5-Ingredient Honey Sriracha Sauce

This 5-ingredient honey sriracha sauce recipe creates the perfect BBQ or dipping sauce to go with ribs, chicken, wings, or seafood. The sweet and spicy you already know, but there’s a hidden twist for an irresistible touch of umami: oyster sauce!

📝Why This Works

✔️Simple | We all love a great sauce that can be made without too much effort using everyone’s favorite hot sauce and a short list of other easy-to-find ingredients.

✔️Umami Twist | Don’t you love going to a cookout where you get to taste something new and incredibly delicious? The oyster sauce addition pairs wonderfully with the sweetness and gentle heat for a palate-pleasing flavor profile.

✔️Easy To Scale | This recipe makes just under one cup of sauce – enough for a couple of chicken breasts or a few wings. You can easily double or triple the batch for a larger gathering.

🌶️Ingredients

🛒Sriracha Sauce | The main ingredients of this famous Thai sauce are chilis, garlic, distilled vinegar, sugar, and salt along with some additives. There is a knockoff version made in the United States called “rooster sauce” that you can use as a substitute.

Look for both types in the international aisle of the grocery store next to the soy sauce and oyster sauce on the top shelf.

🛒Honey | Honey will be the agent that pulls in all the sweetness we taste in the sauce. It also helps the sauce thicken up.

🛒Rice Vinegar | There is a lot of sweetness in this sauce and some acidity will offer a more balanced taste. You can substitute with another if you don’t have any of this.

🛒Oyster Sauce | A lot of recipes for this type of sauce call for soy sauce (which is amazing as well), but oyster sauce has a lot more depth of flavor which works very well for this recipe. It is a thicker option than soy sauce, and we love to use it when we want those ooey-gooey sauces that easily stick to the food.

🛒Fresh Garlic | The sauce is brought to a light boil, so the garlic flavor is toned down but it’s the perfect amount to blend with the other flavors.

🔥Instructions

👉Step 1: Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk to combine.

👉Step 2: Place on the stove over low to medium heat and bring to a light boil, stirring frequently.

👉Step 3: Turn off the stovetop and allow it to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a sealed container.

❗Recipe Tips and Tricks

💡Scale it up | This version only makes just under one cup. Double or triple the recipe right away! At least have the ingredients on hand so you can make another batch after you taste it. I bet you will want more than one cup.

💡Keep stirring | Don’t walk away from the stove when cooking. It heats up fast and comes to a gentle boil quickly. Make sure you stir it frequently.

💡Adjust the consistency | Choose to simmer this sauce for a bit and it will get even thicker.

🍱Storage & Reheating

❄️Fridge | Store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a sealed container.

🧊Freezer | Freeze the remaining sauce for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container.

♨️Reheating | The cold honey sriracha sauce can be quite thick, and warming it up a little will make it more fluid. You can gently reheat it on the stovetop over low heat, or in the microwave on a low power setting.

🔁Additions and Substitutions

⚡Soy Sauce | Substitute the oyster sauce with soy sauce. The sauce will be a little bit thinner but will still taste delicious.

⚡Add in Lime or Lemon Juice | Putting in a little bit of lemon or lime juice will introduce a bit of fresh citrus tang for an additional fresh flavor.

⚡Ketchup | Adding a bit of ketchup will make it a bit on the sweeter side while the tang of the sriracha will fall to the back of the palate.

⚡Butter | Add richness to the taste by adding 1-2 tbsp of butter to the sauce.

⚡Rice Vinegar Substitute | Don’t have rice vinegar? A milder type like apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and champagne vinegar can be used instead.

⚡Creamy Elements | A touch of yogurt or coconut milk will lower the heat while adding a creamy texture.

⚡Honey Alternatives | Try agave nectar or maple syrup as alternatives to honey for a different kind of sweetness.

⚡Spice Variations | A bit of smoked paprika or chipotle powder will give the sauce a smokier flavor profile.

⚡Garlic or Ginger | For an aromatic twist, add some minced garlic or ginger for extra depth of flavor.

🍽️Serving Suggestions

This sauce is more versatile than you can imagine. I always like to double or even triple the batch since there are so many ways to enjoy it. Here are some of my favorites:

As a Marinade

Great for chicken, shrimp, or even tofu, providing a sweet and spicy flavor. You can make these grilled orange and honey sriracha chicken wings or use it as a marinade for chicken breast.

Dipping Sauce

Perfect for French fries, spring rolls, dumplings, grilled shrimp, chicken nuggets, and grilled chicken wings.

Glaze

I love brushing the sauce at the end of smoking for smoked pork loin or smoked tenderloin, and it works for many other types of meat, including chicken and turkey.

It can add the perfect stickiness to grilled St. Louis ribs, smoked meatloaf, or even fun appetizers like smoked shotgun shells, and smoked pig shots.

Another way to use it as a glaze is for grilled and smoked fish. You can try it on my honey-basted smoked salmon as a replacement for the plain honey glaze.

Honey sriracha sauce also lends itself to almost any veggie such as onions, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, and eggplants to name a few.

Let’s not forget potatoes! It’s one of my favorite options for grilled sweet potato wedges, and grilled baby potatoes.

Dressing

Drizzle in salads or grain bowls for a zesty twist. For this scenario, be sure to use it sparingly. The sweetness of this sauce can overpower the milder flavored greens and vegetables.

Sandwich Spread

You’ll love the spicy kick it adds to burgers, wraps, or sandwiches.

Chili Sauce Substitute

This is a wonderful alternative for recipes that call for chili sauce like the air fryer wings. They both have a spicy and sweet flavor profile, so they can be used interchangeably.

❓Recipe FAQ

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