Categories: Culture

There’s a Sriracha Shortage. Here Are 10 Excellent Alternatives to Try

Melinda’s Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

$4 at Target

Price alerts on for Melinda’s Thai Sweet Chili Sauce – 12oz
Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp

$15 at Fly by Jing
Fly by Jing Zhong Sauce

$15 at Fly by Jing
Momofuku Chili Crunch

$13 at Amazon
Bushwick Kitchen Gochujang Sriracha

$11 at Bushwick Kitchen
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Bushwick Kitchen Curry Sriracha

$11 at Bushwick Kitchen
Heartbeat Hot Sauces (4-pack)

$40 at Heartbeat Hot Sauce
Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp

$18 at Walmart

Price alerts on for Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp
Polar Sriracha Chili Sauce (pack of 6) (Update: Temporarily Out of Stock)

$19 at Amazon

Price alerts on for Polar Sriracha Chili Sauce (pack of 6) (Update: Temporarily Out of Stock)

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Sriracha has amassed a devoted following over the years and for good reason. The sauce is one of a kind and can be added to literally anything. It remains a top pick among spicy sauce-lovers. While the sauce is in short supply, there are Sriracha substitutes out there, which is good news for your taste buds.

Much to the dismay of fans, the producers of Sriracha announced a summer supply shortage of this cult-favorite hot sauce in June. The shortage is a product of a particularly meager spring harvest of chili peppers used in making the Thai-inspired condiment, according to Huy Fong (PDF).

Sriracha rations have become depleted on store shelves on online retailers. While a world — or even a fall — without the spicy and slightly sweet sauce sounds like a bummer, there are some excellent substitutes for Sriracha to add to your pantry shelves to tide you over.

From knockoff Srirachas to spins on the original and even a few similar-but-different condiments to try on your soups, sandwiches and stir-fries, these are the best Sriracha substitutes for when you can’t have the real thing.

Read more: Best BBQ Sauce for 2023

The best Sriracha alternatives to try this summer

Melinda’s

Melinda’s Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Melinda’s makes over a dozen substitutes for Sriracha that every spice lover can buy online. The closest to Sriracha is the tasty Thai Sweet Chili, but don’t sleep on others, including the habanero honey mustard and black truffle hot sauce.

$4 at TargetGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Melinda’s Thai Sweet Chili Sauce – 12oz

Fly by Jing

Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp

Fly by Jing also makes an excellent chili crisp for topping sandwiches, ramen, stir-fries, and dipping your dumplings and other dim sum favorites into. This Sriracha substitute sports a harmony of sweet, spicy and salty flavors, but with a bit more of umami punch courtesy of sesame oil, mushroom and fermented black bean.

A jar of this addictive condiment will run you $15 or you can nab them at a discount if you buy four or six at once.

$15 at Fly by Jing

Fly by Jing

Fly by Jing Zhong Sauce

While we’re trying new sauces, Fly by Jing’s Zhong sauce is equally excellent, although perhaps not as close in flavor to Sriracha as chili crisp. This dipping sauce gets a rich sweetness from brown sugar and aromatic soy sauce.

$15 at Fly by Jing

Momofuku

Momofuku Chili Crunch

David Chang and Momofuku make an equally delicious chili crunch condiment. This version has a healthy dose of sesame seeds and will keep your food sufficiently spiced until Sriracha comes back in stock.

$13 at Amazon

Bushwick Kitchen

Bushwick Kitchen Gochujang Sriracha

As you might expect, the popularity of Sriracha has spawned some knockoff creations. Bushwick Kitchen makes the Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha sauce. It’s made from most of the same ingredients as Hoy Fung’s sizzling sauce and appears to be in stock (for now).

$11 at Bushwick Kitchen

Bushwick Kitchen

Bushwick Kitchen Curry Sriracha

The Sriracha shortage is as good a time as any to experiment with twists on the sauce. Bushwick Kitchen also makes a curry Sriracha that’s in stock and selling for $11 a bottle.

$11 at Bushwick Kitchen

Heartbeat

Heartbeat Hot Sauces (4-pack)

Heartbeat makes a full lineup of incredible hot sauces. While none of them are a perfect imitation of Sriracha, the shiitake Szechuan is closest. If you like a little sweetness from fruit with your spicy — as I do — the mango habanero and pineapple habanero are also both positively addicting.

Try a four-pack on Amazon for $34 or shop the full stock of Heartbeat sauces on the brand’s website.

$40 at Heartbeat Hot Sauce

La Gon Ma

Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp

Chili crisp isn’t an exact Sriracha replacement, but it has a lot of the same flavors: heat, sweet and umami. Lao Gan Ma’s chili crisp is another cult-favorite condiment and can add some nice pop to your foods when Sriracha isn’t an option.

Right now the smaller size is out of stock, but the 24-ounce bottle is available for $19.

$18 at Walmart$7 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp

Polar

Polar Sriracha Chili Sauce (pack of 6) (Update: Temporarily Out of Stock)

This is one I haven’t tested yet, but the recipe is similar to Hoy Fung’s Sriracha and this Thai-made chili sauce gets enthusiastic reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. A pack of six bottles will run you $18 on Amazon.

$19 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Polar Sriracha Chili Sauce (pack of 6) (Update: Temporarily Out of Stock)