Homemade Hot Sauce

Homemade hot sauce, made with only 5 ingredients, is super easy to make right in your own kitchen. You control the amount of sodium, the intensity of the heat, and the flavor!

Recently, I took a meal to a sick friend who was on a low fat, low sodium diet. I knew he liked spice, so I immediately thought of my spicy buffalo chicken chili.

Much to my surprise, I found out that there is a TON of sodium in hot sauce. I use a whole 1/2 cup of hot sauce in my buffalo chicken chili recipe. This inspired me to come up with my own version of hot sauce, minus all the sodium.

the peppers

You can’t make hot sauce without peppers. Believe it or not, you can anticipate how hot a pepper will be. Peppers become spicier as they age, which means that younger peppers are milder and older peppers are hotter.

Younger peppers will have smooth, pretty skin, while older peppers will be more wrinkly and shriveled with lines running through their skin.

The heat of the pepper is in the seeds and the pith. The pith is the white part found inside the pepper. For a milder sauce, remove the seeds and the pith.

Artzy Foodie Tip: The older the pepper the spicier it will be. The uglier the pepper, the hotter it will be. For a milder sauce, choose a younger, prettier pepper and remove the seeds and the pith (the white part inside the pepper).

cookware

Hot sauce is a simple recipe with just a few ingredients, however, it is important to use the right cookware.

For this recipe, you need to use a non reactive pan such as stainless, glass, enamel, or ceramic. Reactive pans including aluminum, metal, copper, iron, or steel can interact with the peppers and infuse a metallic flavor into your sauce.

Ventilation is important

Be sure to have a well ventilated space. The spice from the peppers can become overpowering! Open your kitchen windows or use your fan hood.

how to make red hot sauce

1. Add 10 ounces sliced fresno peppers (seeds, pith, and all), 6 cloves of minced garlic, 1 medium onion that has been thinly sliced, and 1 tsp oil to your non reactive pan. For a milder sauce, remove the seeds and the pith from the peppers.
2. Sautee over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes, until tender.
3.  Add 2 cups of water and continue to cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until almost all of the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
4. When the water has evaporated, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit until it comes to room temperature, about 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to develop.

5. When your mixture has come to room temperature, puree in a food processor until smooth.

6. With the food processor running, slowly add 1 cup of white vinegar.

7. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and pulp.

Artzy Foodie Tip: You can discard the seeds and pulp, or you can save it to add spice to sauces and soups.

This classic red hot sauce is super spicy with a smoky hint in the background.

Green hot sauce

For a green hot sauce, use jalapeno peppers instead of fresno peppers. The green sauce is a milder sauce that has a sweeter flavor similar to that of tomatillos.

Storage

Transfer the liquid to a bottle, seal with a lid and refrigerate. Your hot sauce will last up to 6 months in the refrigerator. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes.

Homemade hot sauce is a great alternative to store bought sauces packed with sodium and artificial ingredients. Once you try this recipe, you’ll never go back!

For other condiment recipes, check out my Elevated Condiments post

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Print Recipe

4.44 from 48 votes

Homemade Hot Sauce

A homemade hot sauce recipe that allows you to control the amount of sodium, the intensity of the heat, and the flavor!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time23 minutes mins

Resting Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 8 minutes mins

75

Ingredients

• 10 ounces fresno or jalapeno peppers sliced
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced
• 1 tsp oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup white vinegar

Instructions

• In a well ventilated area, add the peppers, garlic, onions and oil to a non reactive pan
• Sautee over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes until tender
• Add the water and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes
• Remove from heat and allow to sit until it comes to room temperature, about 30 minutes
• Add mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth
• With the food processor running, slowly add the vinegar
• Strain through a fine sieve
• Transfer the liquid to a jar, seal, and refrigerate

Notes

The older the pepper the spicier it will be. The uglier the pepper, the hotter it will be. For a milder sauce, choose a younger, prettier pepper and remove the seeds and the pith (the pith is the white part found inside the pepper). 

For a classic red hot sauce with a hint of smokiness in the background, use fresno peppers. For a milder, sweeter green hot sauce, use jalapeno peppers.

Use a non reactive pan such as stainless, glass, enamel, or ceramic. Reactive pans including aluminum, metal, copper, iron, or steel can interact with the peppers and infuse a metallic flavor into your sauce.

Make sure your cooking space is well ventilated by opening the windows or using a fan hood.

Discard the seeds and pulp or save it to add spice to soups or sauces.

Store your hot sauce in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator. It will last up to 6 months. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1teaspoon | Calories: 3kcal | Potassium: 15mg | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 5.6mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword(s): hot sauce recipe

Recipe Author: Niki Medlin

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