Homemade Sriracha Sauce
Author: Heather Scholten · Posted: Apr 17, 2012 · Updated: May 05, 2025
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There’s something incredibly satisfying about making your own condiments at home…especially when they pack a punch of flavor like this Homemade Sriracha Sauce. Unlike the store-bought version, this recipe uses dried ancho chiles for a deep, smoky sweetness and dried chipotle chiles for a touch of heat and earthiness. The result? A rich, complex, and utterly addictive hot sauce that will elevate everything from eggs to tacos, stir-fries, and even grilled meats.
Plus, making sriracha from scratch means you control the ingredients—no preservatives, no mystery additives, just pure, fiery goodness. Let’s dive in!
Cook’s Notes
Here’s why this homemade sriracha sauce is a game-changer:
- Bold, Smoky Flavor – The combination of dried ancho and chipotle chiles creates a deep, layered heat that’s way more interesting than standard sriracha.
- Customizable Heat – Love it fiery? Add more chipotles. Prefer it milder? Ease up on the peppers. You’re in charge!
- No Artificial Additives – Skip the stabilizers and preservatives found in commercial brands—this is all-natural, fresh, and vibrant.
- Versatile in the Kitchen – Drizzle it on pizza, mix it into mayo, or use it as a marinade. It’s a flavor powerhouse.
- Long Shelf Life – Fermented and properly stored, this sauce keeps for months in the fridge (if it lasts that long!).
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gather these simple ingredients to make your own sriracha at home:
- Dried Ancho Chiles – stemmed
- Dried Chipotle Chiles – stemmed. Dried chipotle chiles are actually jalapeños that have been smoked and will add extra flavor and dimension to this homemade sriracha sauce
- Distilled White Vinegar – make sure you use cooking grade white vinegar
- Habanero Powder – optional, but will add extra kick
- Kosher Salt – or sea salt
- Garlic – optional, but will add extra flavor
How to Make Homemade Sriracha Sauce
Step 1: Rehydrate the Chiles
Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Put the whole ancho and chipotle chiles in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Place a heavy plate on top of the chiles to keep them from floating. Cover and steep for 30 minutes or more.
Step 2: Ferment for Depth
Remove the chiles from water and rough chop. Add chopped chiles to a 1 quart jar (or 2 pint jars) along with the habanero powder, white distilled vinegar, and kosher salt. Cap tightly and refrigerate for 2 weeks. Shake the jar lightly every few days.
Step 3: Blend the Sauce
Insert an immersion blender into the jar and blend well, or use a blender of food processor. Blend until smooth.
Step 4: Strain
If you prefer a smoother consistency, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a spoon to extract all the liquid.
Step 5: Adjust & Bottle
Taste and adjust with more vinegar for tang, sugar for sweetness, or salt for balance. Transfer to sterilized glass bottles or jars for easy use.
Tips for Storing
To keep your homemade sriracha fresh and flavorful:
- Refrigerate for Longevity – Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
- Freeze for Extended Storage – Portion into ice cube trays, freeze, then transfer to a zip-top bag for up to 6 months.
- Sterilize Your Bottles or Jars – To prevent spoilage, wash bottles or jars with hot, soapy water or run them through a dishwasher before filling.
- Shake Before Use – Natural separation is normal, just give it a good shake before drizzling.
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Homemade Sriracha Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 whole dried ancho chiles
- 18 whole dried chipotle chiles
- 2 tsp habanero powder
- 5 cups white vinegar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Put the whole chiles in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Place a heavy plate on top of the chiles to keep them from floating. Allow to steep for 30 minutes or more.
- Remove from the water and rough chop the chiles, discarding the water. Add to a 1 quart jar (or 2 pint jars) along with the habanero powder, white distilled vinegar, and kosher salt. Cap tightly and refrigerate for 2 weeks. Shake the jar lightly every few days
- Insert an immersion blender (or conversely use a countertop blender) into the jar and blend well. Pour the chile mixture into a fine mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Stir to strain the liquid from the solids. Press the solids with a rubber spatula and discard. Repeat with the remaining chile mixture. Ladle into clean 1/2 pint jars and cap tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 year after opening.
- Makes 4 1/2 pint jars.
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Notes
Recipe Nutrition
* Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Final Thoughts
Once you try this homemade sriracha sauce, you’ll never go back to the bottled stuff. The smoky sweetness of ancho chiles paired with the earthy heat of chipotles creates a condiment that’s truly next-level. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to use up dried peppers from your pantry!
Slather it on sandwiches, swirl it into soups, or mix it into your favorite dipping sauces—the possibilities are endless. Happy cooking, spice lovers!
Did you make this recipe? Tag me on social @farmgirlgourmet—I’d love to see your fiery creations! 🔥🌶️
Recipe By:
Co-Founder at Spiceology | More About Heather…
Heather is a recipe developer and content creator living in Vancouver, Washington. She started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, almost 20 years ago, as a way to share recipes with friends and family. Heather is also the co-founder of Spiceology , a unique spice company, which she started in 2013. She shares family friendly recipes for easy everyday meals with a gourmet twist.
I really love this recipe and hope you will too!
Thank you for the recipe. This is wonderful! My husband loves it so much he is now threatening to take his own hot sauce to restaurants when we go out to eat. 🙂
No garlic?
You can certainly add garlic if you’d like. This was just a quick sauce using dried chiles. When I make with fresh chiles, I always add garlic. 🙂
Can this be water bath canned to be sent in the mail as christmas gifts? Thanks, Kim
Absolutely. The amount of vinegar keeps it from going bad, but if you make a lot of it, I recommend water bathing it just for insurance. 🙂 Happy Holidays and Enjoy!
I was looking at the recipe for Sriracha sauce and I was wondering if the jars need to be run through the water bath canning process before being stored in the fridge?
Hi Dylan, nope no need to water bath them…the vinegar will keep it from spoiling in the fridge.
Just mixed up a batch of Sriracha and am awaiting the results. I might be missing something but how can you get 5 cups of vineagar plus peppers into a one quart jar. I ended up using 4 cups and a larger jar. Thanks for bringing the idea of home made Sriracha to light. My wife may not ba quite as happy as me though:)
Hi Keith, you’re right that does seem like a typo. I will recheck my notes on that one. Glad you were able to make the adjustment. Let me know how it turns out.
So I finished up processing the first batch of the sauce. Using 4 cups of vineagar instead of 5. Came out with a full quart of delicious spicy goodness. I can not wait to finish the first bottle so I can make more. I don’t, however, think it a good replacement for regular sriracha. It has a much more smokey/mexican hotsauce flavor. Very good but just not quite asian. I’ll have to see if Savory Spice has dried Thai chillies. Thanks for the recipe and the start on my new obsession of home made hot sauces.
Hi Keith…you’re right, the dried chiles definitely make it more of a Tabasco-ish type sauce. I make it with fresh chiles too and it comes out much more creamy and less watery. Glad you are enjoying this recipe….and your comment made my day!! 🙂