There’s arguably no spicy condiment more popular than Sriracha across the globe, but its chili paste cousin – sambal oelek – is doing its best to carve out its culinary niche worldwide. These are two fiery flavors, but when the line is drawn in the sand, where do they stand? Which is spicier? Is one more complexly flavored than the other? Can they be used interchangeably? We dive into these questions as we compare sambal oelek and Sriracha.
In terms of ingredients, how do Sriracha and sambal oelek compare?
These two chili-based products have more in common than most people realize. Sriracha sauce mainly contains chili peppers, sugar, salt, garlic, and a light amount of vinegar. It’s a simple recipe compared to most hot sauces, which helps keep the sauce rich in hot pepper flavor.
–> Learn More: Read Our Sriracha Sauce Review
Sambal oelek, too, is simple – just chilies, salt, vinegar, and water. It’s by far one of the simplest chili pastes around, but that doesn’t mean it loses out of flavor.
So the big differences between sambal oelek and Sriracha can be boiled down to sugar and garlic, as well as how these ingredients are prepared. Sriracha is puréed into a relatively thick, but smooth hot sauce. Sambal oelek is made into a chunkier paste.
So which is hotter? Sambal oelek or Sriracha?
The heat is very comparable when comparing the store-bought options. While sambal oelek doesn’t list its Scoville heat ranking, we know that Sriracha ranges from 1,000 to 2,500 Scoville heat units. That puts it within the upper-mild to low-medium range of heat. Compare that to the jalapeño (2,500 to 8,000 SHU), and you can easily imagine its overall heat.
Both of these products rely on similar groupings of red chilies, the most common is red jalapeño peppers. So expect a medium level of spiciness for each. Though, not all is as simple as it seems. Those extra ingredients in Sriracha do dilute the heat slightly, so a sambal oelek that uses the same chilies can sometimes taste slightly hotter since the chili is more prevalent.
Of course, any comparison on heat is thrown out the door if you’re considering homemade Sriracha or sambal oelek. Then it all comes down to the chili pepper choice and the amount used. One may be based on red serrano peppers (hotter than a jalapeño), while another may have stepped it up entirely by using much hotter Thai peppers.
What about the taste? How different are the flavors between the two?
While the ingredient lists are simple and similar, there is a definite taste difference between Sriracha and sambal oelek. Sriracha tends to be sweeter with subtle garlic undertones, whereas sambal oelek relies on the chili pepper flavor and a touch more vinegar. Neither product is vinegary like Tabasco or another Louisiana hot sauce, but since there are fewer ingredients, you can taste that vinegar tang a little more with sambal oelek.
The other major flavor difference comes from the textures. This is a sauce vs. paste comparison, so the texture difference is big here. Sriracha is smooth, while sambal oelek is chunky. If you love chunkier textures, you may be surprised at how quickly you convert to sambal oelek for some recipes.
Can you substitute Sriracha for sambal oelek? Or vice versa?
This is a very popular substitution and for good reason. We mention many flavor difference above, but when put into context against the whole world of sauces and pastes – Sriracha and sambal oelek have more in common than most.
Though remember, there are both flavor and texture differences. Sriracha will bring a sweeter flavor, along with garlic undertones, to a dish. And if you’re looking for an additive to thicken up a dish, sambal oelek is obviously the much better fit. Consider the use case, but there are many where the substitution can work.
Must-read related posts
- Sriracha Vs. Tabasco: How do these two very popular hot sauces compare?
- Six Tasty Sambal Oelek Uses: Want to explore ways to use the chili paste? Start here.
- Gochujang Vs. Sambal Oelek: What are the similarities between these chili pastes? Differences?