| |

Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Pepper Geek takes part in various affiliate programs. This means that purchases through our links may result in a commission for us.

When the warmer months start rolling in, we love using fruitier hot sauces on our dishes to level up the flavor. We like the way fruity habaneros compliment the sharp flavor of pineapples in this pineapple habanero hot sauce recipe.

Pineapple habanero hot sauce recipe

It’s no secret that we enjoy using up our pepper harvests to make fresh hot sauces in the kitchen. This particular hot sauce is a favorite with our family and friends, so it’s easy to give it away when we have an abundance of habanero peppers.

This recipe was inspired by our original simple hot sauce recipe, which many of you have enjoyed. We added fresh pineapple for a fruity fix, and sliced ginger to give the sauce something extra special. If you’re not a fan of pineapple, you’ll probably prefer our mango habanero hot sauce.

Pineapple habanero hot sauce recipe

Why you’ll love this pineapple hot sauce recipe

  • Pineapple and habanero peppers are a match made in heaven. These two ingredients compliment each other perfectly.
  • Fresh sliced ginger gives this hot sauce a unique zing and depth of flavor that you won’t find in other recipes.
  • It’s a great way to use up some fresh habanero peppers from the garden.
  • This recipe is popular with our family and friends. If you have a lot of peppers to use up, double the batch and give some away. Nobody will complain!
  • If you’re a “pineapple does belong on pizza” person, this is the sauce you want to put on your pizza!

About the ingredients

Pineapple habanero hot sauce recipe
  • 2-3 habanero peppers – The fruity flavor of habaneros is the perfect match for pineapple. You can use any variety of habanero pepper you have.
  • 1/2 pineapple – Make sure to choose a ripe pineapple for the best flavor. If you’re unsure whether a pineapple is ready, give the bottom a sniff. Ignore the looks at the supermarket. You want one that smells nice and fruity.
  • ½ onion – We use white onion for this recipe.
  • â…” cup vinegar – When we make hot sauce, we prefer to use white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar gives the sauce a very different flavor. Feel free to use what you’d like, but be aware that ACV does result in a stronger and sharper taste.
  • 8 slices of fresh ginger – The secret ingredient in this hot sauce. Ginger adds a zingy punch that will leave everyone wondering why it is so good.
  • 1 small lime, juiced – The flavor of fresh lime brings all the flavors together and gives it a bit of extra punch and acidity. Use 1 oz of lime juice if you do not have a fresh one on hand.
  • 2 tsp sugar – The sugar is always optional. But, we find just 2 tsp is enough to significantly mellow out the flavors of the sauce. Hot sauce is naturally acidic. So, the sugar helps to balance this out.
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt – Start with 1 1/4 teaspoons and add more at the end if you’d like.
  • 1/4 tsp marjoram – Marjoram is an underrated herb, it adds a muted citrus, sweet flavor.
  • 1/8 tsp cumin – A touch of cumin goes a long way to add a unique depth of flavor.
  • 1 cup water (more as needed)

How to make this pineapple habanero hot sauce

Making pineapple habanero hot sauce step by step
  1. Slice the ripe pineapple, habanero peppers, ginger and onion. Remove the seeds and pith from the habaneros if desired for a milder heat level.
  2. Simmer the onion, pineapple, habaneros, and ginger in a pan with about 1 cup of water until the ingredients are somewhat submerged in the water. Add in the salt and sugar. Simmer until the onions and peppers have softened. This takes about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add the simmered mixture into a blender along with the vinegar, lime juice, marjoram, and cumin.
  4. Blend until smooth and let cool.
  5. Season to taste by adding more salt and sugar.
  6. Add into hot sauce bottles and store for up to 3 months. We keep ours in the fridge.

Expert tips and FAQs

  • Wear eye and hand protection – The heat from habanero peppers is not to be toyed with. To avoid that dreaded burning sensation, properly cover your hands and eyes while handling any hot peppers.
  • To thicken or thin the sauce – Cook the sauce to reduce for a thicker sauce. For a thinner sauce, add small amounts of vinegar/water (half and half) and blend.
  • Picking a ripe pineapple – To determine whether a pineapple is ripe enough, you can smell the bottom of it. A fragrant pineapple smell indicates that the pineapple is ripe enough. You may need to purchase one ahead of time and let it ripen for a couple of days on the counter.
  • For a milder hot sauce – Remove the pith and seeds from the habaneros for a milder hot sauce. If that doesn’t do the trick, you can soak them in alcohol to remove the heat.
  • Always chop your peppers – Pests and other issues like to hide inside of fresh peppers. We always recommend chopping your peppers and thoroughly inspecting them before throwing them into a hot sauce.

How do I thicken or thin the sauce? Cook the sauce to reduce it for a thicker sauce. Add more water and vinegar (in equal parts) and blend for a thinner sauce.

How long does this sauce last? This pineapple habanero hot sauce will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Can I use a different type of pepper? – We recommend using habanero peppers for this recipe. Though, it is very versatile and another hot pepper will also work. Jalapeños also compliment pineapples very well. Try our jalapeño hot sauce recipe if you’re looking to use up some jalapeño peppers.

Can I use ground ginger? – If you don’t have fresh ginger on hand, you can use ground ginger. But, the flavor will be more concentrated. Start off with 1/4 tsp and then work your way up, adding more as you blend and taste. This way you won’t overdo the ginger taste which can result in a bitter hot sauce.

Recipe for pineapple habanero hot sauce

As always, we encourage experimenting when it comes to hot sauces. This is a great base recipe to start with before you add your own personal touch. Let us know in the comments what substitutions or variations you made and how it came out. That way, we can mix it up on our next batch!

Pineapple habanero hot sauce

Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce

This flavorful pineapple habanero hot sauce is the perfect way to kick up a dish with fruity, spicy flavor.
4.80 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment
Keyword: Habanero Hot Sauce, Hot Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2-3 habanero peppers
  • 1/2 pineapple ripe
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 8 slices ginger peeled, about 1/2 inch piece
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp marjoram dried
  • 1/8 tsp cumin ground

Instructions

  • Slice the pineapple, habanero, ginger, and onion. Remove the seeds and pith from the habaneros if desired for a milder spice.
  • Simmer the onion, pineapple, habaneros, and ginger in a pan with 1 cup of water until the ingredients are somewhat submerged in the water, 2-3 minutes.
  • Add in the salt and sugar. Simmer gently until the onions and peppers have softened, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Add the simmered mixture into a blender along with the vinegar, lime juice, marjoram, and cumin.
  • Blend until smooth and let cool.
  • Season to taste by adding more salt and/or sugar.
  • Add into hot sauce bottles or mason jar.

Notes

Useful accessories (affiliate links):

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.

Similar Posts

18 Comments

  1. My batch has a bitter taste . I did add extra 1/2 tsp usgar and extra 1/4 tsp salt but still has a bitter taster. What can I add?

    1. Sometimes the seeds of the peppers can add a bitter taste, or certain gingers. Not much else you can do once the sauce is blended other than making a larger batch and removing the pepper seeds/ginger

  2. 4 stars
    Good recipe but too heavy on the pineapple and not enough peppers in my opinion. Had to add some olive oil because the consistency was so watery, and even then it was like PINEAPPLE WATER and then oh yeah, I guess I taste some habanero in there too.

  3. Do you chop up the pineapple? The recipe says just 1/2 pineapple and put it in the pot. I am making this tomorrow 😷.

  4. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe! I just need to buy about 25 more pineapples now with the amount of habaneros out of the garden!

    1. 🤣 I know that feeling! Hopefully you can find a good use for the rest of the harvest. Maybe make a fermented mash, powder, or freeze them whole!

  5. 5 stars
    Made exactly as written using three habs from the garden, two were still green. Sauce flavor is fantastic. Pineapple fruity flavor is enhanced by the tropical habanero heat. Heat is in your face but dissipates immediately, causing an intense craving for more. Looking forward to using this in creative ways. I like to simply take a shot of it though, like a spicy juice.

  6. Could this be fermented before making into sauce? How would you adjust this recipe to ferment?

  7. 5 stars
    Great tasty recipe, but not hot enough for me. But then, I am known for eating fresh Ghost Peppers and Carolina Reapers out of hand.

    So I upped the habanero peppers to 10. I have the original batch to my oldest daughter, and for her it was perfect.

    Thanks for a great and tasty recipe. I like how the sweet part gets you first and then the hot taps you on the shoulder and says “Surprise!”

    Definitely a keeper for me.

    1. @Larry, I think I might up my pepper count as well. I did a test run with a double batch of the recipe and found it very nice and smooth, but I could use a touch more heat too!

  8. 5 stars
    Addition of Ginger adds a complete new flavor level………..Outstanding………!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating