Sriracha is the garlicky chilli sauce in the bottle with the green cap – thin enough to squeeze straight over the food, sharp enough to cut through fat, and hot without burning away everything else. Here is what it actually is, how Huy Fong and Flying Goose differ, five ways to use it, and which bottle to start with.
What is sriracha?
Sriracha is a chilli sauce made from ripe red chillies, garlic, vinegar, sugar and salt. The chillies are ground to a smooth purée, and the result is a thin sauce balanced between hot, sharp and slightly sweet. The name comes from the coastal town of Si Racha in Thailand, where the original version was made as a dip for seafood.
The version most people know is American, though. Huy Fong Foods started production in California in the 1980s, and it is their bottle with the rooster and the green cap that turned sriracha into a global phenomenon. Thai sriracha sauces, such as Flying Goose, tend to be a little sweeter and thinner than the American one.
What does sriracha taste like?
Garlic first, then a clear sharpness from the vinegar, and finally an even chilli warmth that settles in the background instead of hitting straight away. The sweetness is noticeable, but not dominant. Because the sauce is thin, the flavour spreads across the whole dish instead of sitting in one blob.
On heat, sriracha sits at around 1,000–2,500 on the Scoville scale. For comparison, a jalapeño sits at 2,500–8,000 and original Tabasco at around 2,500. Sriracha is milder than its reputation suggests – it is the garlic and the sharpness people notice most.
Huy Fong or Flying Goose?
This is the question people actually ask, and the difference is real:
- Huy Fong is thicker, more garlic-dominated and has a rawer chilli flavour. The American original, and the one that suits you best when you want the sriracha to come through clearly.
- Flying Goose is Thai, slightly thinner and noticeably sweeter. It slips into dressings and dips more easily without taking over, and comes in far more flavour variants.
If you have never bought sriracha before, Huy Fong 482g is the safe choice. If you want to experiment, the Flying Goose range is more fun.
5 ways to use sriracha
- Sriracha mayonnaise. One tablespoon of sriracha in four tablespoons of mayonnaise. Done in half a minute, and it suits chips, dumplings, fishcakes and burgers.
- Over a fried egg and rice. The simplest meal there is: rice, a fried egg with a crisp edge, a splash of soy sauce and a zigzag of sriracha over the top.
- In the marinade. Mix sriracha with soy sauce, honey and garlic for chicken wings or pork neck. The sugar in the sauce caramelises in the oven.
- In noodle soup. A spoonful stirred into the broth gives warmth and acidity at once – try it in a ramen or pho.
- With seafood. The way it was originally used in Si Racha: as a dip for prawns, mussels and fried fish, with a little lime.
Sriracha vs sambal oelek vs gochujang
The three often end up on the same shelf, but they do different jobs:
- Sriracha is thin, sharp and garlicky. Best straight onto finished food.
- Sambal oelek is coarsely ground chilli with salt and vinegar, without garlic and without sweetness. Plain heat you can stir into anything without changing the flavour picture.
- Gochujang is thick, fermented and sweet-hot with plenty of umami. A base ingredient for marinades and stews, not something you squeeze over the food. We have a separate guide to gochujang.
They cannot replace one another one to one. You will find all three among our Asian sauces.
The flavour variants
Flying Goose has built a whole range around the basic recipe. The Ghost variant has ghost pepper added and is considerably hotter than ordinary sriracha – start carefully with that one. Smokey brings a smoky note to grilled food, Ginger is fresher and suits seafood, and the Kimchi variant has a sharp fermented note.
Ready-made sriracha mayonnaise
If you would rather not mix your own, it comes ready-made. It is thicker than the homemade version and keeps longer in the fridge.
Storage
An unopened bottle handles room temperature fine. Once opened, most producers recommend the fridge, but sriracha contains both vinegar and salt and keeps well in the cupboard too. The colour darkens over time – that is oxidation, not a sign that the sauce has gone off. Rinse the nozzle with warm water now and then so the cap does not stick.
Frequently asked questions
How hot is sriracha? Around 1,000–2,500 Scoville, so milder than a jalapeño. The Ghost variant from Flying Goose sits far higher.
What can replace sriracha? Sambal oelek with a little vinegar, sugar and grated garlic comes closest. Gochujang does not work – it is too thick and too sweet.
Is sriracha gluten free? Huy Fong's original sriracha does not contain wheat, but always check the ingredient list on your own bottle, since the variants differ.
Why is it called sriracha? After Si Racha, a coastal town south-east of Bangkok where the sauce originally came from.
Where do you buy sriracha in Norway? At FUDI – in the shops at Holmen in Asker and Røa in Oslo, or in the online shop. You will find our whole sriracha range here.
Getting started
If you are only buying one bottle, take Huy Fong 482g. It covers everything from egg and rice to marinade, and lasts a long time. If you want something to play with alongside it, the Flying Goose flavour variants are the cheapest way to expand the cupboard. The whole range sits in the sriracha collection, together with the rest of our chilli sauces.
