Remember three years ago when no one knew what the flip sriracha was, let alone how to spell or pronounce it? Hard times. Flash forward to today, where we’ve learned its name beyond “that red rooster hot sauce” and sriracha is a household item that we are infusing and drizzling on everything. Sriracha is to hot sauce what ketchup is to condiments, just the freaking king of it all. While we have all tried it drizzled and dipped into, that’s just the tip of the spicy iceberg. Sriracha is such an easily blended sauce, that it works beyond being just a sauce. So let’s go through some ways to try sriracha that maybe you haven’t been trying yet, and really blow the top off this thing, or, more responsibly, just gently unscrew that signature green cap.

1. Honey Sriracha Roasted Carrots

The only people who don’t like vegetables are the kind who have yet to figure out how to cook them to make them taste bomb. Sriracha anything and you’ll do just that. This recipe takes a sweet vegetable, plays that up with honey, and then pops the flavor balance with the sriracha. You can call your mom and brag when you eat all your veggies first, and then go back for seconds with this recipe.

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2. Sriracha Chickpeas

Snacking is a part of life, but what you snack on can make or break your diet and nutritional intake. Chickpeas are a great source of protein, and essential if you’re someone who adheres to a plant based lifestyle, and lacking protein from meat sources. Chickpeas when roasted have the crunch of chips, and the texture of corn nuts with flavors that you can play with like spicy sriracha, used in this recipe. Once you start popping these little guys you won’t be able to stop (and that’s ok!).

http://www.somewhatsimple.com/sriracha-roasted-chickpeas/ Photo by: Somewhat Simple

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3. Sriracha Brown Sugar Garlic Shrimp

Spicy and sweet shrimp, with that kick of garlic, wowza. Skewered for grilling, this recipe is one to please the masses. If it’s not grilling season for you, this would still work in a stove top skillet, just un-skewered. It’s the marinade that really counts with this one.

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4. Candied Bacon Sriracha Appetizer

Arguably titled “man candy” these candied bacon strips are made in the oven (hello, no bacon fat splatter!) and served up crisp in sriracha filled shot glasses. It doesn’t get much more rad than that. Not to mention the emotional heart strings that bacon pulls on, sriracha that up and you’re going for gold.

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5. Sriracha & Jam Grilled Cheese

This sounds soooo wrong that by the laws of everything, it must be right. Grilled cheese with sriracha isn’t anything you likely haven’t tried yet, but throw some jam and brie in there, and woah. Woah woah. You outta try this one, just for street cred alone.

http://houseofyumm.com/sriracha-jam-grilled-cheese/ Photo by: House of Yumm

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6. Sriracha Ice Cream

Food trends these days are all about merging worlds and fusions of flavors that balance upon eating. Like chili infused chocolate, chicken and waffles, and this sriracha ice cream. Plus, when you combine something spicy with what typically cools down your mouth from the heat of the spice (like dairy or sweets) this ends up being one neat little convenient combo for your taste buds.

http://veganyackattack.com/2012/06/09/chocolate-sriracha-ice-cream/ Photo by: Vegan Yack Attack

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7. Sriracha & Mango Margarita

Oh, now we’re talking. Needing to spice things up and cool yourself down all at once, with maybe a splash of adult juice? Heck yes. This sriracha and mango combination for a margarita is certainly going to hit the spot.

http://www.marriedtotheearth.com/2016/07/01/sriracha-mango-margarita-2/ Photo by: Married to the Earth

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8. Sriracha and Beer Mac & Cheese

Literally. Can’t. Even. But will anyways. Holy cheeseballs. This recipe is merging worlds in ways we didn’t see coming. Comfort foods, plus beer, plus sriracha? This is what foodie dreams are truly made of. Make this miraculously calorie free, and you’re likely dead because that’s too good to be true. The best part about this recipe is that it’s a fairly simple down to earth, homemade mac and cheese recipe, just ingeniously infused with just the right elements. Those being beer and sriracha of course.

http://thebeeroness.com/2015/11/18/sriracha-beer-mac-n-cheese-15-mintues-stove-top/ Photo by: The Beeroness

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9. Sriracha Brownies

If you’ve ever tried chili chocolate, you know exactly why this works. It’s more of a gentle warmth at the finish of a sweet treat, which is why the combination of sweet and spice work so, so well together. Chewy and delicious, spicy and amazing, it’s really all you need to know.

http://www.thecompletesavorist.com/daily-savorings-blog/sriracha-brownies Photo by: The Complete Savorist

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10. Cheddar Sriracha Swirl Bread

Your sandwich prayers have been heard, and cheddar sriracha bread has answered the call. Using a basic white bread recipe, and rolling a swirl of sriracha and cheese, you are going to have one mean-mugging breakfast toast, or lunch sandwich, or dinner carbs. I’m pretty sure this bread will go with everything in life.