Fresh hot peppers and the perfect blend of complimentary ingredients create this spicy, delicious hot pepper sauce that will definitely impress your friends and family.
Today’s hot pepper sauce recipe isn’t new. It’s a tried and true recipe that I originally shared on my other website MeasuringFlower.com.
When I was pregnant with my first son, I loved hot sauce so much that I put it on EVERYTHING, including ice cream (well, okay, maybe not ice cream–but I did put it on salads and sandwiches and just about anything else).
The hot sauce recipe I’m sharing with you today is based off the ingredients on a Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce label, only made with fresh garlic and healthy mineral salt. And, of course, I had to tweak it to elevate the flavor and make it original by adding a few more simple ingredients. The result is (in my family’s and friends’ opinions at the very least) tastier than Frank’s!
This recipe is very simple and very easy to make. And the resulting sauce is fresh and delicious. It is a great way to use up the surplus of peppers you may have from your garden.
If you don’t have fresno peppers or if you simply prefer a different kind of pepper, just about any kind of hot pepper (including jalapeños or habaneros) can be used instead.
To enjoy the hot pepper sauce, simply use it as you would any other. Add it to recipes for some added heat and a boost of flavor or use it for dipping. My favorite thing to do is to mix two parts hot pepper sauce with one part melted butter then coat some chicken wings, cook them up in the slow cooker, and finish them off under the oven’s broiler for a crispy skin and the best hot wings you’ve ever tasted. My second favorite thing to make is a dipping sauce (great for healthy breaded chicken) that consists of equal parts hot pepper sauce and mayo with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice blended together.
This recipe is a big hit at football parties, barbecues, men’s parties (such as Father’s Day or birthday), and even a girls’ night out. Everyone enjoys the fresh, flavorful taste and they’re always impressed when they learn that it’s homemade! Plus it’s Trim Healthy Mama and keto friendly, so even better!
Homemade Hot Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds (about 25 average-sized) fresno peppers (or any other kind of hot pepper)
- 5 cloves garlic, whole
- 2 cups
white vinegar - 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon mineral salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Cut the green tops off all the peppers. Discard tops and set peppers aside.
- Slightly smash each clove of garlic just enough that the paper loosens; remove the paper and discard it.
- In a medium, non-reactive (i.e. stainless steel, ceramic, or glass) pot, add the prepared peppers and garlic cloves. Pour in the vinegar and lime juice then add the salt, paprika, and bay leaf. Stir together to mix in the salt and paprika.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft.
- Remove from the heat and add to a food processor or heat safe blender (no need to remove bay leaf). Pulse until smooth and liquidy (be CAREFUL--it is HOT), adding more vinegar if necessary to make it more liquid.
- Smoosh through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl and discard any seeds and large chunks left in the sieve.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least one week prior to using.
Notes
- This recipe lasts about 6 months in the refrigerator (if it smells funky or it's growing something, discard).
- It can also be canned. Follow the proper and safe canning procedures as recommended by your state, province, or country.
Nutrition
Great, perfect & simple, basic hot sauce recipe and instructions, thank you! Made it today and it came out fantastic. I know I’m supposed to refrigerate for 1 week, but I’m already eating it, LOL.
I used mostly “garden salsa” red peppers (hot), plus a few orange habaneros, a few cayenne peppers, and 1 Hungarian Wax green pepper, all from my garden.
My only suggestion would be not to write “about 25 average-sized …) in the recipe, because that number doesn’t change when you change your “Servings”. I made the 8 servings size (1/2 recipe) but it still said “25” peppers.
Great recipe!
I’m going to make this tomorrow. BTW, it’s cool that you can adjust the “Servings” and get different ingredient amounts, but just FYI, it always says “about 25 average-sized” for the peppers, regardless of changing the “Servings”. I know, it’s nit-picky, but it’s also not accurate, in case you might like to know. Can’t wait to try it!
can I use apple cider vinegar instead
Yes, but it will alter the flavor some.
WOW! Excellent recipe! I used light green hot.peppers. cubanelles? Came out.yellow green in color and milder than the tangy hot burn your tongue pepper I started with so win win for me! Thanx!
Hi, Teri! Glad you liked it. Thanks for trying my recipe. Have a great day!
This is excellent. Our new go-to sauce for using up red peppers from the garden. Used a combination of anything red, orange or yellow. I did remove the bay leaf before blending (personal preference). Thank you!
Followed recipe exactly. Tastes almost exactly like Frank’s Red Hot! It has a kinda crisper, fresher taste though, so definitely a notch better. Love it!
Thanks, Jamison! Glad you enjoyed it!
Love it!
Made my first batch with some nice chilis – not really sure what the variety is – we grew them from seed saved from last year and didn’t keep note of the name. Like a double size jalapeño – Fresnos maybe? Used mostly those and about 20-25% Cayennes as well. Worked fairly well but not as flavourful as I was hoping. Next batch intend to grill or roast the peppers first to get some caramelization happening, then proceed as per recipe. Will post results.
im going to try this recipe, but with some black garlic i got going right now.
Ooh I’ve never heard of black garlic. Sounds yummy! Let me know how it turns out!
black garlic didnt turn out so well, so im trying your recipe but with jalepenos and 5 habenero’s
Ah that’s too bad.
Mine turned out super think..how can i thin it down and still taste great??
Thangs so much!
Yes, that should work. I don’t know if I’d thin it with vinegar, but maybe purified water and be sure to keep it refrigerated.
Made this to use for our our Christmas not gathering party (just wife, kids, and I). I used jalapeno and fresno plus 1 habanero. It is amazing! The fam and I will have a blast burning our mouths LOL. Thanks for the recipe!
Just made this! Love it and it hasn’t even set for a week yet!!! Amazing
Quick one, any ideas on what to do with the ‘pulp’ I don’t like wasting ?
Hi, Ross! I just add the pulp to the compost or to chili or other recipes. 🙂
Hi!
I am really excited about trying this recipe but am struggling a bit with the vinegar type. Here in Sweden we have distilled vinegar which is used in cooking and cleaning (10%-50%) and white wine vinegar (~6%). I have been trying to translate just white vinegar to swedish for a long bit and am only getting more confused. If you could help out I would be really grateful!
Thank you!
The distilled vinegar is the equivalent to our white vinegar I believe. But the white wine vinegar might add a unique tasty flavor as well, so both should work. 🙂
Hi Jafar! I’m in sweden too, and this is always confusing! I just use distilled vinegar and dilute it with water until it reaches the right level of acidity (to avoid the flavor from white wine vinegar). Hope this helps!
Easy and tasty!
Thanks, Carson!
Used jalapeno and serrano…….love the chili flavor in these. Added a little onion. Didnt have the paprika so omitted that.
Came out great! Absolutely awesome.
Put into.pint jars and into the pressure cooker 7# for 11 mins. Should be good for a year or so but it wont last.
Going to make another batch w the paprika and see how it is. Also going to try a batch with a little ( maybe 2 oz) of tomato sauce and see how that is. Have a lot of plants and love hot sauce.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Sounds awesome!
I’m a little confused here.. which doesn’t take much most times… doesn’t Frank’s use cayenne peppers in it??
Hi, Confused one lol! Yes, Frank’s uses cayenne. In my recipe, I recommend fresno, but really any pepper (jalapeno, habanero, etc.) can be used instead. 🙂
I have been making this recipe for years, even 1 year on its still great, I just use a variety of the hot peppers I grow, haven’t been disappointed yet
Hi!
Was wondering if you had a full recipe for those amazing hot wings you mentioned. I know you covered most of the recipe here, but I tend to mess up without exact time instructions.
Thank you!
I don’t have an actual recipe yet, but I’ll add that to my posts to do list. 🙂
Hi, Jaafar,
Here’s the recipe: https://tjstaste.com/tjs-epic-hot-wings/
Have a great day!
I made this hot sauce last December and canned it, so I’m just getting around to using it now and it’s very good. And it really is very close to Frank’s sauce (maybe even better).
I’m an American living in Germany, so it’s not always easy to find Frank’s sauce, and it’s expensive. So I’ve always made my own using a different recipe.
Here’s a few things I did different from your instructions: I chopped the peppers and the garlic using a hand blender before cooking. After cooking I put the hot mixture, seeds and all in a jar and put on the lid tightly. When the mixture cools it creates a suction as if I had processed it. It kept for 8 months without refrigeration no problem. Now I just sieve the amount I need as needed.
I also used Chipotle flakes instead of the smoked paprika.
Last year I used mostly home grown Jalapenos and a few Cayenne peppers that a friend gave me. This year I also have some Cherry peppers in the garden so I’ll do a half and half mix with my Jalapenos. That will probably make a much hotter sauce. Last year I only made one jar as a trial but this year I will defintely be making more.
I don’t think you’ll be putting Frank’s out of business but you sure made me happy. Thanks T.J.
Glad you like it, Henry. 🙂
Any Idea how many cups of peppers this would be? I have jalapeño’s and habanero’s left from the garden and would like to try this 🙂
I do not know lol. Jalapeño peppers are about the same size as fresno peppers, so swap them equally. The habaneros from what I’ve seen, about 2 or 3 equal the size of a single fresno or jalapeño so I’d swap them out like that (so if you’re using just habaneros for an entire batch, use around 50 of them give or take). The total of peppers needed by weight is around 1 and 1/2 pounds.
Do you mean ½ to 1 pound or 1 ½ pound? Hard to understand 😛
1 and 1/2 pounds/ 🙂