Is Sriracha Keto? How Capsaicin Burns Fat + 0 Carb Hot Sauces

Is Sriracha keto or low carb?¹ 

Sriracha is a favorite as far as Mexican inspired hot sauces go but as usual, keto dieters must always check the nutrition label for the ingredients and amount of carbs to ensure they aren’t kicked out of ketosis. 

So before dousing this spicy red sauce on your next meal be sure to review the amount of carbs below, if it’s healthy or not for clean keto, the ingredients (it does contain a negligible amount of sugar), how capsaicin (the spice in chili peppers) burns fat and seven 0 carb keto hot sauces to choose from. 

Is Sriracha Good for You or Bad for You? Is Sriracha Healthy or Unhealthy?

Sriracha is a low calorie condiment produced by a number of different brands. Huy Fong Foods makes the most popular variety, with the signature red bottle, green cap, and rooster logo on the label.

Source: Kameleon007 via Canva.com²

This sauce includes the following ingredients:

• Fresh red jalapeño chili peppers
• Sugar
• Garlic powder
• Distilled vinegar
• Potassium sorbate
• Sodium bisulfite 
• Xanthan gum

There are no artificial colors or flavors added. Sriracha is made with recognizable ingredients and it’s not a significant source of calories, fat, or sugar.

Compared to most other condiments, sriracha is definitely a healthy choice. Research indicates that people who regularly eat capsaicin-containing foods (like chili peppers) may live longer and stay healthier than people who prefer a bland diet.³

Sriracha Nutrition Facts & Amount of Carbs

1 teaspoon (5 grams) of sriracha contains:

• 0 calories
• 0 grams of fat
• Less than 1 gram of net carbs
• Less than 1 gram of sugar
• 80 milligrams of sodium

The amount of carbs in Sriracha is negligible unless you’re consuming sriracha by the tablespoonful at every meal. The heat of the sauce keeps most people from eating a large quantity of it, making it a great low-calorie, low-carb way to add lots of flavor to dishes like wings, stir fries, cauliflower rice, eggs, and marinades.

So yes, you can have sriracha on keto – just don’t go crazy.

Is Sriracha Keto-Friendly?

Other than sugar, all of the ingredients in sriracha are keto-friendly. However, sriracha contains such minimal amounts of sugar that you would have to eat a large quantity of the sauce to overdo it.

Most people use a teaspoon or less of sriracha in a meal, which contains less than a gram of sugar. Consequently, the answer to ‘is sriracha keto?’ is yes – as long as you don’t slather everything you eat with copious amounts of the sauce.

Stick to a tablespoon or two per day at most, and consider mixing it up with some of the 0 carb hot sauce recommendations in this article.

Benefits of Sriracha on the Keto Diet

Although sriracha isn’t exactly a healthy food, it can be a good way to get more capsaicin on the keto diet. Capsaicin, the active component in chili peppers, is what makes spicy peppers spicy!

Throughout history, hot peppers have been valued for their health benefits. They’re linked to better immune health, enhanced pain relief, and even improved metabolic function.

For anyone wondering does hot sauce help you lose weight, many people experience improved satiety and decreased appetite when consuming spicy foods that contain capsaicin.⁴ Adding sriracha or other hot sauces to your keto meals can be a good way to practice effortless portion control.

How Capsaicin Burns Fat & the Fat Burning Benefits of Capsaicin

Often, people who are tired of being fat start looking for creative weight loss solutions. Increasing capsaicin intake can be just such a solution.

Found in all hot peppers, capsaicin is actually a neurotoxin. It produces a burning sensation when it comes into contact with your mouth, which anyone who has participated in a hot wings challenge can attest to!

Despite the fact that it is technically an irritant, capsaicin provides a variety of surprising health benefits. Most importantly for keto dieters, capsaicin can improve metabolic health by modulating the gut microbiome.⁵

While this function of capsaicin is not entirely understood, it appears that this compound increases resting energy expenditure and oxygen consumption, both of which can lead to enhanced weight loss results.

Other research indicates that capsaicin may induce improved fat oxidation (fat burning), but only for a short period of time following consumption.⁶

What does this mean for people wondering ‘is sriracha keto’? While the fat-burning effects of capsaicin will continue to undergo research, adding spicy foods to your diet today has little to no side effects (other than some potential discomfort if you overdo it!), and the potential for many benefits.

Besides the increased fat-burning, spicy meals are often more satisfying, meaning you’ll naturally eat less. Try this out for yourself and see if adding hot sauce to dishes you eat regularly makes it easier to avoid overeating.

Natural Keto Sources of Capsaicin

All kinds of hot peppers contain capsaicin! During the summer months, many varieties of hot peppers are available at farmers markets and supermarkets.

They’re also easy to grow in a garden bed or in pots. These are the top ten capsaicin-rich peppers, in order from most to least spicy.

Source: panco971 via Canva.com⁷

Keep in mind that these peppers are very hot and should be handled with care!

1. Ghost peppers
2. Chocolate Habanero peppers
3. Red Savina peppers
4. Fatali peppers
5. Habanero peppers 
6. Scotch Bonnet peppers
7. Thai peppers 
8. Cayenne peppers
9. Tabasco peppers
10. Serrano peppers

While eating these peppers raw is probably a bad idea, they’re found in many hot sauces and traditional ethnic recipes. Additionally, capsaicin supplements are available for people who can’t take the heat.

Even if you like spicy food, adding a supplement to your routine will ensure that you get some capsaicin every day.

7 Hot Sauces With 0 Carbs

Fortunately, hot sauce tends to be a relatively keto-friendly condiment. Typically made with vinegar, spices, and peppers, it rarely includes high carb or high calorie ingredients. Consequently, you can feel free to choose hot sauces according to the cuisine you’re eating and the flavor profile you’re going for.

The answer to is hot sauce good for weight loss is a resounding yes. All of these hot sauces have zero net carbs per teaspoon.

They’re also shelf-stable at room temperature, so it’s easy to keep some hot sauce handy when you’re eating out or traveling to add the fat-burning power of capsaicin to every meal!

1. Franks RedHot
   This classic cayenne pepper hot sauce is often simply called ‘wing sauce’. Since they’re a popular cheat food, many people wonder are chicken wings good for weight loss or not? On the keto diet, traditional bone-in wings with Franks Redhot Wings sauce are an excellent high-fat, high-protein, zero-carb indulgence.
2. Cholula
   Made with Arbol and Piquin peppers, Cholula pairs well with Mexican food and eggs. It comes in a variety of flavors, including Chipotle, Green Pepper, Chili Lime, Chili Garlic, and even Reserva Tequila & Lime.
3. Tabasco
   Made with Tabasco peppers, this hot sauce is balanced and versatile, making it an excellent ‘go to’ hot sauce. It’s aged in white oak barrels, which gives it its signature taste.
4. G Hughes Sugar-Free Thai Chili Wing Sauce
   While most sweet chili sauces are packed full of sugar and carbs, many low-carb dieters swear by G Hughes sugar-free alternative. It’s made with red bell peppers, hot cherry peppers, and cayenne pepper, and it’s sweetened with sucralose.
5. Trappey’s Louisiana Hot Sauce
   With its acidic, vinegar-y taste, this sauce made from aged hot peppers pairs well with rich southern foods like barbequed meat and stewed greens.
6. Tapatio
   Named after the variety of hot peppers it’s made of, this popular Mexican hot sauce is spicier, saltier, and tangier than many of the other sauces on this list. It’s great with tuna, eggs, and keto pasta recipes.
7. Kraft Taco Bell Hot Sauce
   No zero carb hot sauce list would be complete without Taco Bell hot sauce. While Taco Bell doesn’t have many keto options, it’s easy to make your own keto tacos, Crunchwrap Supremes, and Mexican pizza at home and top them with Kraft’s bottled Taco Bell Hot Sauce.

How To Make Your Own Keto-Compliant Sriracha (Homemade Sriracha Recipe)

Making your own sriracha is the best way to confirm ‘is sriracha keto?’, since you’ll control all of the ingredients. This simple recipe creates a sauce that tastes fresher and more vibrant than bottled sriracha.

Source: martiapunts via Canva.com⁸

It’s a great way to use up garden fresh peppers during the summer and fall.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds red jalapeños, trimmed and seeded 
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• ¼ cup keto brown sugar substitute
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

Instructions:

1. Place peppers, garlic, sugar substitute, and salt in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
2. Transfer mixture to a clean glass jar and cover with a dishcloth and a rubber band. Put in a cool, dark place at room temperature (a closet in the basement is ideal!). 
3. Allow sriracha to ferment for about a week, stirring each day and checking for small bubbles near the bottom of the jar. This indicates that the mixture is fermenting.
4. Once fermentation is complete, use a high powered blender to puree jalapeno mixture with vinegar until smooth. You can put the sauce through a fine mesh strainer at this point if any chunks or seeds remain. Simmer sauce in a small saucepan until it reaches desired thickness, approximately 10 minutes.
5. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 6 months. 

Sriracha Meal Ideas

Once you start experimenting with sriracha, it’s hard to stop. This crave-worthy sauce spices up a huge variety of dishes.

Try these ideas to add some fat-burning flavor to every meal of the day:

1. Make a BLT on keto bread with sriracha mayo.
2. Add sriracha to tuna, chicken, or egg salad and enjoy with cucumber slices or lettuce leaves. 
3. Top a bowl of cauliflower rice with fried eggs, kimchi, and sriracha.
4. Top zoodle Pad Thai with sriracha.
5. Add sriracha to salad dressing!
6. Make your own seasoned, toasted nuts or pumpkin seeds with sriracha, oil, and spices. 
7. Drizzle keto pizza with sriracha.
8. Use sriracha to add heat to the filling of deviled eggs.
9. Make zucchini boats stuffed with sriracha-flavored ground chicken. 
10. Toss roasted chicken legs with sriracha for a spicy, wing-inspired meal!

On the keto diet, spicy foods like sriracha that contain capsaicin can improve satiety and increase fat burning. Quit asking ‘is sriracha keto?’ and start enjoying this sauce, as well as other 0 carb hot sauces, with your favorite keto dishes today!

Frequently Asked Questions