the garlic a bit. The heat is also higher than the Huy Fong stuff, coming in close to Medium. This is one that I will definitely keep around whether the green-topped sauce is available or not because I like the taste and the heat.
A couple of other options that you might consider are Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha (more on that here) and the Rooster Sauces from Pepper Palace (more on those here). But both of those count more as gourmet sauces and will set you back around ten dollars or more per bottle. The ones I have in the list above are all similar in price to the Huy Fong sauce and should be relatively easy to find. I will continue to try more Sriracha sauces in the coming months in case another shortage results in more empty shelves. And feel free to share your own Sriracha substitutes in the comments below.
