Update, April 13, 2023: Just when we thought it was safe to enjoy sriracha with abandon once more, manufacturer Huy Fong Foods told CBS MoneyWatch this week that another shortage is looming.
The latest strain on Huy Fong’s supply is being caused by a continuing drought in Mexico. These weather conditions are the same ones that caused a shortage of quality chile peppers last year, lowering the company’s overall sriracha output in 2022.
“Unfortunately, we are still experiencing a shortage of raw material,” Huy Fong Foods told MoneyWatch. “At this time, we have no estimations of when supply will increase.”
For now, online retailers like Amazon do still have Huy Fong sriracha in stock (you can buy what you need here), so if you order some soon, you should be okay. And if you see the classic red bottle with the rooster (and the green cap) on store shelves, I’d probably pick one up, just to be safe.
If you’re in need of more spicy stuff, there are plenty of alternative brands to consider that should tide you over until Huy Fong’s production ramps back up. Check out our list of suggestions below.
Original post, June 8, 2022: Uh oh, Huy Fong sriracha fans. Stock up if you can, because NextShark reports that all orders will be majorly delayed due to a “severe shortage of chili.” Huy Fong sriracha orders placed after April 19 this year won’t be fulfilled until after Labor Day (September 6), in the order that they were placed. Unfortunately, that problem extends to all of Huy Fong’s products, including their sambal oelek, which is a chili paste that is not only a condiment, but a versatile ingredient in the kitchen that you can toss into any dishes that need a kick of crushed red pepper. As far as we can tell, only Huy Fong is being impacted by a pepper shortage now and no other sauce manufacturers are affected, but we’ll keep an eye on things for you.
So what’s a Huy Fong sriracha lover to do? Don’t worry, we have some alternatives for you.
Fix Hot Sauce
Fix Hot Sauce is a family run (by siblings plus a friend) company that produces their family’s recipe for sriracha. We’re fans of the green bottle of Lemongrass Sriracha, because who says all sriracha has to be red? Plus we love supporting family-run sauce companies (like Bachan’s barbecue sauce). So why not give a Fix Hot Sauce a shot? You can order it through their Amazon store.
Three Mountain Yellow Sriracha
I asked a friend of mine, Brian, who’s a huge sriracha fan, about his favorite brand. He swears by Three Mountain yellow sriracha. It only has five ingredients: chili, sugar, vinegar, salt, and garlic. He loves it because “it’s mild enough that you can add it to things that are already spicy,” and he also says “it’s not super salty and it has no preservatives.”
In terms of flavor, he said it has “notes of banana peppers and slight sweetness, but still has sriracha as its dominant flavor.” Brian suggests that you use it on seafood dishes and any type of poultry sandwich. He said he even snuck it into alfredo sauce, which ended up being unexpectedly great as well. Thanks, Brian! You can order it online through Amazon, and some Asian supermarkets also carry it.
Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha
I am a big fan of Yellowbird’s hot sauces. Normally I can’t take down the ultra-spicy stuff (I briefly lost hearing in one ear when trying an extreme hot sauce once), but I managed to happily plow through a bottle of Yellowbird’s Ghost Pepper Condiment a while back.
We’re not going that crazy today. In this case, my recommendation is the Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha, which is based off of red jalapeños, and includes blue agave nectar as a sweetener, which gives it a slightly different character. I love the garlicky finish, which reminds me, I’m just about out of the Huy Fong stuff. Better scribble this down on my shopping list. You can pick some Blue Agave Sriracha up at many local supermarkets, but you can also purchase it directly off Yellowbird’s website or its Amazon store.
Good luck, sriracha fans, and if you’ve got any suggestions for alternatives, tell me in the comments section, because I’m always on the hunt.