Pimento cheese purists step aside. This Sriracha Pimento Cheese Spread will not make you happy. But it makes me happy, and that is the number one criteria for my recipes. And if you’re the type that recoils at the thought of this strange orange spreadable cheese, just think of it as a cheese ball that’s not shaped into a ball. :) It’s the same concept. Cheese mixed with yummy stuff that you can dip, spread, or enjoy any way you like. It’s great for parties (hello holidays and football!) and it’s great to just keep in your fridge for quick sandwiches or snacks.
Want more dips and spreads? Check out our Dip Recipe Archives.
I decided to make a Sriracha Pimento Cheese spread after I had visions of a melty grilled cheese sandwich with gooey cheese and bright red sriracha oozing out the side (yeah, cheese cravings cause really vivid mental images for me, LOL). That mental image snowballed into Pimento Cheese Spread spiked with sriracha and a few green onions to brighten things up.
More Heat, More Flavor.
Adding sriracha to pimento cheese spread is awesome because it not only adds heat, but it adds a hint of garlic flavor, a little tanginess from vinegar, and very, very slight sweetness. I had a jar of fire roasted peppers in my pantry for-ev-er, so I used those instead of pimentos, which are made from cherry peppers and are slightly sweeter. The fire roasted peppers were still a nice sweet contrast to the cheese and sriracha, and they added a wonderful hint of smoky flavor. PERFECT.
How to Serve Sriracha Pimento Cheese Spread
I think pretzels are my favorite thing to dip into this cheese, but celery might be my second favorite. The fresh watery crispness of celery is a wonderful palate cleanser and contrast to the heavy spread. Pimento cheese also makes a great quick sandwich, and this morning I used it in my egg quesadilla! I’d love to hear your favorite way to eat pimento cheese spread in the comments below!
Sriracha Pimento Cheese Spread
Servings 6 1/2 cup eachIngredients
- 8 oz extra sharp cheddar, shredded* ($1.77)
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature ($0.60)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise ($0.56)
- 3 Tbsp sriracha (or to taste) ($0.27)
- 1 cup diced roasted red peppers ($1.00)
- 1 green onion ($0.11)
Instructions
- Add the shredded cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and 1 Tbsp sriracha to a large bowl.
- Finely dice the roasted red peppers and finely chop the green onion. Add both to the bowl with the other ingredients. Use a hand mixer to combine the mixture until the cream cheese is well incorporated (the mixture will still be lumpy because of the shredded cheese and diced peppers).
- Taste the mixture and add more sriracha to your liking. I added a total of 3 Tbsp sriracha. Keep in mind that the spiciness will increase slightly as the mixture refrigerates.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat. The mixture will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
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Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Sriracha Pimento Cheese – Step by Step Photos
Star by shredding one 8oz. block of extra sharp cheddar cheese. Add it to a large bowl with 4oz. room temperature cream cheese, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, and 1 Tbsp sriracha (you can add more to your liking later, but start with just 1 Tbsp).
You’ll need about 1 cup of finely diced roasted red peppers. In this 12 oz. jar from Trader Joes there were two whole peppers. I used one. Dice it up into super small pieces. Also finely chop one green onion.
Add the diced peppers and chopped green onion to the bowl with the cheese, mayo, and sriracha.
Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients until the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Taste the mixture and add more sriracha to your liking. I ended up using THREE tablespoons total. Keep in mind that it will get a little bit more spicy as it sits in the fridge. If you don’t have a hand mixer you can use a food process, a regular stand mixer, or even just a fork and a lot of elbow grease. :)
Serve the Sriracha Pimento Cheese Spread with plenty of crunchies for dipping! You can serve it immediately, or refrigerate it until you’re ready to eat. 🧀
OMG, this is so good! 3 Tbsp of Sriracha is the perfect heat. I just made this for a party tonight, and I don’t know if I’ll have enough restraint to not eat it all myself. Thank you for a great recipe.
Hi ,I was thinking of making this for a party and wanted to know is the mixture texture okay to shape into a balls please ?
We wouldn’t recommend, this is really more of a spread than a texture for harder cheese balls.
Oh. My. Gosh. The Siracha Pimento Cheese Spread is on point!! It’s very simple to make, and it tastes amazing with Wheat Thins and a grilled cheese sandwich. I’m looking forward to enjoying this spread for lunch this week. Thank you, Beth!!! :-)
*Sriracha. Pardon my spelling. LOL!!!
So glad you liked it, LaTrice! :)
I just made a dairy free version of this using Daiya shreds and Tofutti cream cheese. It is rockin’ good!!
I just made this for Christmas day. It was bomb! Even my 97 year old grandpa loved it!
I don’t have a hand mixer. Can I do this in the food processor, maybe leaving out the peppers to mix in by hand, so they don’t get pureed? By the way, first time commenter (I think), long time reader. I also work in a microbiology lab and have turned all the techs on to your site. Every time someone muses aloud about not knowing what to cook for dinner, someone yells out, “Budget Bytes!”
Hahah I love it! :D I think a food processor would work fine. I would even add the peppers, but maybe after the cheese has mixed a bit with the other ingredients first. :)
Love using cream cheese for part of the mayo. I often use roasted green chilis or jalapeno to add some heat, but since sriracha lives on my table, I think this version is a winner.
Pimento mac n’ cheese anyone?
I like the way you think!
I like to buy a bag of those mini bell peppers, cut them in half lengthwise and fill the halves with pimiento cheese for a party appetizer. Always a hit – I think it’s kind of the same idea as the celery, a refreshing watery crunch to contrast the heavy cheese.
My mouth is watering right now!!! Can’t wait to make this recipe soon!!! :-)
I’ve made pimento cheese for quite some time using a recipe similar to yours but with hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce instead of the sriracha, I love to eat the cheese spread on a toasted “everything” bagel, but it’s also good as a cracker spread, as a filing for grilled cheese sandwiches, and as a dip for veggies .
Is this dip best served hot or cold? I heated it up and it tastes much better vs serving it cold
Traditionally it’s served cold, but you’re welcome to serve warm!