The Best Substitute For Sriracha If You Don't Have The Real Stuff

It happens to the best of us. You are standing in your kitchen and wrestling with the unrelenting question that asks, "What's for dinner?" Or, maybe you're already cooking after carefully assembling your ingredients on the counter. You head to the fridge and open the door, reaching in for the bright red bottle of Sriracha. Then, your worst fear is realized: There is no Sriracha and dinner is as good as ruined.

A condiment with a cult following, Sriracha is near perfect with its combination of hot chilis, a healthy dose of garlic, and a touch of sweetness. It adds a punch to any meal and discovering that you've run out is certainly a crushing blow. But the good news is you won't have to succumb to starvation — there's another spicy sauce that makes an excellent substitution and is sure to save the day.

Think of gochujang as Sriracha's saucier cousin. It's a key component of Korean cooking and is what gives Korean chicken wings their sweet and spicy flavor. Gochujang is basically a luxuriously thick chili paste. It's known for its pungent flavor, which comes from spicy Korean chili peppers. They're blended with fermented soybeans, glutinous rice (also known as sticky rice), and salt to create a viscous, sticky spread that clings to whatever it touches. It hits all the notes that Sriracha does but with extra oomph.

Matt Rodbard, author of "Koreatown: A Cookbook," described the flavor to Bon Appétit as one of "funkiness, spice (sometimes a CRAZY amount of spice), and sweetness on the backend." One of the great things about gochujang sauce is that it's available at different levels of spice, measured in Gochujang Hot taste Units (GHUs), and mixes well with other flavors and ingredients when making sauces or marinades.

The earthy, fermented flavor and sweetness are like a fully-realized, grown-up Sriracha.

Gochujang isn't the only spicy substitute you can reach for when you're out of Sriracha. A number of other sauces will give you the heat you crave. Sambal Oelek is often on grocery store shelves right next to Sriracha, but this smaller jar packs a much larger punch. It comes from Indonesia and is made with crushed fresh chilis — and a little vinegar and salt. It's pure chili flavor with a healthy dose of heat.

There's also Harissa, a spicy condiment that originated in the North African country of Tunisia. Its base is dried chili peppers blended with olive oil and other spices like cumin and garlic. Sometimes, the chile peppers are smoked beforehand to add another layer of complexity to the final product. Harissa, like gochujang, can vary widely in its flavor. Some are heavy and smokey while others are brighter with notes of citrus. It works well as a condiment or sandwich spread and can be mixed into sauces and stews to add something extra. 

They might not be Sriracha, but they're going to hit the spot for that intense chili heat you're looking for.