For The Best Homemade Sriracha Lime Salt, You'll Need A Microwave

Sriracha. Few sauces have found such a footing in pop culture, but when considering sriracha, its status is well-earned. Its combination of spicy peppers and rich garlic with just a touch of sweetness brings depth to dishes across cuisines and even finds a place in baking. It's sriracha's rich flavor that also makes it the perfect addition to your next batch of flavored salt.

Sriracha lime salt is a fun play on more traditional versions of chili-lime salt, and we're here for it. The tart acidity of the lime juice cuts through the garlic and pepper to bring brightness to the fiery flavor. Whether you're sprinkling some over grilled meat or veggies, or using it to rim your margarita glass, Sriracha lime salt is a great addition to your condiment selection. Not only that, but it's something you can make at home too and it's super easy. All you need is a few minutes and a microwave.

The secret to having delicious sriracha lime salt whenever you want it is already in your kitchen. Your microwave is the perfect tool for the job — meaning you can have delicious flavored salt before you've even decided on what's for dinner. The ingredients are simple: Sriracha, lime juice (you can use zest too for extra flavor), and kosher salt. Chances are, these things are probably already in your pantry.

Traditional methods of making sriracha salt call for using a dehydrator to do the work, or rely on shifts of slowly dehydrating the sriracha in the oven until it can be crushed into the other ingredients. The microwave method, however, is incredibly simple and takes a fraction of the time as other methods. It works because the heat from the microwave causes the water in the lime juice and sriracha both to evaporate quickly. This leaves behind all of the flavor without making your salt gummy.

The process of putting your sriracha lime salt together is pretty easy. Mix together the salt, sriracha, and lime juice in a bowl before spreading it in an even layer on a microwave-safe plate. Set it in the microwave for one minute before taking it out and stirring the mixture. Continue heating the mixture and stirring at one-minute increments until the salt is almost dry, before letting the mixture cool completely. Once it's cooled, you've got your sriracha lime salt ready to store or use.

In an interview with People, chef Edward Lee of Louisville's 610 Magnolia said of his use of sriracha, "What can't you put Sriracha on? I use it everywhere." Much like this expert opinion on bottled sriracha, your new salt is ready to add flavor to whatever you're making next. Bring the flavor to taco night by adding it to your tacos or spice up your next batch of mac and cheese. It's also an excellent addition to popcorn — salty and spicy, and it won't leave your kernels soggy. Once you've seen how easy it is to make and how delicious it is to eat, this salt will be a regular in your rotation.