A Homemade Hot Sauce recipe that tastes just like Frank’s Hot Sauce! Ready in 15 minutes and can be tailored to mild, medium or hot – however you want! Use it to make our delicious Buffalo Chicken Pizza and our One-Pan Buffalo Chicken Potatoes.
When the garden gives you peppers and chilies, make homemade hot sauce! This recipe tastes like Frank’s Hot Sauce and it’s ready in 15 minutes. The best part though, is that it costs a whole lot less to make!
You know that cool section in the grocery store and fancy gift shops? The one with those fancy sauces and spices that you just want to buy, but you’re afraid to plunk down $10 for a bottle of awesome looking hot sauce… because… well, you don’t know how it tastes (flavor wise), and you don’t know if it’s too hot or not?
If you’re lucky, some of the gift shops may have toothpicks you can dip in to sample, but usually you’re left guessing as to the flavor and heat index of the sauce itself.
Fear not! We have the perfect solution for how you can build the perfect homemade hot sauce according to what your taste buds desire.
Do you want to make something truly unique, or ridiculously hot? Go ahead.
Would you prefer to make something a little more traditional like Frank’s Hot Sauce? Easy. We’ll show you how.
For this Hot Sauce tutorial, we primarily used Fresno Chile peppers for two main reasons.
- They are pretty mild with a little tang and adding heat is easy with the drop of a single habanero pepper.
- We also had a TON of them in our fridge from my father-in-law.
If you’re concerned about what’s hot and what’s not, here is a sample heat index for some of the most popular types of peppers (taken from a variety of sources and chopped to fit accordingly).
Note, the measurements are in Scoville Heat Units, which is how “hot” the pepper actually is.
Note, the Fresno peppers we used ranked right around 5,000 Scoville Heat Units, which is further down and on the mild side of peppers.
So before you begin, safely pick your poison. : ) As in, choose the correct pepper for your desired heat level.
If you’re unsure, choose a pepper that’s on the mild side (like the Fresno) and pick up a few Habanero’s on the side to increase the heat if necessary.
Also, if you’re concerned about color, you’re going to want to choose a pepper with the desired color that you want for your sauce as well.
15 Minute Homemade Hot Sauce
There are so many things to love about this recipe, my favorite being how customizable it is! It is also:
- Quick and easy. It takes only 15 minutes to make!
- Frugal. It is much more cost effective than bottled fancy hot sauces.
- Made With Simple Ingredients. Having only simple ingredients means that there are no preservatives or thickeners like store-bought hot sauces might have.
- Very Tasty! With the peppers, garlic and vinegar, it adds wonderful spice and tang to just about anything you’re eating!
- Healthy! Penn Medicine says that there are several health benefits to eating spicy peppers.
- Totally customizable to whatever peppers you have – tabasco peppers, poblanos, fermented peppers, jalapenos, chili peppers… choose your level of heat and depth of flavor based on the peppers!
Ingredients for Homemade Hot Sauce Recipe
- 20 Peppers (Fresno, Cayenne, Jalapeno) of your choice
- 1 1/2 cups vinegar (I used white)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
Supplies: gloves, medium sauce pan, jars with lids for storage OR an old hot sauce bottle
Note: If you’re making your own homemade Frank’s hot sauce, use cayenne peppers!
The gloves are for your own protection, especially if you’re working with a crazy spicy hot pepper. The oils from the pepper can rub off onto your hands without you even knowing it, or without any adverse reactions.
That is, until you go to wipe your eye or scratch your nose. The oils can easily transfer and cause all sorts of irritation in places you don’t want to be irritated!
Special note to contact lens wearers – wear your glasses for this one!
How to Make Homemade Hot Sauce
Follow this step-by-step tutorial to make the best homemade hot peppers sauce! Remember to work in a well-ventilated area, and wear your gloves!
Step 1. Wash the peppers. Whether you buy organic or not, be sure to wash using an all-natural produce wash (because even organic foods can contain pesticides!).
Step 2. Cut the stems off of your peppers and slice in half lengthwise.
Step 3. Pour the vinegar into a sauce pan/pot, add peppers, salt and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer until peppers are soft (about 10 minutes).
Step 4. Pour everything into your blender (I use a Blendtec like this one), including peppers and vinegar.
Step 5. Blend it (seeds and all) until it becomes a mash, pulp, or puree.
Step 6. Add additional heat if desired. If you like it hot, add a Habanero (or half of one), re-blend and re-taste.
Step 7. Enjoy. You now have hot sauce!
Which Vinegar is Best for Homemade Hot Sauce?
I used white vinegar, but you can also use apple cider vinegar which will add some nice depth of flavor.
How Long will Homemade Hot Sauce Last?
Homemade Hot Sauce is good for about a week in the refrigerator. Glass pint jars work well for storage.
It might seem that with the vinegar, it would last months, but with added ingredients like garlic (onions too, if you ever happened to add them), you will need to use it within the week.
The good news is that it continues to improve with age after the ingredients have had time to fuse. So, if you’re able to, make this 1-2 days in advance.
Can I Freeze Homemade Hot Sauce?
Yes. If you happen to make an extra big batch, it is perfectly fine to freeze this hot sauce for up to 3 months. I’d suggest using zip-sealed freezer bags for ease of freezing. Lay them flat for space saving. Thaw in the refrigerator and then give it a good stir in case the sauce has separated from freezing. I promise the flavor won’t be affected.
What is the Hottest Sauce in the World?
Scotch bonnet peppers are extremely hot peppers, and should be handled carefully. I wouldn’t recommend making homemade red hot sauce with them for your first time.
These are the type of hot peppers that need to pair with sweet flavors (like peaches and mangoes, or I’ve even heard of brown sugar) to help reduce and balance the extremely high heat.
Should I Use a Blender or a Food Processor for Homemade Hot Sauce?
Using a blender like this helps make the smoothest, creamiest hot sauce in town. But if you only have a food processor, that’s fine too. Just be sure to process until liquified and smooth. Consider straining it through a fine mesh strainer if it is not as smooth as you’d like.
If you use a blender, make sure your blender can handle hot liquids. If not, wait until the mixture has cooled a bit (it doesn’t have to be room temperature) before you blend it. We’ve had a Blendtec for 4+ years and have never had a problem with hot liquids (or any problem, for that matter!)
Also, this sauce tinted our blender a lovely shade of orange. We have been able to get the color out over time, but heads up if you care about the aesthetics of your kitchen appliances!
Homemade Hot Sauce is Awesome Sauce!
When the garden does well and we get an overabundance of peppers, it’s time to make hot sauce!
There are times when it’s best to make things from scratch and times when it isn’t the best use of your time or money.
But if you use hot sauce on everything from pizza to tacos to scrambled eggs then you should definitely make your own hot sauce. (This is one of the key principles I teach in Grocery Budget Bootcamp to make the most of your budget!)
Looking for recipes to use your new favorite hot sauce? Here are some of my favorites we use it in:
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- One-pan Buffalo Chicken Potatoes
- Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole
Watch How to Make 15 Minute Homemade Hot Sauce:
15 Minute Homemade Hot Sauce
Homemade hot sauce recipe that tastes just like Frank’s hot sauce! Ready in 15 minutes and can be tailored to mild, medium or hot – however you want!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- 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 1/2 cups white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 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 in half lengthwise.
- Pour the vinegar into a saucepan/pot, add peppers, salt, and garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low boil until 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.
Keywords: homemade hot sauce
Very good base recipe. 1 part peppers, 3 parts vinegar. Garlic, salt, & pepper to taste. I was working with Yellow Biquinho peppers. I used a combo of white and apple cider vinegar. I would use more AC than white in future batches with this pepper (very citrusy notes). I didn’t mind the taste as is but my husband found the vinegar a bit too punchy so I also added a bit of honey. Approx 1 tbsp for a 2cup yield. Will make again.
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HI Jennifer!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this recipe. We are so glad your family enjoys it! 🙂
I made this and it’s very good but I’ll have to tweak the vinegar. It was too much for me but a very good base recipe. I’ve heard if you add a pinch of xanthum gum it keeps it from separating but I didn’t use that.
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We grow a wide variety of chili peppers and make a number of different sauces. One of the most popular is mango habanero sauce. Very addictive.
One note on freezing. We often portion the sauce into ice cube trays, which are convenient for portion sizes for cooking and then, after freezing storing them in freezer bags. The sauce lasts a long time actually.
I make hot sauce annually using peppers and garlic from the garden. Recipe is similar to this one. It keeps for a year in the refrigerator with no problem and no loss of taste.
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Awesome Scott! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I do too with Carolina Reapers
CAN YOU USE GHOST PEPPERS
Hi Sam,
We haven’t tested ghost peppers but there isn’t a reason not to. Be sure to report back and let us know how it goes!
Made this recipe with all fresh homegrown peppers from my garden: banana wax peppers and scotch bonnets. Used 2:1 ratio of white to apple cider vinegar and added a 1/2 tbsp of sugar. Had a great flavour but due to my choice of peppers it was stupidly spicy and is in need of dilution/incorporation to other recipes. Great beginners guide for my first time making hot sauce, thanks!
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Oh no! Leah you might be able to make it into a fruity salsa with apples, mango, and/or pineapple. Another option is to serve it in a meal with a lot of dairy like sour cream or cheese. Best of luck!
My boyfriend suggested the same thing, to put in a sweet potato or mango salsa, so I may give that a go. Otherwise, we’ve been using it sparingly, but adding a drop or two into pasta sauce or soup gives a really fantastic flavour! Forgot to mention in the first comment as well, but I ended up straining it post-blender to make it more like a storebought consistency, which also helped take away a bit of the heat. Thanks again, great recipe 🙂
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You’re most welcome Leah!
Amazingly simple recipe and we do quite a few variations. We use apple cider vinegar, it gives it a smoother taste in our opinion. And we grow some of our own peppers, fatalii, chili and sweet green and cilantro. Last batch had all those and some jalapenos, fresh garlic and liquid smoke. Also added some pineapple and WOW, an amazing blend of flavors. In fact last batch made a full quart so we will be sharing.
Thanks again for sharing this and definitely a 5 star recipe.
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Those sound amazing Scott! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications for others to try. So helpful. 🙂
I started using this in my small restaurant. I filtered off the juice in the blender so it would have a long shelf life on the tables.
That’s wonderful Jon! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Excellent recipe. I made this with Birds Eye Chilis (Super Hot), an equal amount of pomodore tomatoes, half an onion, oregano, apple cider vinegar, and about double the salt. It smelled like Franks while cooking. My son came downstairs thinking we were having buffalo wings.
Steve, so glad to hear you liked it!
Can you water bath this recipe?
Hi Hellen!
We do not have specific instructions on how to water bath this recipe, but there’s no reason why it can’t be done.
I just make this using yellow habaneros and the sauce came out fantastic. Easy to make and the recipe is well written and the pictures are helpful. Thank you!
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Our pleasure Nikki, thank you!
I made this recipe with 18 mad hatters and 3 Trinidad scorpion peppers from my garden. It turned out awesome! I strained the finished product and used a 1:1 ratio of Apple Cider to White vinegar. I also used garlic powder instead of fresh, but other than that, I followed the recipe as written and I loved it. Even my dad has asked me to make him some for his house. This recipe is a keeper!
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So glad you liked it Kristal! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I want to make a hot sauce that can be bottled and stored for a long period of time. How can I alter this recipe to make it storable?
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Hi Brandon, we haven’t tested it but you could research ways to add preservatives to it. There are other commenters who have frozen it in small portions like ice cube trays as well for later use.
The vinegar preserves it. I am a Guyanese and we make hot sauce with pepper, vinegar, onion, garlic, salt and a piece of bitter melon. It is kept a long time in the cupboard, never had the need to put it in the fridge. If you keep it in the sun on the window sill, over time it becomes hotter.
Thanks for sharing Sasha!
This is a good recipe for a quick hot sauce. I added two jalapenos when I blended it. I doubled it and got about 3/4 of a large franks bottle. I will be adding more garlic next time I make it.
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As an update I added 5 sun-dried tomatoes this time and half an onion. It helps tone down the fire but is very aromatic.
Thanks again.
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I was dubious if the recipe would be like that of Franks!
Its now two weeks old and is brillant!
It needed a slight tweak with salt and that was all.
It’s an easy recipe that I’m sharing with my hot sauce loving friends.
Thank You
★★★★★
You’re most welcome, Ross!
Wow! This was soooooo simple..
Ok, so I used 20 super hot red habaneros 👍🏼
Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (which really works well), garlic as stated and added zest and juice of a lime. I cooked for about 15 minutes as they don’t break down as fast.
Got to be the best sauce I ever made. Super tasty and super hot!
Thank you so much!!
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Going to attempt this recipe tomorrow going to use mango and pineapple along with a Reaper and a couple other peppers that I’ve grown in my garden I have about 40 to 50 varieties of pepper seeds that I’m growing next year to use the same recipe just with different peppers can’t wait to see the outcome
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Oh my Wayne, with the mango and pineapple sounds GOOD!! Definitely let us know how it turns out!
i love hot peppers and i love hot sauce . first time i grow in my garden hot peppers . the problem was that the peppers was too hot to eat raw ( for me ). so i was looking for a recipe but everything was to complicated ( also for me ) . and then i see your recipe . the only thing i change was to add 2 onion . everything i use was from my garden except vinegar , maybe next year I will make my own vinegar …back to the point , the hot sauce it was amazing it was one of the best that i eat in my life !!! i hope i’m not the only one who eat it even for breakfast .
!!!!! Thank you for your delicious recipe!!!!
PS. why everybody asking how long it can kept ? after one week i don’t have any sauce i need to make new 😛
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LOL – hot sauce doesn’t last long in our house either, Teo! I’m so glad you like this recipe!
Have you tried to freeze the hot sauce? I have been experimenting similar recipes as you list, vinegar / peppers / cook / blend.. and have three (soon to be four) different types, but way more than just I can eat (empty nesting and wife does not do hot sauce)… I see all the comments about 1-3 months in the fridge, but even that duration might not be long enough for the amount I have. I bought bottles, and have sterilized (not canning jars… 10.5 oz bottles), so am hoping to keep some “fresh” in the fridge of each, and freeze the rest. Thanks!
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Hi Scott! I haven’t frozen hot sauce myself, but I’ve frozen LOTS of other foods and think this would be just fine. Enjoy all those hot sauces!!
Has anyone canned this sauce — in a water bath canner? How long did you leave it in the water bath?
Oops! I see a post about water bath canning now! Thanks!
I was really disappointed in this recipe- way too much vinegar for me. I might use use 1:1 or even 2:1 water and vinegar next time.
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You’re always welcome to adjust to taste Linda, but I haven’t had anyone complain about this one before!
So about your blender color just use denture clean tablets
Good idea… or soak in powdered Oxyclean stain remover