Honey Sriracha Sauce

This honey Sriracha sauce is creamy, sweet, spicy, and made with just three ingredients in about 5 minutes. The honey balances the heat from the Sriracha, and the mayonnaise gives it a smooth texture that’s perfect for dipping, drizzling, and spreading. Serve it with chicken, fries, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, or rice bowls whenever you want an easy sauce with plenty of flavor.

Why This Honey Sriracha Sauce Works

I wanted a sweet and spicy mayo I could make quickly and use with basically anything I'm eating for dinner. After testing a few different ratios of mayonnaise, honey, and Sriracha, I found that the sauce needed a creamy mayo base with equal amounts of honey and Sriracha to get the balance right.

That ratio gives you noticeable heat without letting the Sriracha take over, and enough sweetness to soften the spice without making the sauce taste sugary. The mayonnaise rounds everything out and creates a smooth, creamy consistency that works just as well for dipping as it does for spreading or drizzling.

I also love how easy it is to adjust. You can add a little more honey for a milder sauce or extra Sriracha when you want more heat. Either way it takes less than 5 minutes to make, and I’ve found myself using it on far more than I originally expected.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup sriracha sauce

Ingredient Notes

• Mayonnaise: I use full-fat mayo because it gives the sauce a thicker, creamier consistency that clings well to chicken and fries. Light mayo works, but the sauce will be a little looser.
• Honey: A mild honey works best so it doesn’t compete with the garlic and chili flavor in the Sriracha. If your honey has crystallized, warm it briefly so it blends smoothly into the mayo.
• Sriracha: Brands can vary in heat and garlic flavor, so taste the sauce after mixing. If your Sriracha is especially spicy, start with slightly less and add more until the heat is where you want it.

How to Make Honey Sriracha Sauce

Step 1: Combine everything

Add the mayonnaise, honey, and sriracha to a medium bowl.

Step 2: Whisk until smooth

Whisk until completely smooth and fully combined with no streaks of any ingredient remaining. The sauce should be a uniform pale orange color throughout.

Step 3: Taste and adjust

Taste the sauce and adjust to your preference. Add more honey if you want it sweeter and milder, more sriracha if you want more heat, or a small squeeze of lime juice if you want a little brightness.

Step 4: Serve or chill

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce tastes great right away and only improves after 30 minutes in the refrigerator as the flavors meld together. You can store it for up to 2 weeks, so it's perfect for making ahead. 

My Tips for the Best Honey Sriracha Sauce

• Let it chill before serving. The sauce tastes good right away, but I think the sweet, spicy, and garlicky flavors become more balanced after 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Taste it with the food you’re serving. The sauce may seem spicy on its own but taste much milder with chicken, fries, or rice. Make your final adjustments after trying it with the actual dish.
• Adjust in small amounts. Add honey or Sriracha 1 teaspoon at a time. A full tablespoon can change the flavor more than you expect in a small batch.
• Thin it only when needed. Keep the sauce thick for dipping and spreading. For tacos, bowls, or drizzling, whisk in water or fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Add it after cooking. Spoon or drizzle the sauce over cooked chicken, shrimp, or vegetables rather than using it as a cooking glaze. The honey can burn over high heat, and the mayonnaise may separate.
• Stir it again before serving. The sauce can thicken slightly as it chills, so give it a quick whisk to bring back the smooth consistency.
• Keep crispy foods separate until the last minute. Serve the sauce on the side or toss it with chicken and fries immediately before eating so they don’t become soggy.

Honey Sriracha Sauce FAQs

What is honey Sriracha sauce?

Honey Sriracha sauce is a sweet and spicy condiment made by combining Sriracha hot sauce with honey. This version also includes mayonnaise, which gives it a creamy texture.

Is honey Sriracha sauce the same as honey Sriracha mayo?

This recipe can also be called honey Sriracha mayo because mayonnaise is its main ingredient. The terms are often used for the same creamy sauce made with mayo, honey, and Sriracha.

Is honey Sriracha mayo the same as spicy mayo?

It’s a type of spicy mayo, but it’s sweeter. Basic spicy mayo is usually made with mayonnaise and Sriracha, while this version adds honey to soften the heat and create a more noticeable sweet and spicy flavor.

How spicy is honey Sriracha sauce?

This recipe has a medium heat level because it uses ¼ cup of Sriracha. The mayonnaise and honey soften the spice, but you’ll still taste a noticeable kick. For a milder sauce, begin with 2 tablespoons of Sriracha and add more after tasting. For more heat, increase the Sriracha 1 teaspoon at a time.

Can I use hot honey instead of regular honey?

Yes. Hot honey will make the sauce noticeably spicier, so start with less Sriracha than the recipe calls for. Whisk everything together, taste it, then add more Sriracha only if needed.

Can I substitute maple syrup for honey?

Yes. Use the same amount of pure maple syrup. The sauce may be slightly thinner and will have a deeper maple flavor, but it will still balance the heat from the Sriracha.

Can I make honey Sriracha sauce without mayonnaise?

You can replace the mayonnaise with plain full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. Greek yogurt makes the sauce tangier and lighter, while sour cream gives it a rich texture with more acidity.

Can honey Sriracha sauce be used as a chicken marinade?

Yes, but reserve some clean sauce for serving before the rest touches raw chicken. Keep the chicken marinating in the refrigerator and cook it within 2 days.

Is honey Sriracha sauce dairy-free?

It can be. Traditional mayonnaise is made with eggs and oil rather than milk, and Hellmann’s confirms that its Real Mayonnaise contains no dairy ingredients. Check the label on your mayonnaise and Sriracha if you need the sauce to be strictly dairy-free.

Is honey Sriracha sauce gluten-free?

The three ingredients are often gluten-free, but brands can vary. Hellmann’s labels its Real Mayonnaise gluten-free, and Huy Fong states that its Sriracha doesn’t contain wheat. Check each package if you’re cooking for someone with celiac disease or a serious sensitivity.

Can I make honey Sriracha sauce vegan?

Yes. Use plant-based mayonnaise and replace the honey with maple syrup or agave. Hellmann’s Plant-Based Mayonnaise is dairy-free and egg-free, but other brands may differ, so check the label.

Can I substitute a different hot sauce for sriracha?

Yes, though different hot sauces produce notably different results. Frank's RedHot gives a more vinegar-forward, classic buffalo-style flavor. Sambal oelek makes it spicier and less sweet. Gochujang produces a deeper, slightly fermented heat with more complexity. All are good alternatives depending on the flavor profile you want, though sriracha is the classic choice for this specific sauce.

Is honey sriracha sauce the same as bang bang sauce?

They are similar in that both are mayo-based sweet and spicy sauces but they are distinct recipes. Bang bang sauce uses sweet chili sauce and vinegar, which gives it a slightly different sweetness and a more complex, multi-layered flavor. Honey sriracha is simpler, bolder, and more direct in its sweet heat. Both are great and worth having in your refrigerator.

What is honey Sriracha sauce good on?

Honey Sriracha sauce is especially good with chicken tenders, nuggets, fried chicken, baked chicken, chicken cutlets, crispy shrimp, French fries, burgers, tacos, wraps, and rice bowls. It also works as a dip for egg rolls, spring rolls, roasted vegetables, and fried appetizers. 

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