This simply homemade hot sauce recipe tastes just like Frank’s Hot Sauce and it’s ready in just 15 minutes. Simple and straightforward, this buffalo sauce can be tailored to mild, medium, or hot – however you want!
I’m by no means a gardening expert and I’m lucky if my plants make it halfway through the season, but for some reason, hot peppers thrive with my neglect.
I planted 3 plants this year – just to see what would happen – and ended up with more peppers than I knew what to do with. My husband is a huge fan of spicy food and Franks hot sauce is high on the list (hence his love for Buffalo Chicken Pizza), so I ventured to come up with my own hot sauce recipe that would taste just like it using the peppers from our garden!
Simple Hot Sauce Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy hot sauce recipe, this is it. There is minimal prep work, a short boil, and a quick whirl in the blender. In less than 15 minutes, you have a hot sauce recipe that rivals anything from the store.
Ingredients for Copycat Frank’s Hot Sauce
If you want to make your own hot sauce that’s a copycat of Frank’s Hot Sauce, you’ll need:
Keep reading if you want to use a different pepper, or are considering adding fruits like peaches or mangoes to your hot sauce! You’ll notice I don’t add any spices to the mixture like cumin or chili powder. We really like the flavors of the peppers to shine!
What Peppers to Use for Hot Sauce?
You’ll want to use cayenne peppers to make your own copycat of Frank’s, but you can use different types of hot peppers if you want. I used fresno chili peppers for these photos because that’s what I had an abundance of and I didn’t want to ruin my tastebuds for the rest of the day.
Fresno is generally a mild pepper, ranging from 2500 to 10,000 on the Scoville scale (similar to a jalapeno). I added in some habanero for some heat.
Use the heat index below to determine which peppers are best for your hot sauce recipe. The heat of a pepper is measured in Scoville Heat Units, which is how “hot” the pepper actually is. The higher the Scoville, the hotter the pepper.
If you’re unsure what peppers to use, choose a pepper that’s on the mild side and then boost the heat with one or two peppers on the hotter side. You can easily add a quarter or half of a habanero pepper or scotch bonnet pepper and then taste as you go.
Also, the color of your hot sauce will depend on the color of your peppers. If you want a red hot sauce, you’ll want to choose peppers that are orange or red. Green peppers will create a green hot sauce.
I do not recommend using dried peppers for this recipe. You need the natural liquids in the peppers to create the sauce.
Image courtesy of Title Max.
Before You Make the Best Hot Sauce
Any time you work with hot peppers – whether they’re mild or truly hot – you have to take safety precautions:
- Wear food-grade gloves when handling the peppers. This includes washing, cutting, and even scraping scraps into compost or trash can. Putting gloves on is the first thing I do, and I don’t take them off until the dishwasher is loaded.
- Wear goggles and work in a well-ventilated area. An open kitchen and swim goggles will do the trick. Avoid small, closet-type spaces without air circulation, especially when working with very hot peppers.
- Wash your hands extremely well after handling the peppers.
- Wash all utensils well when you’re done – cutting boards, knives, spoons, blender jar, etc. I use a plastic cutting board so I can run everything through the dishwasher.
I’m going to say it again, wear gloves to handle the peppers. The oils from the peppers can rub off onto your hands without you even knowing it, and without you having an adverse reaction… that is until you scratch your nose or wipe your eye. The oils can easily transfer from the surface of your skin and cause all sorts of irritation in places you don’t want to be irritated!
If you wear contacts, be sure to take them out before making this hot sauce recipe!
How to Make Hot Sauce
Here are the steps for how to make hot sauce, and you’ll see it’s VERY easy!
Step 1: Wash the peppers, cut the stems off, and slice them in half lengthwise. If you want a more mild sauce, remove the seeds from the pepper. This will also create a more smooth sauce. If you don’t mind a few tiny pieces of seed and want extra heat, keep the seeds with the pepper.
Step 2: Measure the vinegar into a medium pot and add the peppers, salt, and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer until the peppers are soft (about 10 minutes).
Step 3: Pour everything into your blender (I use a Blendtec like this one), including peppers and vinegar. Blend until you have a smooth puree, about 30-60 seconds.
Note: Red peppers will temporarily dye plastic blender jars red. A couple of washes with hot soapy water will remove the discoloration.
Step 4: Taste the hot sauce and add additional hot peppers if desired. I recommend adding ¼ of hot pepper (like Habanero or scotch bonnet) at a time, reblending with each addition and tasting as you go. The hot sauce will have a more intense flavor as it sits, but it will not get hotter. Here’s your chance to get the heat level just right.
Step 5: Let the hot sauce cool and store it in your fridge. The abundance of vinegar acts like a natural preservative for several weeks. If you prefer, you can also can your hot sauce to make it shelf stable.
Variations for Homemade Hot Sauce
Make it Thinner or Thinner: Some peppers naturally contain more pulp while others contain more water. After you’ve blended the sauce, you can strain out the pulp with a fine-mesh strainer for a more watery hot sauce, or leave the pulp in for a thicker hot sauce. Adding a little bit of filtered water will thin it as well.
Keep the Seeds or Toss Them: Keeping the seeds will make your hot sauce hotter, and removing the seeds will remove some of the heat. You can go either way!
Change the Color: The color of the hot sauce will depend on the color of the peppers you use. Green chilies will make a green hot sauce, while orange/red chilies will make a red sauce. Combine red and green chilies for a brown sauce.
Make it Sweeter: Give your hot sauce a bit of sweetness by choosing a pepper that has sweetness or add a bit of honey or sugar. A little sweetness goes a long way, so add ½ tsp at a time and taste as you go.
Roast the Peppers: Roasting the peppers before you cook them in vinegar gives the peppers a smokey flavor. This is optional, but it’s a lot of fun to experiment with flavors!
Turn it into Buffalo Sauce: Traditional buffalo sauce is slightly thicker with buttery notes. Use this recipe to make the Best Buffalo Sauce!
Unique Hot Sauce Recipes
In addition to the variations above, you can create unique hot sauce recipes by adding other fruits and vegetables you wouldn’t ordinarily think of:
Mild to Medium Hot Sauce: Try jalapenos, serrano chile peppers, cherry bomb peppers, banana peppers, or Fresno peppers.
Medium to Hot Sauce: Try cayenne chili peppers, fish peppers, thai chilies, or tabasco peppers. Adding peaches or mango would be a unique way to balance the flavor.
Hot to Crazy Hot Sauce: Try habanero, scotch bonnet, or ghost peppers. Remember that these are VERY hot peppers, so consider balancing these out with some milder chiles.
Consider adding garlic and carrots to balance the flavor of the mild hot sauces. Fruits like mango, peach, pineapple, blueberries, cherries, and apples are nice additions to hotter peppers. Add a little bit of lime juice for a twist!
Fermenting Hot Sauce Recipe vs Cooked Hot Sauce Recipe
Traditionally, fermented hot sauce requires the peppers to be fully submerged in brine and left to ferment for up to two weeks, sometimes longer.
I typically don’t follow this fermentation process because I’m impatient, and not a massive fan of the fermented version of hot sauce. I much prefer the 15-minute recipe I’ve outlined below to have sauce ready, whenever I want!
Common Questions When Making Hot Pepper Sauce
Should I use a blender or a food processor for homemade hot sauce?
I’ve found that using a Blender (I have a Blendtec) is the easiest method to make hot sauce, but you can also use a medium to large-capacity food processor like this one. Another option is to use an immersion blender. If you use an immersion blender, let the hot sauce cool to room temperature so you don’t risk splashing hot liquid on yourself!
Which vinegar is best for homemade hot sauce?
I used white vinegar, but you can substitute apple cider vinegar. It would add a subtle sweet flavor to your hot sauce!
How long will homemade hot sauce last?
My cooked hot sauce has a 2-4 week shelf life in the fridge, and if you go the fermented route, it’ll last 3-6 months. Remember that hot sauce will tint your storage container, so I re-purpose glass jars from jelly or spaghetti to prevent any plastic items from discoloration. Re-using old hot sauce bottles from store-bought hot sauce works too!
Can I freeze homemade hot sauce?
Yes, you can freeze the hot sauce for up to 3 months. I recommend using zip-sealed freezer bags (I use these reusable freezer-safe bags), although you can safely freeze in glass jars too. Thaw in the refrigerator and then give it a good stir in case the sauce has separated from freezing.
How to Use Our Hot Sauce Recipe
We love this buffalo wing sauce recipe so much, and we’ve found several fun ways to enjoy it:
If you like this recipe, you’ll also like:
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15 Minute Homemade Hot Sauce
This 15-minute homemade hot sauce recipe tastes just like Frank’s Hot Sauce. Using just 4 ingredients, you’ll have a delicious hot sauce that’s mild, medium, or hot – however you want!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauces/Condiments
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 20 fresh peppers of your choice (Fresno, Cayenne, Jalapeno are good ones)
- 1 ½ cups white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tsp minced fresh garlic
Instructions
- Put on gloves (kitchen-safe) and wash the peppers.
- Cut the tops off of your peppers and slice them in half lengthwise.
- Add peppers, salt, and garlic to pour the vinegar into a saucepan/pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low boil until the peppers are soft (about 10 minutes).
- Pour everything into your blender, including peppers and vinegar.
- Blend it (seeds and all) until liquefied.
- Add additional heat if desired. If you like it hot, add a Habanero (or half of one), re-blend, and re-taste.
- Enjoy. You now have hot sauce!
Notes
- This additional pepper added to the blender isn’t cooked. We don’t recommend adding “additional heat” when you’re cooking the peppers on the stove when you make this the first time. This gives you the chance to adjust the heat after the fact, little by little. Once you determine how much heat you like, feel free to add those additional peppers to the ones you cooked earlier in subsequent batches.
Nutrition
- Calories: 121
Amber
I’ve been crowing cayennes at home but this is the first year for them so they are pretty tiny. I only had a couple handfuls of cayennes so I went off of the picture you posted of the pan to determine how much vinegar to use. The sauce came out lovely! Frank’s hot sauce also uses cayenne but my homemade tastes about twice as spicy, probably due to their freshness! Thank you for the simple and easy recipe!
Jane
Tiffany I just made this using a variety of peppers I had left. My husband loved it. Thanks.
Tiffany
So glad you liked it Jane!
Scott Keo
Do we have to boil it? Can I just pickle everything and then blend it?
PhaTimmie
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and technique! I had an abundance of Ghost and Carolina Reapers and wanted to make a hot sauce. I was unsure how to do it, in my head it seemed a lot more complicated. You simplified it and removed my doubt.
I used distilled white vinegar with mine. The aroma is very strong while it is simmering, but I like it! Doing this while the family is gone for the day, but still have the whole house opened up to air out.
I did a quick pinkie sample, and wow!!
Thanks again!
Tim
Tiffany
You’re so very welcome Tim!
Oliver W.
I was dreading having to ferment peppers in salt for three weeks or longer, then I found this killer easy recipe, thanks so much! Possibilities are endless. Used 5 jalapenos, 10 red habaneros, five red Thai peppers, two big tomatoes, some salt and organic white vinegar. Es una salsa muy caliente, pero que bueno sabor!
Tiffany
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe Oliver!!
Jim
I make and can hot sauce all summer long I use a method that takes a bit longer to cook but I am eager to try this recipe. I am not big on the vinegar flavor of store bought hot sauce so I cut down the amount of vinegar and use tomatoes to give it the acidity needed to preserve through canning. Sterilize your jars, lids and rings and fill the jars with near boiling hot sauce to 1/2 inch headspace, cap set on a towel out of drafts and wait til cool. I currently have 4 years of got sauces canned using different heat peppers each year. Next year Carolina Reapers.
Tara p
It’s there any way that I can preserve it once it is made? I wild love for it to last longer than the refrigerated time that you previously posted. Thank you
Tiffany
I believe it’s possible to can hot sauce, I just haven’t tried it myself Tara!
Joel
So the restaurant I work for just changed chefs and there was a purging (throwing out) of some really nice product. Managed to get my hands on an assorted 7lb bag of beautiful, organic, locally grown chilis before it made it’s way to the dumpster. Everything from bananas, purple bells, shishitos to fresnos, baby jalapenos, habaneros and cayennes.
That said, i was looking to use some of the spicier variety to make some hot sauce and just happened to come across your recipe. My question here is about the volume of said chilis. You list number of chilis, but was wondering if you had an approximate weight to coincide the rest of the ingredients? Many of the chillis i am thinking about using vary greatly in size and weight. Really just looking for a good chili matter to vinegar ratio.
Sorry if my question was long winded, just don’t want these to go to waste. And of course, thank you for the recipe.
Tiffany
It makes sense! One fresno/jalapeno is about 1/2 oz, so for this recipe you need about 10 oz of peppers, not including additional peppers for flavor/heat. I think this would be a great starting point!
Dan Thornton
I like the sounds ofhot sauce recipe (I have not tried it yet) I assume it gets refrigerated after it’s done. How long is it good?
Tiffany
Its good for at least a couple weeks!
Angela
Thank you for this recipe! With my CSA we had an overwhelming amount of Krimzon Lee peppers and I was able to use them all up to make hot sauce in no time! Mine is green but it tastes delicious!
Anna Farinacci
How much vinegar should I be left with? I experienced quite a bit being boiled away. Should more be added?
Tiffany
Anna – this will get you about 1 1/2-2 cups of hot sauce.
Adam
Do you think apple cider vinegar would give it a better taste? I know a lot of people use that.
Tiffany
It would give a slightly sweeter taste Adam, so I guess it would depend on your personal taste preferences!
Steven
I decided to make this out of 11 Carolina reapers, im hoping it turns out well when it is done. I did this as more of an experiment than anything else. But thanks!
Matthew Gentner
Was reading over your recipe and had a few questions. First things is I grow supper hots ( Carolina Reapers, Trinidad Morunga Scorpion’s) I love the heat and flavor. I have been looking for an easy vinegar based recipe but have struggled to find one that i like. I keep reading about carrots or sweet potatoes being added to the recipes. What will this do overall to my hot sauce? How much should I use? I’m limited to the amount of peppers because of the short growing season here in western New York. I have another recipe that I use but wanted something different. I also plan on making some pepper jelly this year as well.
Tiffany
Hi Matthew! I’ve never added carrots or sweet potatoes myself, but my best guess is the natural sugars in those veggies help to tame the heat of hot sauce while still letting the flavor of the pepper shine. Because I’ve never done this, I truly have no idea how much to add – hoping another reader who has done this can chime in here! But if I was testing from scratch, I’d make the hot sauce as-written. I’d also have maybe 1/2 cup steamed carrots and steamed sweet pots (separately, and each mashed) ready in another pan/bowl. I’d add 1-2 tbsp of hot sauce to each and taste, adding more hot sauce until I’ve reached the consistency and flavor that I like. Then do the match backwards to match how much hot sauce you currently have. I’d also make a batch of plain (if you have some to spare), a batch of w/carrots and a batch of w/sweet pots since flavors can change over time. Then when you open the jar in a few months, you can see how the flavors have changed and makes notes of any changes you’d like to make for next year. Best of luck!!
Liz
This sauce is awesome. Flavorful and hot but doesn’t kill you. So good. My whole family lives it. Making a triple batch for gifts. Thanks!!!!
Liz
Loves *
Tiffany
So glad you loved it Liz!!
Mark
My garden is going crazy this year. I have Cayenne, Habanero’s, and lots of Jalapenos. I added carrots to the recipe, let it cool after cooking before blending, then bring back to a light boil before filling ball jars. I have made sauces with different quantities of the three from my garden. Aside different heat levels all are wonderful and way better than store bought.
Tiffany
I agree – homemade hot sauce is SO much better than store-bought!
lorraine glaves
Tried it just as you said. Awesome. Brings out the best flavor when added to food.
Harvey Freeman
Thank you.
Harvey Freeman
Hi, my name is Harvey. I just finished making the hot sauce and I’m letting it cool. My question is will this sauce stand on the shelf after its made or dose it require refrigeration ?
Tiffany
Hi Harvey! With the vinegar content of the sauce, it should be fine on the shelf *in theory*. However, I would refrigerate the sauce and look at the canning requirements if you want to store it on the shelf.
Dan
I love this recipe! I like very hot sauces, so I went with five habaneros, and threw in a couple baby carrots for the sugars. Even my spouse, who doesn’t like heat, loves the smell so much that we are going to make a super mild version next.
Tiffany
Ooh – I didn’t even think about adding another veg for sugar. Good call Dan! Please do let me know how the super mild version turns out!
Dave P
I make mine occasionally with mango. Love the combination of fruity and hot.
Tiffany
Good luck!
Shawn
How long do you think you can store this hot sauce in a mason jar if refrigerated?
Rosemary
I would love to know the same thing! I’m thinking maybe 1-3 months?
Tiffany
Yes! The vinegar is a natural preservative. Ours lasted in the 1-3 month range without issue.
Ruthie
Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou!! My guys buy Frank’s by the gallon and use it on EVERYTHING! I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making our own. Now just have to plant hot peppers this spring 🙂
Tiffany
You’re so welcome Ruthie! You’re gonna love it!
mr. mullins
hi I was a chef for 16 years and had a decent recipe for different sauces. I always start with my mirepoix (celery carrots and onions) and roast my peppers almost black. yours makes it easier to make my chocolate habenero sauce. it goes great with any cream cheese breaded dessert with a liquor. great job with the fast recipe. thanks
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Chef Mullins! (my dad is a chef too!)
Bobby Fulton Furgerson
What is the shelf life?
Tiffany
This should last a few weeks in the fridge Bobby.
Amber McCann
Loved this recipe with a mix of peppers I grew in my garden this year! I went through the whole bottle myself 😉 Thank you for sharing this easy recipe.
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Amber, happy to hear the recipe worked well for you!
Sue
how long can this be kept
Tiffany
It was good for several weeks in our fridge Sue. Use the smell test if you aren’t sure!
Rachel
Can it be stored in the freezer?
Jackie
On your article it says it can be kept for 1 week in the fridge but i see you’ve told 2 people it’ll last multiple weeks? I would like to know before i make this
Tiffany
It will last multiple weeks, Jackie. The large amount of vinegar acts as a preservative. Just use the smell test before consuming, and if you don’t think you can eat it fast enough, freeze it!
Tiffany
Which vinegar do you prefer to use (white vinegar or apple cider)? Thank you!!!
(PS I like your name.😊)
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Hey Tiffany, the apple cider vinegar is what Tiffany likes best. I can see why you like her name! haha, I bet she likes yours too!
Carlos Gomez
How long will it last without garlic or onions?
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Carlos, it taste best with those added ingredients but it should stay around a month in the fridge when stored properly. Or you can freeze large batches for later use.
Kathy Freeman
Can I can this sauce safely? If so, 15 minute water bath?
MikeYeah
Did you get a reply about canning?
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Yes it can be canned, Kathy. I think most water bath canning methods take longer. The 15 minute title here is just for making the hot sauce.
Peter
Hey Kathy,
Reading other hot sauce canning recipes they are really the same ingredients. Most others have tomatoes but after I made 100 pints of salsa, I do not want to peel more tomatoes this year!
My family has made this recipe and I have tried it, love it, and this is the one I am going to can.
I am going to top the peppers then bring the peppers, garlic and vinegar to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Move them to a food processor, then bring the sauce to simmer again for about 45 minutes or until thickened.
Jar it, then hot water bath can for 15 minutes. As long as the food is cooked, the canning process doesn’t need to cook it, just heat so it seals when it cools.
Richard ray pardo jr.
Amazing just made it . What is the shelf life if I may ask
Darlene Thompson
How long does this hot sauce last in the fridge?
Kyare - Team Crumbs
About a week, but the best way to test a homemade food product is the smell test.
Fatima
How much can I store it in the freezer?
Isaac S-S
Blender link (*”like this”*) redirects to an instapot. How and why are store bought hot sauces able to last longer than ~1 week?
Micho V.
I just made this sauce. Cant wait to taste it. Its too hot still. Is it ok if i put it open in the fridge to cool down? Speed up the cooling process…
My family loves everything hot and this year we had our own hot papers in the garden so im excited about this now!!!!!
Kyare - Team Crumbs
I am sure it has cooled by now but yes you can quicken the cooling process. Just make sure you put the sauce in a room temperature dish so it does not crack due to a temperature change. =)
Nicole
Hi! Could you please tell me how much hot sauce (ounces, or some measurement) you would say this recipe of 20 peppers typically yields?
Kyare - Team Crumbs
Hey Nicole, it makes about 2 cups of hot sauce.