The Sriracha Shortage Is Back — but These 7 Sriracha Alternatives Can Ease the Sting

Published on 7/5/2023 at 1:15 PM

Bottles of Huy Fong Foods Sriracha sauce are displayed on a supermarket shelf during sriracha shortage

Every editorial product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn commission.

If sriracha is your go-to hot sauce, make sure to use every last drop wisely, because it might be a while before you get your hands on a reasonably priced bottle. Huy Fong, the leading producer of the Vietnamese hot sauce, is currently selling two-packs for a whopping $92 on Amazon. Resellers on eBay are driving a hard bargain, too, with 28-ounce bottles going for up to $60 each. It's a stark contrast from sriracha's typical price of about four bucks, but because there's an ongoing sriracha shortage, you won't have much luck finding any at that price.

Why is there a shortage of sriracha in the first place? A Huy Fong spokesperson told CBS that sriracha is currently being produced at a lower-than-normal rate due to extreme drought in Mexico, New Mexico, and California, where the company sources its chili peppers. Since chili is the main ingredient in sriracha, the poor harvest means Huy Fong is unable to keep up with the regular demand for its hot sauce.

As anyone who uses sriracha already knows, this isn't the first time sriracha has been in short supply. On and off since 2020, Huy Fong's sriracha output has been severely affected. While production is no longer at a standstill, Huy Fong recently announced that the chili supply is still limited, so it's hard to say exactly when sriracha will be back on shelves.

Luckily, not all hot sauces are affected, just ones that are made specifically with red jalapeño chili peppers sourced from Mexico, New Mexico, and California, like Huy Fong sriracha. If you don't want to settle for Tabasco, Louisiana-style, or other types of hot sauces, you can technically still get sriracha — it just won't be the one with the iconic green cap. The recipes differ slightly from brand to brand, but here are a few off-brand srirachas that might be able to hold you over until the Huy Fong shortage is over.

Huy Fong Sriracha Substitutes

Chin-Su Sriracha ($10): Like Huy Fong, this sriracha brand is also Vietnamese. Customers praise the heat level of Chin-Su sriracha but say it's very tomatoey and slightly sweeter.
Bushwick Kitchen Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha ($12): Thousands of Amazon shoppers love this sriracha-like hot sauce, despite having a distinctly different flavor from "that rooster brand."
Lingham's SriRacha ($6): If you don't mind a more prominent garlic and vinegar flavor, you'll probably enjoy this Malaysian sriracha. Though it's out of stock online, you can check your local Walmart to see if it's on shelves.
Trader Joe's Sriracha ($12): Trader Joe's take on sriracha is a lot sweeter than the traditional kind, but customers don't seem to mind. Availability may vary by Trader Joe's location.
Sky Valley Sriracha ($16): Two bottles of this sriracha cost only $10 at Costco, TikTokers report, and though it's slightly tangier and sweeter than Huy Fong sriracha, the majority of the reviews are positive.
Kroger Sriracha Chili Sauce ($3): Multiple people have said this store-brand sriracha is the closest in taste to Huy Fong sriracha.
Homemade Sriracha: Not convinced you'll find a good alternative to Huy Fong sriracha? If you can find red jalapeño peppers in your grocery store, give this POPSUGAR-approved sriracha recipe a try.