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
Ventilation is importantBe 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
- 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.
- Sautee over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes, until tender.
- 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.
- 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
StorageTransfer 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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Homemade Hot Sauce
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
I love this recipe and have used different peppers instead of the Fresno peppers. If you really want to turn up the heat on this, substitute Ghost Peppers or Scorpion Peppers and skip the strain step. I’ve done both and it makes some STRONG hot sauce! It’s a hit with the friends that like it super hot!
This sauce looks good can’t wait to try it. Can you combine different types of hot peppers?
Yes, you can use any pepper you like. The color and flavor will vary based on the pepper you use. I recently used habanero peppers and a little bit of puréed mango. It was delicious!
Love the recipe, will make this for a long time. Thanks 🙏 !!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Could I use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar?
Hi Shree! You could absolutely use apple cider vinegar in place of white vinegar. Great question!
Hi! Looking for a hot sauce recipe for my small wedding in May to give as favors. How much does this yield? We have around 30 guests and want to give one, 8-ounce mason jar to everyone.
Hi Emily! Congratulations on your wedding! This recipe makes a little over 1.5 cups, so you would need to increase by about 20 times.
Can this sauce be canned for later use?
Absolutely! However, I made a double batch that has been in refrigerator for months now and it is still fabulous. It seems to last forever!
This looks like it would be great on anything from eggs to chicken wings! Being on blood pressure meds, I appreciate that it’s low sodium. I’d give this 10 stars too!
Thanks, Ron! You would never know this is a low sodium sauce.
Oh my God!!!! This is the most amazing hot sauce ever!!!! I would give it 10 stars if I could.
Thank you, Eric!
This hot sauce looks so amazing! Can’t wait to try the recipe. Love the colors!
Thank you, Kristy! Let me know what you think.
First of all, I love your photos. So colorful and enticing. And secondly, this recipe is amazing! I loved that you used both types of peppers for two different results. Thanks so much for an alternative to store-bought hot sauce.
You’re so sweet! Thank you.