When you think of a versatile hot sauce that is deliciously addictive, one word comes to mind… Sriracha! It’s one of the most popular hot sauces out there. I frequently use a few drops to many food items to add that extra spicy kick, such as pizza, soups, sandwiches, popcorn, any Thai or Chinese dish, sushi, breakfast potatoes, etc (the list could go on and on).
Knowing how versatile the liquid form of Sriracha is, wouldn’t it be great if there was a dry form of it you could sprinkle onto anything to give it that additional spicy flavor without making it soggy? Try Sriracha salt.
Sriracha salt contains all the great flavors minus the liquid. I was first exposed to this delicious concoction at our first Eat Omnivore dining experience back in 2012. The meal had started off with a truly amazing appetizer – True Bloody Mary and “Chips & Dip”, which consisted of the following:
- House-made red beet juice bloody mary with a Sriracha salt rim and pickled tempura beets
- Sweet potato chips with Sriracha salt
- Beet tartare with avocado, maldon salt, and aberquina olive oil
And YES, it ALL tasted just as amazing as it sounds! Although I’m not a huge fan of Bloody Mary’s, by the end of the night, I had licked the entire rim of the glass which was coated with the Sriracha Salt. I also could not get enough of the Sweet Potato Chips sprinkled with Sriracha Salt.
One of the perks about hosting these dinners with Eat Omnivore is being able to keep some of the left over components they have prepared for the entire meal. That night, not only did our friends (the chefs) leave us some extra Basil Sorbet and Salted Caramel Ice Cream, but they also left us a small bag of the Sriracha Salt. Since there wasn’t much remaining, I remember using it sparingly for the next few weeks until it was finally all gone.
I realized how easy the recipe was and finally got around to making some (2 years later) and it was just as delicious as before. Now I don’t have to use it sparingly. So far I’ve used it on roasted brussels sprouts, popcorn, avocados, avocado toast (recipe to come), fresh veggies, potatoes, and fries. When making Sriracha Salt, it takes little time to prep, but a few hours to dehydrate. So you can easily sit back, relax, and let your oven do most of the work. I’m excited to make more and prepare some fun jars as gifts to some of my Sriracha-Loving friends (you know who you are!).
Sriracha Salt (vegan, gluten-free)
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup kosher salt use Diamond kosher if possible
- 1/3 cup Sriracha Sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to the lowest setting it can go (for me, that temperature was 175 degrees).
- Combine the Sriracha Sauce and salt and mix well.
- Spread the Sriracha-salt mixture very thinly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with a flat metal spatula.
- As the oven warms up, place the baking sheet in the oven and prop the oven door open slightly.
- Let it dehydrate for a couple of hours until completely dry (about 3-4 hours depending on your oven temperature.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cool completely.
- Peel the Sriracha-salt mixture off of the parchment paper and gently grind to a powder in a small mini food processor or blender (I used my bullet for this step). Be sure to pulse while grinding. You can also use a mortar and pestle to crush the mixture down to whatever consistency you prefer.
- Store in the fridge in an air-tight container.
reema
Do you have to leave the oven door ajar?
anjali
For this Sriracha salt, yes that is how I made it and i would recommend that. But if for some reason you can’t leave it open, then you can try it closed. The consistency may be a little different and it will dry differently…just be sure to keep checking on when it’s completely dried so it does not burn. Because of the kids, I made sure we were out of the house.
But for the Sriracha Lime Salt (which i highly highly recommend), NO you do not leave the oven door open. If you like lime, i think you will love the version with lime in it. I typically keep both in my fridge and use both for different things, but have found myself enjoying the sriracha lime salt on popcorn with a little coconut oil!
Let me know how it goes!
Deana Slone
I was wondering if you have ever made this in a food dehydrator? Would you also share either the link or your recipe for the lime version?
anjali
I actually don’t own a dehydrator, so I haven’t tried it or know much about the process. Basically you want to dry it slowly at a low temperature. This sriracha salt, and the lime one are my absolute favorites! They go so well on everything! Let me know if you end up making it, Here is the link for the lime version – http://vegetariangastronomy.com/2014/08/sriracha-lime-salt-vegan-gluten-free/