The Best Jalapeño Hot Sauce Recipe (Simple and Tasty)
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When harvest time comes around, making hot sauce is one of our favorite things to do with our jalapeño peppers. We’re known for adding a generous amount of hot sauce to any dish, morning or night.
This is a basic recipe for a simple jalapeño hot sauce. The flavors of the peppers, as well as the garlic and onion, are brought together by roasting them on a cast iron pan. This recipe is not fermented, so it can be made quickly and served right away.
You can also let it sit in the fridge for a few days and let all of the flavors meld together. If you liked our habanero hot sauce recipe, you’ll love this green sauce as well!
Jalapeño Hot Sauce (Video):
Why you’ll love this jalapeño hot sauce recipe
- It’s a great way to use up a large harvest of jalapeño peppers.
- It’s very versatile. You can experiment with additional ingredients for a more personalized flavor.
- It tastes great on a variety of dishes, from chicken tacos to pizza.
- All the ingredients are easy to find at a standard grocery store.
- You can make this sauce with any type of jalapeño you’d like. Yes, there are many different types of jalapeños!
- It’s not too spicy. This makes a great sauce to prepare for friends and family members that may be sensitive to spicy foods. You can also make it spicier by adding serrano peppers.
- This recipe makes just enough sauce. (About 2-3 cups). We typically use it up within a week and even share some with our friends and family.
About the ingredients
- Green jalapeños. While red jalapeños make for a great hot sauce, green ones are easier to find (unless you grow your own). By charring them in a cast iron pan, you’ll end up with an exceptional, smoky flavor.
- Onion and garlic. These essentials add richness to the hot sauce. Pan-roasting them takes away the astringent bite and adds a subtle, caramelized sweetness.
- Cumin. This spice is a staple in our kitchen for cooking delicious Indian food, sauces, and salsas. If you’re feeling fancy, try toasting and grinding your own cumin seeds for the most vibrant flavor!
- Cilantro. While this herb isn’t everyone’s favorite, it is essential to this hot sauce recipe. Don’t shy away just yet, as it isn’t too overpowering.
- Sugar. A touch of sugar adds just enough sweetness without overdoing it. If you’d prefer to let the natural sugars speak for themselves, feel free to skip this ingredient. But, we think a little goes a long way in this sauce.
- White vinegar and water. The liquid components of the sauce help reach the right consistency while adding acidity for longer storage and a zingy flavor. If you’d like, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a more citrusy flavor.
- Salt. Sea salt, kosher salt, or regular table salt are all good options. Salt helps accentuate the flavors and bring it all together.
You may think it’s hard to go wrong with an ingredient list like this, but the magic happens in the preparation method. Get your cast iron skillet ready!
How to make jalapeño hot sauce
What I love about this sauce is that virtually everything in it can be grown in the garden. If you haven’t started growing your own peppers yet, you should start this year with a simple salsa garden! Here’s how to make the jalapeño hot sauce.
Ingredients:
- ½ lb. jalapeño peppers, about 6 large peppers
- ½ medium onion, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and sliced in half
- 10 sprigs fresh cilantro, rough chopped
- ⅔ cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 cup water (as needed)
- Vegetable or olive oil, about 1/2 tsp to coat the pan
*Makes about 2.5 cups of hot sauce, or around 3-4 5oz woozy bottles worth.
Steps:
- Bring a splash of oil to medium-hight heat in a cast iron pan. Roast the jalapeño, onion, and garlic for about 5 minutes, turning the ingredients with tongs for even searing.
- Remove the seared peppers from the pan and carefully slice them into rings on a cutting board. We prefer to leave the seeds in for simplicity, but you could remove them at this point if desired.
- Simmer the roasted jalapeños and onions in a medium pot with about 1 cup of water for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, salt, cumin, and sugar, stirring until combined. Simmer an additional 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and add the simmered mixture into a blender along with the cilantro and vinegar.
- Blend until smooth and allow to cool at room temperature.
- Season to taste by adding more salt and/or cumin.
- Add into hot sauce bottles, mason jars, or another sealed container of your choice using a small funnel.
Recipe FAQs
How do I thicken or thin the hot sauce?
To thicken the sauce, simmer it over low-medium heat to reduce it. This process cooks off some of the moisture, though it may compromise flavor. Try to start with less liquid to start, as thinning out the sauce is much easier. For more options, we have an article about how to thicken hot sauce.
To thin out the sauce, add additional vinegar and/or water in small amounts. Blend to test the consistency, adding 1-2 tbsp at a time.
How long does this jalapeño hot sauce last?
Store the sauce in the fridge and consume within one week. For longer storage, test the pH level of your hot sauce, aiming for a value below 4.0.
You may need to adjust the amount of vinegar to achieve a pH suitable for longer term storage. In our experience, the pH of this hot sauce has always been below 4.0, but the water you use may vary in acidity.
Either way, we always use this sauce up well before it spoils. It’s just so easy to dump it on anything and everything.
Can I use other types of peppers?
Yes! We are all about experimenting. Try adding a couple serrano peppers for a spicier sauce. If you try any variations or substitutes, let us know in the comments how it turned out, as we may have to try it ourselves.
Can I omit the cilantro?
Cilantro is key to the flavor in this jalapeño hot sauce. While we have never made it without the cilantro, you can experiment with different herbs and see how it turns out.
If you are not a fan of cilantro, I still recommend giving this recipe a try. The flavors combine to create a unique essence that is not cilantro-focused.
What does this sauce go best on?
This jalapeño hot sauce goes particularly well on Mexican foods like tacos, enchiladas, and rice and beans. However, it is also a great everyday sauce, amazing on pizza, cheese and crackers, eggs, and even sandwiches!
Expert Tips
- Roast the jalapeño peppers and onions in the cast iron for a smoky flavor – Using a cast iron pan is a great way to achieve a smoky, roasted flavor without the hassle of using a grill or oven.
- Hand protection for spiciness – Be sure to use gloves or clean your hands thoroughly after handling hot peppers. The capsaicin will transfer to your skin and can result in an unpleasant surprise if you rub your eyes after handling them.
- Make it spicier with serrano peppers – To make it spicier, throw some serrano peppers in with the jalapeños.
- Use a high-powered blender – For the smoothest texture, use a powerful blender. Our Vitamix pulverizes the pepper seeds into tiny bits without a problem.
- If you enjoy this recipe, you’ll love our salsa verde recipe as well!
Jalapeño Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb jalapeño peppers about 6 large peppers
- 1/2 onion peeled and quartered
- 2 cloves garlic crushed and halved
- 2/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 sprigs cilantro roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 cup water
- oil to coat the pan
Instructions
- Bring cast iron pan to medium-high heat and add a splash of oil.
- Add the whole jalapeño peppers, quartered onion, and garlic to the hot pan.
- Roast ingredients for about 5 minutes until lightly browned, turning frequently for even searing.
- Remove the peppers and carefully slice them into rings.
- Simmer the jalapeños and onions in a pan with the water for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the garlic, salt, cumin, and sugar, stirring to combine. Simmer an additional 1 minute or so.
- Add the simmered mixture into a blender along with the cilantro and vinegar.
- Blend until smooth and let cool.
- Season to taste by adding more salt and/or cumin, as desired.
- Add into hot sauce bottles, mason jars, or container of choice and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use a cast iron pan for the best flavor and even heating.
- Don’t cut the peppers before roasting, as cooking sliced hot peppers may release capsaicin into the air and cause coughing.
- Do not cook the vinegar, add it just before blending. Cooking vinegar can lead to a metallic flavor.
Crystalyn
Crystalyn loves spicy food and getting creative in the kitchen. When she isn’t finding new ways to use hot sauce, shes very busy watching cat videos on the internet.
Never made hot sauce before but our single jalapeno plant went nuclear this year! What fun to make this sauce and oh so good. Gave away 15 bottles to raves from one and all. As well as several from my household of course. Thanks for this killer recipe!
That is great to hear! So happy everyone enjoyed the hot sauce.
This sauce is delicious! Just the right amount of heat for someone who would be considered a “lightweight” and a ton of flavor!
Garlic goes into the pan with onions and peppers to roast? Or after roasting with the water?
We usually add it fresh as the water goes in for simmering. You can sear it, but be careful not to burn it (it usually doesn’t need as much time as the onions or peppers)
Have you ever processed/canned this sauce? I’m looking for a recipe that I can preserve.
Sorry we haven’t canned this sauce, though it should be fairly acidic given the vinegar content
Awesome hot sauce. I just made a batch and its terrific, I cant wait for a week to see how it matures. Thanks for the great recipe. Also, thanks for teaching us not to boil the vinegar… this is so much better.
Glad you like it, happy to help 🙂
Can this hot sauce be canned as is?
This might sound like a silly question. Do you strain the water before adding everything into the blender, or keep it?
Since you are adding seasoning to the water, I would say yes. Add the water.
I’ve made this twice over the past week and everyone whose had it wants more, it really is amazing and so easy to make! I’ll be planting a lot more peppers next year!
I made it and it turned out great! I used a combination of red and yellow onion, as well as both apple cider and white vinegars like one of the other folks did. I amped up the garlic by a clove or so, added lime juice, as suggested and to suit my taste, I added a pinch more salt and cumin.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Let us know what changes you’d suggest we could make to earn a 5-star rating 🙂
Absolutely love this recipe, have made it 3 times now. And with the last round we made a double batch. My wife and I put hot sauce on most of our meals, and really enjoy the flavor of this green sauce.
A few tweaks I have made that we really enjoy.
1 – I smoke all of the ingredients, using my pellet grill for a couple of hourse before I roast them, this adds another level of complexity to the sauce that we find really enjoyable.
2 – We use 2 habanero in addition to the jalepenos for a little extra kick.
3 – We use a lot more garlic.
Thank you so much for this recipe, its fantastic, now I need to figure out how to make more of it, and can it, so I don’t have to make it as often. Ha!
Clay – thanks for sharing! So glad you have enjoyed and adapted our recipe to your liking. Smoking the peppers sounds amazing, and who doesn’t love extra garlic! -Calvin
i am now a hot sauce girl because of this recipe. can’t get enough of it!!!
That makes me smile! Glad you found the recipe and enjoy it.