Ingredients
- 150 g red, hot chili peppers of your choice, roughly chopped (see note)
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed just until broken
- About 1 cup distilled vinegar (5% vinegar)
- About ¼ cup + 1–2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Note: The original Thai Sriracha is made from spur chilies, but the popular one from Huy Fong Foods is made from red jalapenos. Fresno and red serrano chilies are two other good options. Use whichever red, hot chili peppers you have access to, as long as they have a substantial amount of flesh, so we can achieve the thick, luscious consistency iconic of Sriracha. The spiciness of this sauce will vary depending on the pepper you use, but if the peppers you have are not spicy enough for you, you can add extra Thai chilies to boost the heat.
Instructions
- Add chilies and garlic to a small pot and add just enough vinegar to cover (you may need a little more or less than 1 cup). Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the garlic cloves are soft.
- Transfer to a blender—if you want to tone down the heat slightly, leave behind the seeds. You can do this by using a slotted spoon to transfer just chilies and garlic to the blender, then pour remaining vinegar into blender through a strainer to catch seeds. (See video for this technique).
- Blend until smooth.
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a small pot, pushing out as much liquid as possible with a rubber spatula, and occasionally scrape the bottom of the sieve with a knife to get the sauce that is hanging on there.
- Put the sauce back on the stove over medium heat. Add salt and 1/4 cup sugar and stir until the sauce comes to a simmer. Remove from heat, taste, and adjust seasoning with the remaining sugar if needed.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge, it should last you a few months.
