Hot Sauce – A fiery homemade hot sauce sure to spice up any dish. With only a handful of ingredients, including fresh hot peppers, this sauce is made in a flash. No more store bought hot sauce here!
While I may not be a spicy food fanatic yet, the heat is growing on me. I do have a plethora of different hot sauces in my fridge but I love the kick this homemade sauce adds to my dishes!
I love making my own hot sauce at home because it allows me to control the heat level! Since this sauce is made with fresh peppers I can keep in as many or as little seeds as I want and use whatever peppers I choose, therefore allowing me to create either a spicy fire sauce hot enough to make a dragon cry, or a milder sauce for just a little added heat. But for this recipe, let’s spice things up – shall we?
How hot is this hot sauce?
In this recipe I went for fresh cayenne peppers. Cayenne peppers are considered somewhat of a hot pepper, ranging from 30,000 – 50,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale, comparable to a serrano pepper.
If you compare that to a typical jalapeno pepper, (around 5,000 SHU) the cayenne is about 10 times hotter.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
Only a handful of ingredients for this recipe!
- Hot Peppers – Fresh hot peppers – Cayenne or Fresnos.
- Vinegar – I used white vinegar.
- Spices – We are using salt, garlic powder, and paprika for added kick.
How to make hot sauce
Easy as 1, 2, 3 … Literally.
- Prep Peppers – Clean peppers and slice off the stems. Remove the seeds to reduce heat (taste test peppers for heat level). Roughly chop peppers and add to a large saucepan.
- Mix and Boil – Add all other ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Peppers should be soft and pliable.
- Cool and Blend – Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add to a blender and blend until smooth.
Note for your homemade sauce:
- Simmering vinegar and hot peppers will cause your kitchen to be a bit uncomfortable on the lungs. Open a window if possible!
- Be careful when cleaning the hot peppers of their seeds. Because they are very hot, chili peppers can sting your eyes, neck and nose.
- You can protect your hands by putting on gloves.
- This recipe should yield around 1 1/2 cups of sauce, or 24 tbsp.
How to serve
This sauce can be served on any dish or item you want to add a little kick to! Try it on:
And more! This homemade hot pepper sauce will be a sure FIRE way to add a little heat and spice up your meals, see what I did there?
How to store
Homemade hot sauce should be tightly sealed and stored in the refrigerator.
You can safely store hot sauce in your pantry or cabinet at room temperature because of its high vinegar and relatively high salt content (both prevent bacteria from growing) but with that being said, I prefer to refrigerate my hot sauce.
Refrigeration will slow down the oxidation, therefore preserving the color and flavor of your hot sauce for much longer! Your hot sauce will safely store in your fridge for 3-5 years!
More delicious sauce recipes to try:
- Buffalo Sauce Recipe
- Enchilada Sauce
- Creamy Cheese Sauce
- Bechamel Sauce
- Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Fry Sauce Recipe
- Marinara Sauce
- Chimichurri Sauce
- Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
- Tartar Sauce
Craving More? Follow Along:
Hot Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 18 red hot peppers Cayenne or Fresnos
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Prep Peppers – Clean peppers and slice off the stems. Remove the seeds to reduce heat (taste test peppers for heat level). Roughly chop peppers and add to a large saucepan.
- Mix and Boil – Add all other ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Peppers should be soft and pliable.
- Cool and Blend – Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add to a blender and blend until smooth.
Tips & Notes:
- Simmering vinegar and hot peppers will cause your kitchen to be a bit uncomfortable on the lungs. Open a window if possible!
- Be careful when cleaning the hot peppers of seeds. Because they are very hot, chili peppers can sting your neck and nose. Keep a window open. You can protect your hands by putting on gloves.
- Should yield around 1 1/2 cups of sauce, or 24 tbsp.
