A quick and easy, non-fermented hot sauce using whatever red hot pepper you have. Similar to Frank's Red Hot Sauce or Sriracha. Recipe modified slightly Sept, 2023.
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT25M
Total time: PT35M
Rating
4.4 stars (48 reviews)
Keywords
cayenne peppers, hot peppers, hot sauce
Ingredients
10 oz red hot peppers (cayenne, jalapeno, serrano, fresno, etc) (4 cups )
3-5 cloves fresh garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roughly chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp honey (optional)
Categories
condiment
Side Dish
Cuisine
American
Steps
Wear gloves when handling this many hot peppers! Wash and remove stems from peppers. Chop roughly into small pieces (Kitchen scissors work great for slender peppers). Keep or remove seeds and white ribs depending on how much heat you want. The more you leave in, the hotter your sauce will be.
Combine peppers, garlic and onion with vinegar and water in pot and simmer for 20 minutes until peppers have softened. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
Transfer to blender or use immersion blender to puree the mix. Caution, the hot pepper fumes will be strong, open the blender lid away from you.
Taste the puree and decide if you'd like more salt or a little honey to round out the flavour. Have a little cheese nearby, just in case.
Strain out seeds using fine sieve or cheesecloth. If sauce is too thick, add a little more vinegar or water.
Pour into sterilized jars or bottles (pint/2cup/500ml). (Wash then boil in water for 10 minutes.)
Seal with lid and keep refrigerated for up to 6 months. Flavour will be best after letting it age for at least 2 weeks.
Makes about 2 cups or 100 teaspoon sized servings!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 3 kcal
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 24 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
David on 2026-01-23 (5 stars): Wow, weaponized produce. I used what I had, some red fresnos, habaneros, a red bell pepper, the rest of the ingredients but added a bay leaf a small carrot and some oregano. I simmered everything except the acv, added that after the peppers cooled a few minutes outside (-20 here), then blended. Fantastic.
Jenn Lim on 2025-10-31 (5 stars): Just made this tonight but with random green hot peppers from the garden. It's the kind of recipe I feel like I can use every year and make additions depending on what flavor I'm looking for. Can't wait to try it over the next few weeks as the flavor profile changes. Thanks for sharing!
Jenny on 2025-10-26 (4 stars): I did and it is totally fine!
RobertS on 2025-09-07 (5 stars): I made this yesterday using 8 ounces total of all red jalapeño peppers with some orange hot wax peppers. Also added 5 tomatillos and 1 tomato. I like how it came out and tastes. I got 3-1/2 cups of medium-hot sauce.
DLou on 2025-08-25 (5 stars): Just finished making my first batch. Excellent! I have a Scorpion Pepper plant and it was harvest day (it's been around 105 for a week). Did the onions, sugar, and added 1 large Jalapeño. It would blow the socks off most people. Quite tasty for anyone who will dare.
