Turn Your Empty Sriracha Into Flavor-Packed Chili Oil With One Easy Step
Sriracha is one of the best hot sauces, hands down. As delicious on avocado toast as it is in pho and ramen, it's no surprise if you find yourself going through the spicy stuff shockingly fast. But as the sadness of each nearly empty bottle sets in, push that negativity aside. The dreaded yet common condiment dilemma of trying to squeeze out every last drop can actually be a blessing in disguise. Turns out, it's possible to prevent any sriracha from going to waste by repurposing the bottle (and any leftover sauce) to make exceptionally flavorful chili oil. At the end of the day, spiciness should be the only reason to shed tears over hot sauce.
The process of turning the lingering traces of sriracha into homemade chili oil is so simple it only requires a single step. All you need for this hack is an empty (or mostly empty) bottle of sriracha and oil. Use a neutral-flavored type, such as peanut, grapeseed, or vegetable. Pour the oil of your choice directly into the sriracha bottle, then shake it up. Voila!
Curious how to put the spicy stuff to use in the kitchen? Just like the hot sauce itself, there are plenty of ways to use the oil — even as a spicy chili-infused ice cream topping. In terms of the homemade kind, it depends on whether the mixture is mostly oil or hot sauce. Whichever kind you have, it's easy to make the most of your sriracha chili oil.
How to use homemade chili oil
Sadly, extended sriracha shortages have become somewhat commonplace since 2020, so turning the hot sauce into chili oil can help you stretch your supply in a unique way while still adding extra heat and flavor to your food. But you won't necessarily want to use the spicy stuff exactly how you would the hot sauce. Based on the oil-to-sriracha ratio, your homemade chili oil may be best suited for different culinary applications.
If the mixture is heavier on the oil, it might become your favorite cooking fat. Since vegetable, grapeseed, and refined peanut oils have high smoke points, ranging from 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, all three are suitable for stovetop use. Sauté veggies, rice, or noodles in the sriracha chili oil for a zingy, peppery kick. Making a brine? Add it to the mix so steak, chicken, and pork can soak up some spice before sizzling in a hot pan.
However, if your homemade chili oil is heavier on the hot sauce, try using it as a finishing oil for your favorite dishes once they're already cooked — similar to how you'd usually enjoy sriracha. Drizzle it over a colorful salmon avocado poke bowl, flatbreads, or ramen for a pop of that signature jalapeño spice.
Looking for more inspiration? The Chowhound YouTube channel covers this method for salvaging leftover sriracha and putting it to use, as well as other hot tips for getting creative in the kitchen.