Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce and 10 ways to use it
You’ve probably heard of Sriracha (see-ra-chaa) sauce in recent times. The popularity of this spicy condiment is making its way around the world. This lightly fermented bright red chilli sauce is made from red jalapenos, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. True Sriracha is named after the city Si Racha in Eastern Thailand where it is used to accompany seafood dishes. The popular Huy Fong ‘Rooster sauce’ that can be found sold even in Australian supermarkets these days, is actually an American productmade in California by Vietnamese immigrant David Tran.
In terms of flavour, sriracha is a sort of tabasco sauce level hot, with background notes of sweetness, sourness and also a slight funkiness. It packs a bright punch and is vibrantly red.
Generally sriracha is used as an accompanying condiment to enhance the flavour of soup noodles, fried noodles and a dip for fried foods. But with explosive popularity over the last few years, sriracha is being used for a wide range of dishes, from a punchy chicken wing marinade to a cocktail ingredient.
You can pick up a bottle of the green lidded Huy Fong brand sriracha at most Asian grocery stores and many supermarkets. In my home we always have a bottle of sriracha going, and squirts of it go into everyday dishes. I’ve found it to be a great way of introducing spicy flavours to my eldest son. He’s gone from crying and the slightest taste of something as mild as paprika, to demanding curry puffs and laksa soup, which makes his Malaysian grandmother very proud.
Have a go at using sriracha in these ways:
- Add a squirt of sriracha to a chicken or beef soup with noodles. The sharp, sweet, sour flavour brightens these dishes and makes them more fragrant. It’s particularly good if you’re feeling a bit under the weather and need some punch. The vinegar, chili and garlic can do you some good when you’ve got a cold
- I combine natural or Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of sriracha to make a quick dipping sauce for chips or fried chicken. For a blending of Asian flavours, this sauce goes down nicely with my Japanese Style Fried Chicken
- Use sriracha instead of tabasco over tacos, or Mexican style salads. A salad of corn, tomato, avocado, coriander and black beans is delicious with a little sriracha
- Combine ¼ cup of honey and ¼ cup of sriracha with a splash of soy sauce and 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic to make an excellent marinade for chicken wings
- Turn broccoli from a much-loathed side into a delicious dish by combining a chopped head of broccoli with 1 teaspoon sriracha, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon soy and some black pepper. Lay the pieces on a baking tray and roast for 10-15 minutes until the florets are slightly blackened on the edges.
- Add sriracha to your home made hummus. You’ll get a bright orange hummus with tangy flavour
- Put sriracha on your eggs, whether fried, poached or scrambled, it goes nicely
- If you’re a bloody or virgin mary fan, use sriracha instead of tabasco sauce
- Add sriracha to the melted butter to toss with home-popped popcorn. It’s addictive
- You might have read our recipe for crunchy roasted chickpeas on our Clean Eating Snack piece. Change out the seasoning in the recipe for a tablespoon of sriracha for a spicy nibble
