Garlicky Red Chili Hot Sauce Recipe (2024)

I've been making this sauce with slight variations for about 3 years. My habañeros, grown in containers on my Chicago balcony, vary in heat and harvest every year. I especially like this combination because the bell peppers still allow for the floral, citrusy flavors of the habañero to come through. I'll do a batch with toned down heat by simply removing seeds & ribs. Also varied it using orange & yellow bells -- the flavor and heat remain, but the different look of the finished sauce is nice.

For hot liquids in the blender leave off the little center of the lid and cover the whole lid with a folded towel. Steam can escape so no explosions. You only have a towel to clean not the whole kitchen. Been there done that.

I made a very similar recipe, but added some additional ingredients for additional depth of flavors. A whole white onion, one yellow and one orange bell pepper, about 8 habaneros, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 tbs grated ginger, 1/2 tbs mustard, 1 tbs cumin, 1 tbs salt, 1 tbs black pepper, and 1 cup of white vinegar. I think it's an amazing sauce. Cooking instructions were the same as above.

It might be safer to allow the mixture to cool before puréeing it in the blender. Sometimes pureeing a very hot (temperature) mixture can results in an explosion with the blender cover flying off. This could result in injury and the stinging mixture splashing onto the cook. These instructions could be improved for safety purposes, seems to me.

it's best to cook chili peppers whole, especially these extra hot ones. simply remove stems before cooking. the blender deals with the cooked chili easily.

This is quite similar to a common Georgian (Republic of) condiment: "adzhika," which my lovely cleaning lady would make for me on special occasions. Basically, it's a Georgian version of salsa, and brightens nearly anything on the table. Unlike Melissa's version, I've had it uncooked ... the several days in the fridge was enough to meld the flavors. Don't skimp on the garlic!

This is darn tasty and really can be used right away if needed, but the fridge time really melds those nice flavors. If you like hot sauce, look into fermenting your peppers first, it is a whole notha level.

Haven't tried it yet, will this summer. I like to make big batches of various sauces and can them to preserve or give as gifts. This recipe is excellent for canning. Refer to standard canning recipes.

Another worthwhile precaution: safety glasses.

I made this sauce about 8 months ago according to the recipe and wasn't too happy with it... it just tasted quite sweet and vinegary to me. However, I found it after cleaning out the freeze the other day and was happy to discover that not only had it not molded but the flavor developed wonderfully. So much so that I'm getting ready to make more as a gift for someone who thinks it ( the aged version) tastes better than Sriracha. I recommend increasing the garlic and perhaps adding in some other

I adore this sauce. Yes it tastes better as it ages, but I use it up in a week because it's addictive. My only add is a little sugar because I like the sweet/sour dynamic.

This sauce is the reason I make stir fry at least twice a week. It is addictive and I've found it tastes better after a day of rest in the fridge.

I really like the flavor, color and heat of this sauce. However it is too thick to drizzle, especially at refrigerator temperature. So I add a cup of water and also 1/2 tsp citric acid as preservative. Then I keep a portion on the table.

If you wish to remove the pith and seeds from the hot peppers, as I did, do not dispose of them in the garbage disposal; the capsacin will atomize and spread throughout the kitchen, but especially right above the sink. You will feel as if you were tear-gassed. Put them in a zip-lock bag and toss in the waste basket. Then empty the waste basket outside.

Every year I grow enough jalapeño peppers, ripened to a brilliant crimson red, to make a couple of quarts of a simple but irresistible hot sauce. Partially seeded red jalapeños, fresh garlic cloves, salt, diluted vinegar, pulsed in a food processor until chunky smooth. Stored in the fridge, it's good after a week and generally lasts for a year without going bad. Good stuff.

This is darn tasty and really can be used right away if needed, but the fridge time really melds those nice flavors. If you like hot sauce, look into fermenting your peppers first, it is a whole notha level.

This is very good, but I recommend removing the seeds from the habaneros. I like my hot sauce spicy but this was quite hot. As others have done, it's also a great recipe to use as a base and tweak with other ingredients for future use. A little onion and mustard adjustments can be a nice twist to an already great recipe.

I’ve never made hot sauce before— would dried whole chilies work as a substitute to fresh?

This makes a thick sauce more classically suited as a coating for meat dishes or as a marinade than the typical bottled hot sauce. For the latter, the pureed ingredients need to be thinned with water or vinegar and maybe put through a fine mesh strainer.

The first time I made this, I used 2 large serrano chiles and added two Tbs sugar. It was so delicious I wound up eating it straight off the spoon.

Added 5 whole Allspice Berries to give this a Jamaican flare.

I substituted 7 dried arbol chilies for the 4 habaneros, used yellow and orange bell peppers instead of red, and added 1 medium sized jalapeño. Also, I left all seeds in. I followed the rest of the recipe as written here. The sauce turned out very hot and flavorful, just as I like it, and better than 95% of all off-the-shelf hot sauces I've ever tasted.

I made this with roasted red peppers and it’s now going on everything! It’s mild enough but so full of flavor for everyone’s palate! For another recipe, I added dried ancho chilies (roasted and soaked), and roasted red peppers, plus extra garlic. I’m so pleased with it! This is hotter but still holds a deep, rich flavor.

Good base recipe. Made a few variations by adding 2Tbsp fresh shredded ginger, white onion, more garlic, and reduced the bell peppers accordingly based on how much onion I put in. The fresh ginger really brings out a brightness. I used hot cherry peppers and the result was great on most dishes.

Another worthwhile precaution: safety glasses.