Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce – Recipe
Make your own ghost pepper hot sauce at home with this recipe, which includes plenty of chopped ghost peppers, tomatoes, vinegar and salt. Big flavor, big spice! With a pleasant blast of heat. Drizzle it over everything!
Ghost pepper hot sauce coming at you, baby! You GOTTA have some ghost pepper sauce in the fridge for times when you need that extra bit of heat. Our ghost pepper plants weren’t quite as productive as our 7-pot plants this year, but we still got plenty of pods for whipping up some hot sauce.
Hot sauces are one of my favorite foods to make. I’ve become a bit fanatical about it, really. I’ve come to need a big variety on hand for all the different types of meals I make. You can tell by the growing collection of Hot Sauce Recipes on the web site.
I’ve been moving into making flavors and combinations of all different sorts, but we’re keeping it super simple with this sauce. Sometimes simple is best.
With only 7 ingredients, you can make this sauce in about a half an hour, not including chopping time. Most of the time is spent watching the ingredients simmer to cook down a bit and let the flavors meld.
How to Make Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce – The Recipe Method
In a nutshell, your cooking steps include: Chopping, Cooking, Simmering, Processing, Bottling. Done! Easy!
The unfortunate part of this recipe is that it is best to wait a few days or even longer to let the flavors mingle and mellow slightly in the bottle. Of course you can eat it right away, but I like the flavor that much more after waiting.
So have a little patience, will ya?
The flavor is spicy for sure, but somewhat fruity from the ghosts and savory with the tomatoes. This is one of my very favorites.
Safety Advice
When working with hotter peppers, including superhots, it is important to wear gloves when handling the peppers both in raw and dried forms. The oils can get on your skin and cause burning sensations. See above.
Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.
Also, the fumes from the chili peppers and/or the fine powders may get into the air if you are not working in a well ventilated room, so you may want to wear a mask and goggles. Superhot chili peppers, truly, are called superhots for a reason.
Here are some answers based on the many comments I get on other sauces. Here goes:
How long will this hot sauce keep?
It should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. It’s all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 4.0 or so, to account for errors. I have not measured the ph of this sauce, but I won’t have it around very long anyway. If you’re concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph.
The best ph meters that I recommend are from Thermoworks. Get yourself a ph meter from Thermoworks today. I am a happy affiliate.
Where’d you get that hot sauce bottle?
I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce – Set of 4
. If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here’s another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz – 24 Pack
.
Can I process this hot sauce for longer storage?
Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.
What should I do with hot sauce?
Aside from drizzling it over anything you please, here’s a post I did about How to Cook with Hot Sauce. As if you need even MORE reasons to eat hot sauce. I hope you find it helpful!
Can You Die from Eating Ghost Peppers?
It is possible to overdose on capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers hot. However, the only way you can die from eating ghost peppers is if you eat them in sufficient quantity. A study performed in 1980 calculated that it would take consuming 3 pounds of superhot pepper powder, like ghost pepper powder, to kill a person weighing 150 pounds. It is highly unlikely anyone could consume that amount, as their body would react before reaching such a limit.
Ghost Pepper Flavor
Ghost peppers offer a an intense sweet pepper flavor that is quite fruity. The heat is more of a blooming heat, taking 30 seconds or longer to kick in. As they measure over 1 Million SHU, you can imagine that is quite hot. The burning generally rises in intensity over the next 10-15 minutes, then subsides after 30-40 minutes.
Check out These Related Recipes:
- Homemade Ghost Pepper Chili Hot Sauce
- Sweet Habanero Chili Sauce
- Pineapple-Jalapeno Hot Sauce
- Ti-Malice – Haitian Creole Hot Sauce
- Caribbean Style Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
- Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- Homemade Caribbean-Style Sweet Chili Sauce
- Roasted Ghost Pepper Sauce
- Sweet Pepper Chili Sauce
- Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water
- Fresh Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Ghost Pepper Jelly
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce - Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 bhut jolokia peppers ghost peppers, chopped
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped (I used Black Krims from the garden)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and add peppers and onions. Stir.
- Add tomatoes and stir. Cook about 10 minutes.
- Add vinegar, salt and water. Simmer 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
- Transfer contents to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Transfer to a container. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
208 comments
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The flavor of the sauce is nice, but it has a really strong tomato presence. If you’re looking to make a more peppery hot sauce, I’d replace the tomatoes with a milder pepper instead. The sauce as is tastes more like a tomato salsa than a hot sauce. The red wine vinegar adds a great flavor though, and in the future I will tweak it to have more pepper, less tomato, and add garlic!
Thanks for your input, Sadie. You can obviously adjust to your own flavor preferences.
Delicious sauce! I used canned tomatoes a clove of garlic and one tablespon of brown sugar. Thanks for the inspiration
Awesome, Joachim! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Nice touch.
So in my last review of this sauce I said it didnt have much flavour. Well I just finished the bottle and I was wrong. Over a couple of weeks I found that the flavors blended nicely while still keeping the heat.
I hope the same to be true with my Reaper sauce.
Thanks for reporting back in, Chris. True that many sauces continue to develop flavor as they age and mellow. Glad you are enjoying it.
First of all what a great recipe to follow. I’ve added garlic, as well as used different spices. A lot of fun. This last time I decided to smoke the ingredients on my grill before mixing everything on the stove. I used twice as many peppers, but did not double the amount of water. It is thick. I was wondering whether I could add the extra water now. Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you. I am certainly having fun experimenting.
Great, Ross! Thanks! Absolutely, you can easily add in more liquid at this point and thin it out to your preferred consistency. Let me know how the experimenting goes! Enjoy.
Hi there! Great recipe! Well rounded flavor. Question on the tomatoes. I’m noticing that after a week the bottles are building pressure and bubbling. Normally this is from tomatoes starting to ferment.. any idea what’s going on here? Thank you!
Thanks, Leo. How are you storing the sauce? It’s possible you’re getting some fermentation activity. You can simmer it down longer to stop fermentation if that is the case. Also, refrigeration would keep that to a minimum.
Hi! Am new to making hot sauces 🙂 I love your site! It’s super helpful and has lots of interesting stuff 🙂
I duno if I missed it, but what do you have to do to make a bottle of this recipe safe to be placed in room temperature and not in the ref? Just ensure a ph level 4.6 and below? Is this even possible even after opening it? If possible, what’s the minimum number of safe days? 🙂 I’ve been reading about this and have come across cautions about botulinum. So I just wana be sure 🙂
Oh! ..and if you put the bottle in the ref, how long will it last (after opening) if I just sterilized the bottle and didn’t do any canning? 🙂
Sorry for the many questions Thanks in advance ☺️
Hi, Nins. Welcome. You can process the bottles in a water bath for longer shelf keeping. The sauces will remain shelf stable for years that way, until they are opened. Then I refrigerate, though some people still don’t refrigerate. Kind of a personal choice with hot sauces of high acidity/low pH. In the fridge, hot sauces can last a year or longer, though mine never last that long. Just keep an eye on them as they age, especially ones with fruit. See this page for reference on canning/jarring as a start: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/canning-or-jarring-chili-peppers/
If you’re looking for heat, this has got it. Not much in terms of actual flavour however. It’s a nice addition if you’re looking to punch something up in weight class for heat.
Thanks, Chris. There are ways to play with the recipe with other ingredients to adjust to flavors you love, but definitely got heat here!
I wish i had read the tipp about cooking outside before..
Wow my apartements air is burning right now :*-P
Anyway what a great tasting sauce!
Thanks, Raphael. Yeah, the fumes can really get you!
Hi! Recipe looks great. Planning to make it tomorrow, but I’m a little worried about using my food processor or vitamix. Will there be the lingering heat left on the blades and/or in the container? Is that a usual issue? Do you have to clean it in a special way to ensure that it won’t make everything else spicy when I use the blender or food processor for something non-ghost pepper related?
Sarah, I’ve never had an issue. The only time I’ve heard of people having such issues is from grinding up dried pods in coffee grinders for making powders, particularly with superhots. You really shouldn’t have a problem. Just wash out the Vitamix well. Enjoy.
I’ve just made this with Armageddons and added some Passats to make it a ketchup. Lovely! Brutal though but lovey! People didn’t lie about the fumes!! Hahahahaha ouch
Thanks, Paul. Yeah, the fumes are no joke!
Just finished mine. I used six ghost peppers that were still green. Used white distilled vinegar (only thing I had on hand) and added some cumin and it tastes great just enough heat. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks, TJ!
I’m in the middle of making this now. Simmering the pepper mixture outside is a good idea. I’m glad I read the comments before trying to cook with these peppers the first time. Hopefully it turns out good. The only difference I did was using apple cider vinegar. It looks awesome!
Great, Tim! Enjoy!!
I put all ingredients through my vitamin blender before cooking it outside in my instapot pressure cooker set for 12 min. and let the pressure release naturally. This way I avoided all the chopping and fumes in the house. It turned out great.
Perfect, Jay! Great idea. Glad you enjoyed it.
I’m getting ready now to start my sauce. It’s got a combo, Trinidad Scorpion, 7pot, Reapers (a lot) ,Ghost peppers, Serranos, Habaneros, Tai chili, and Tai Dragon. Going to be nasty! Just completed my labels for my 5 ounce bottles. If someone sees a mushroom cloud in Kansas that might be me . Going to cook this on pellet grill with Fruitwood pellets.
Nice! Sounds awesome, Rick. Yep, I’ll be looking for a mushroom cloud for sure!
Hi. Going to be trying this recipe out as we just picked a bunch of ghost peppers. Just a quick question though… do you dry the peppers out first before cutting them or do you use them fresh in this recipe?
Lauren, I used fresh ghost peppers for this recipe, though you can use dried. If using dried, you’ll need to rehydrate them first. I hope you enjoy it.
My son tells me this recipe makes a flavorful sauce with just the right amount of heat (for him – I am scared to try it!). Many thanks for including the YouTube video with the recipe b/c I don’t think I would have known how far to blend the ingredients down or how orange the finished sauce would be without that visual. We have a bumper crop of ghost peppers this year – so plan to make more. Thanks again!
Awesome, Jan! Super happy he is enjoying it! Yeah, pretty hot. You might try just a tiny dab. Beware! I love this stuff.
Haven’t made this yet. Just grew my first batch of ghost peppers. How do you prevent from burning your eyes/throat when the ghost peppers and onions are sauteing with the tomatoes?
Daniel, the fumes can really get you. Try to cook in a well ventilated room, with windows open if necessary. Use an oven fan. Even my powerful fan doesn’t always do the job. I’ve been there so many times!!!
I haven’t tried this recipe out yet, but I did get a ghost scorpion plant at the flower market, and the peppers on it look gnarly. I’ll make something this week as soon as I pick a few more chilis and let you all know.
Thanks, Chad! I hope you enjoy it.
What is the best temperature to use on the stove while heating up all of the ingredients? Maybe I missed that part in the directions?
Chase, I usually just heat to medium (150 degrees F or so), but you can simmer on medium-low heat (about 200 degrees F).
Could I ask what bottle you were using, want to use it for my sauce thank you.
Adil, Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce – Set of 4: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01068MRJ2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01068MRJ2&linkCode=as2&tag=chilpeppmad08-20&linkId=c1846f1ca85ba58f24b92eb26572ed42
I made the hot sauce in the 5 oz bottles and after processing in the hot water bath and setting on the cabinet the lids came loose on 3 of the 4 bottles. Can still use the hot sauce if I put it in the fridge or is it not safe for consumption?
Linda, I’m sure it’s fine, but you may want to keep it in the refrigerator.
I plan to make a boatload of hot sauce and cannot keep it all in the fridge, is there a link or website that tells me how to use water bath canning so that I can store it in the pantry with my other canned goods. I have not seen any information about water bath canning. My fridge is not big enough to store all that I will be making and I cannot eat it fast enough before it spoils!!
Kirby, check out this page as a start: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/canning-or-jarring-chili-peppers/
I am so glad I found your chilipeppermadness site. I’m not properly a Chile-head, rather I’m a chile-freak. hahaha
Thank you for your joyful adventure and sharing it with us.
Oh yeah! Love it. Thanks, Gregory. Welcome! See you around the crazy spicy food world.
Bout time Google sent me somewhere worth goin….thanks. I needed this in my life, won’t let me subscribe but, you have my email, I’m growing all the hottest peppers I can, I want to try a salsa or pepper sauce with Cherokee purple tomatoes and ghosts…
Thanks, Dustin. Glad you like what you’ve found. I hope you find some recipes you like. Happy to help you use up those hot ones. Email me anytime.
This is my go to recipe for ghost pepper sauce. All my hot sauce loving friends return their empty jars for a refill. Fortunately, my production plant is keeping up with demand.
Thanks for your great recipes.
Thanks, Mike! I love it.
So little vinegar?
What is the shelf life of this sauce?
It’s very difficult for us to get extra hot chilli, so in the autumn during the harvest we must prepare the sauces to the maximum, until next year
Hi, Oleksander. I have not measured the ph of this sauce, but this hot sauce should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. It’s all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 3.5 or so, to account for errors. If you’re concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. You can very easily add in more vinegar. Good luck!
Just the thing I have been thinking of doing.
One question…..is it safe to store it in a wooden building? Or is there a serious risk of a fire?
Thanks, Malcolm. Haha, you might not want to store this near any wood! LOL.
I’ve used this as a base recipe for hot sauces since finding this site and it never disappoints. Have swapped the ghost peppers with everything from jalapeno for less heat to scorpion peppers and reapers for some crazy heat. Hottest was with dehydrated scorpion peppers. Wow.
Yesterday made this with a handful of jalapenos and serrano peppers. Typically throw in some chopped garlic and a cup of water to lessen the thickness. Simmer for 45 minutes. Secret ingredient is perri-perri seasoning. 1 Tablespoon when you add the water. Give it a try!
Thank you for your website. Each recipe is unique and full of flavor and heat. You’re a go to when it comes to sauces!!!
I love it, Doug! Super happy you like it. Thanks for commenting!
Never buying r
Ready-made hot sauces again after I’ve now tried this recipe. Many thanks.
Thanks, Pete! Glad you enjoyed it!
Outstanding Sauce.
Thanks, Billy! I love this one, too. Glad you enjoyed it.
I just made a batch with green tomatoes that were leftove from this season. I added a some shredded carrots and split the vinegar between red wine and apple cider.
Sounds wonderful, Ron!
Amazing recipe. Just made it for the 2nd time, I used dried peppers because I didn’t have fresh ones so I just put them in hot water for 30 mins to get them closer to fresh peppers, and used 6 ghost peppers with the addition of 2 carolina reapers, a small clove of garlic, a bit of paprika (I’d use smoked paprika but didn’t have any), and a tiny touch of dried oregano and dried basil.
It turned out just amazing once again, and all of my spice hating friends ended up eating lots of it and suffering while enjoying the great taste. Would recommend to anyone who loves hot foods, Thanks for the great recipe, I will surely make lots of it in the future.
Forgot to mention, for the water in the recipe I used the water I put the peppers in to add extra heat.
Excellent, Yuval! I appreciate it! Glad you’re loving it!
Made it out of Carolina reaper oops had to add more without reaper but coming along
I guess you’re ready for some real heat!!
I made this with peppers from the garden, it’s REALLY hot, but flavorful. I tested the PH with my Thermoworks PH meter and it measured 2.7. I think I’ll can some to keep in the pantry.
Excellent, Andrea! This is definitely a HOT one. Glad you are enjoying it!!
This is an amazing recipe. I made this sauce this morning with ghost peppers from our garden. While I love all things spicy my husband is not a huge fan of super spicy. I ended up only using 3 ghost peppers and it was the perfect level of spice so my husband could enjoy it as well. I ended up caramelizing the onion and the ghost pepper, added garlic as someone suggested in another review. I also used 15 to 20 drops of liquid smoke per pint of sauce which gave it a nice smoky flavor. Will definitely make this recipe again! Thank you for sharing it.
Great, Wendy! Excellent updates, and I love the addition of the liquid smoke. Nice.
I have 5 plants that I was wondering wtf to do with so thank you !
Nice!!!
Going to make 10 bottles today because my ghost peppers have done real well. Can I put these in a hot water bath so they can be stored and have a longer shelf life. Thanks
Great, Rich. Yes, you can water bath this hot sauce in jars for longer keeping. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Do you peel the tomatoes or just chop them with the skin on?
Samantha, I don’t peel them, but you can for this recipe. If you want to, slice and “x” into the bottom of the tomatoes then blanch them until the skins loosen, then peel them off and proceed with the recipe. Alternatively, you can strain the hot sauce at the end for a smoother sauce. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Thanks for the great recipe! My high school son and I had a great time making this together. Definitely heed the warnings: use gloves and open the windows!
We used 9 ghost peppers and cayenne-infused olive oil, but otherwise followed the recipe. Brought some to a football tailgate – it was a huge hit. Thanks again!
Great, Connie! I love to hear this! Much appreciated.
Made this today using cherokee purple heirloom tomatoes. The only thing I changed was a clove of garlic. Made a double batch because ghost pepper plants are really doing well. Counted thirty more green peppers on one plant alone. Sauce came out amazing. Hint of sweetness from the tomatoes followed by intense heat of the ghost pepper. Love it. If you don’t like really hot sauce, I would suggest using 4 or less ghost peppers. My peppers were pretty large so may just be that, but I have no complaints. Like mine hot.
Excellent, David! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Mike,
Thanks for the amazing recipes and suggestions. Just made this with a couple alterations:
1. Added two carrots (simmered with onions and peppers for ten minutes)
2. Added another half cup of water and two more tbsp of vinegar to make consistency more in line with what I like.
3. I used apple cider vinegar instead of red wine, just a personal preference.
4. Fire roasted the tomatoes on the grill.
Flavor is amazing, my mouth was on fire for a half hour after I had it, but in a good way. My next batch, I will likely decrease the tomatoes, again, just a personal preference. The color is beautiful on this one. I did it all outside on the bbq as to not destroy the sinuses of my family.
Tomorrow I harvest the scorpions. Onward!
Sounds awesome, Matt! I love it. I’m sure the scorpion hot sauce will ROCK!!
Great Recipe! I did add a few more peppers. 16 Ghost, 6 Habanero, 6 Red Jalapeño. I smoked them all plus 8 Cloves of garlic for 1hr at 125 degrees. I then added a jar of stewed tomatoes and a few other small ingredients. Needless to say it smells amazing and as I put a drop on my tongue, I lost all sense of living. Once I regained consciousness, I realized this sauce is delicious and I’m sure it’ll get richer the longer it sits. Good Luck and be careful.
Thanks, Dan! Enjoy!!!
Hi Michael this is my second year making your hot sauce.
I made multiple batches last year cause of the abundance Ghost and Reaper plants.
Our plants grow in the ground and they last well into October.
I wound up making a green sauce as I could not bear to watch the green peppers freeze to death!
Cooking out side is best if possible otherwise you must open up the windows in your house, but I love the smell so warnings go out before I cook.
Gloves are necessary for first timers but I’m crazy and don’t.
No to all if you do wear gloves, do not take them off until after you’re finished thoroughly washing your equipment.
And don’t forget to be well ventilated Even when you’re washing up everything. It’s potent sauce And I use it every day on my salad!
Thanks again.
Forgot to say I’m adding roasted carrots this year in one batch to compare.
Also my hot sauce refrigerated well for a year!!
Thanks again!
Thanks, Tommy and LeeAnn! Great tips! I appreciate it.
Tastes good, numbs the gums for a few minutes. I used green ghost peppers so the color is lighter.
Awesome, Steve! I think it would be great with green ghosts! Enjoy.
This recipe is awesome! Always wanted to use my ghost peppers in a hot sauce and this recipe is delicious! Did put 2 garlic cloves in it but I’m sure it’s just as good without. Thank you!
Awesome, Tyler! Super happy you enjoyed it!
Will pureeing the peppers into the sauce release more of the hot flavor??
Bilbo, yes, the flavor and heat will permeate more fully with a puree. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Great article. I will make a batch of Ghost hot sauce today. I usually make large batches of hot sauce at a time, then freeze them in plastic containers for future use. Is freezing not recommended for preserving hot sauce for long periods?
Thanks, Joe. Let me know how it turns out for you. Yep, this hot sauce freezes without issue. It will last in the fridge quite a while. Just check the acidity. pH of 3.5 or lower is ideal. You can also water bath it for longer shelf keeping. But freezing is no problem. Enjoy!
Just made a double batch of this sauce, and added a 500g can of apple puree! Tastes beautiful, one of the best I have made. Thanks
Outstanding, Luke! I love the apple puree addition. Nice!
I made mine with 2 Reaper’s, 2 Ghost’s, and 2 Scorpion’s! And low acid yellow tomatoes. Very intense flavor and heat!
Sounds PERFECT, Todd! Talk about HEAT! You are a true chilihead, my friend. Enjoy.
Can this recipe for your hot sauce be made now to be given away for Christmas gifts?
Janice, the sauce will keep quite a while, but if you want to ensure it will last through Christmas, it would be good to run them through a water bath in proper jars.
Do you leave seeds in the recipe or do you remove the seeds.
Frank, I normally just leave them in, but you can remove them if you’d like. Let me know how it turns out for you.
I grow serranos to make giardeneria. I grew some ghost peppers as well last year and would add only one or 2 into the mix that fills about 4 large Ball jars for canning, so basically a ton of serranos, carrot, celery, pimiento olives, cauliflower, seasoning, canola oil, all brined, diced, a run through some vinegar, bottle and seal. It created a lot of extra heat. I’m growing again this year and still have some of the canned jars from last year, opened a jar today, the oil alone could strip paint, very hot, which is kind of normal, it does gain a little heat over time. Might try a mild giardeneria or even just olive mix and add a few of the Ghosts. My brother cooked them like a jalapeño popper, ate them, but he’s challenged on many levels. I think I will also make a giardeneria with Balsamic and some ghosts. In years past the balsamic was horrible for Italian beef, etc, but awesome on pork chops and the heat of the serranos was greatly, greatly reduced. Worth a shot, they are already growing on my rooftop.
Thanks for sharing, Primo! I love it.
I made this in response to a challenge from someone who said nothing is too hot for them.
I appreciate the flavor of this recipe…right before it flames my tongue into the abyss.
So freakin’ hot. But then again, I did add a Reaper. 🙂
Haha, I love it! Yes, the Reaper will DEFINITELY bring the heat, brother. Into the abyss!
So…2 days after making this almost all the heat was gone. It’s no hotter than Tobasco sauce. I have no idea why.
That’s so strange, Mitch. Most likely the peppers weren’t very hot to start with. I’ve had some peppers mellow from cooking them down, but mostly it’s intensified.
Great recipe! I tweaked it a little by adding 2 more ghost peppers, carrots, garlic, and a kiwi. Turned out amazing! Will be making more of this for sure.
That’s great, Anthony! Nice tweaks!
Hi Mike, I just want to say how much I love this site. I’ve tried several recipes and all are great. Just a quick story about this recipe. While I had everything in the pan the fumes got in the air and I inhaled more than I should have. I went into a sneezing and coughing frenzy on and off for 20 minutes. My 15 year old walked in and he started. Shortly after that my 12 year old walked in and turned around and walked back out he didn’t want to come in. It was pretty funny. It did turn out great. I keep a bottle at home and one to share with the guys at work. Thanks for all these great recipes.
Thanks a lot, Barry. I really appreciate it. Yes, the fumes can sometimes get you when working with peppers, especially the superhots. It’s best to work in a well ventilated room if you can do so, but even then they can get you! I’ve been there. Have a good one!!
I do all of my hot sauce making and blending outside on the patio.
Smart move. The fumes can sometimes get you inside.
I just made this, but doubled the recipie to 12 ghost peppers, alogn with doubling the other ingrediants, it is so good! My ghost pepper plant has about 50 of them on it, had no idea what to do with them without making something uneatable, this sauce tastes so good, I took it to work and my coworkers loved it and took some for themselves! I am gonna be making another batch of this soon, thanks! I guess one question would be, what kind of onions do you use? I used white onions, but could you use different ones?
Awesome, Shane! Super happy that you love it! It’s one of my favorites for sure. You can use either white or yellow onions, to your preference, really, though shallots are good. Red would be OK, but those tend to have more bite to them. Enjoy!
Subbed 3 serrano for 3 ghost peppers (I only had 3 :c), subbed apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar, and added maybe a tsp of raspberry balsamic vinegar. Has a nice slow but gradually increasing burn, and a whisper of tart fruitiness from the balsamic and ACV. Going to try following the exact recipe after I get more peppers, but the modified version is pretty good too ^_^
Thanks for the recipe!
Excellent, JC! I love it!
Outstanding sauce! This was my first attempt at hot sauce and after altering just a bit (I was afraid of the heat) I ended up with something fantastic! I made a quintuple recipe adding to it 2 red bell peppers, 50 baby carrots and using apple cider and red wine vinegar plus three table spoons of lime juice. I needed higher acidity as I am planning to can this and give as Christmas gifts. Anyway, the smell while cooking was mouthwatering and the final result… addictive. I kept a small amount out of the canned supply because it smelled so good! We put this-hot from the batch- on fajitas… amazing! Fruity and extremely flavorful followed by heat at the end. Will be making a batch with Carolina Reapers tomorrow. Thank you for a great recipe!
Thanks, Anna! Super happy you enjoyed it!!
Fantastic hot sauce! Checks all the boxes for flavor followed by heat! I adjusted a bit only because I was afraid of it… I made a quintuple recipe, added two red peppers, 50 baby carrots, and used apple cider and red wine vinegar plus a little lime juice because I want to can it for storage. It smelled outstanding during the cook and tasted great on grilled cheese sandwiches (we kept a tiny bit aside for immediate use- curiosity killed the cat). Tomorrow I take on the Carolina Reaper- using a combination of this recipe and your super hot recipe. Thank you! As a first time hot sauce maker, I now know I can create something delicious with all our beautiful peppers!
Thanks, Anna!!
Hi Mike,
My husband is pepperhead like you so this year I decided I was going to grow some hot peppers for him. Unfortunately the ghosts and Carolina’s never came in 🙁 the plants are big and beautiful and tons of flowers, but no fruits. The habaneros however came in really good so I was going to use them for a sauce instead. I was just wondering how many you would reccomend using? For my husband, the hotter the better. I’ve never made a hot sauce before so I thought I’d ask your opinion first. Thanks a bunch! 🙂
Sorry to hear, Ashley. Bummer. You can make this exact sauce with habaneros. You can easily double or even triple the habaneros in the recipe. It calls for 6 peppers, but the more the merrier! It will be thicker, so you can thin it out a bit with more vinegar and/or water if you’d like. Or check out my Hot Sauce Recipes page. I have a number of Habanero Hot Sauce Recipes you can try. Let me know how it comes out for you!
Making this for my brother in law ex marine.
Great! Yes, you can use dried ghost peppers for this recipe. Just rehydrate them first. Here is a link – How to Rehydrate Chili Peppers. I make hot sauces with dried peppers all the time. Let me know how he likes it!
Ashley, try ordering a blossom booster such as Jack’s classic Blossom Booster 10-30-20. My ghost plants weren’t producing (1 per plant) this summer until I used this. I did two applications and ended up with over 35 peppers for 3 mid-sized plants by fall this year. They’re still pumping out peppers in mid-november now, under a blue/red LED grow light! Hope this help. Mike, I’ll give your recipe a go for bottling these up for personal use and x-mas presents! Thanks so much!
Thanks, Mitch!!
Try some blood and bone fertilizer. Just a little but not near the stem. It helped my plant alot. Mines in a pot. I’ve had it 2 years and this will be my first harvest ( about 12 chillis so far).
oh, lawdy……a friend just gave me a bushel of ghosts…….and i hadn’t a clue what to do with them…and here we go……………….lol
Haha, good luck! Enjoy!
I’m reading this recipe and can’t wait to try it. I have two fully loaded Thai Chili pepper plants that I’ll use, and a few tomatoes left over from my garden. I’m also going to make one adding peaches, like another recipe on this page. AWESOME STUFF!
Awesome, JDUB! Let me know how they turn out for you!
Great recipe – thanks.
I used homegrown chillies,which were a little small, so upped the quantity to 18 (mistake) and doubled the other ingredients.
This recipe seems to scale really well, if (currently) a little vinegary for my taste, so I will add more of the tomato/onion base and reduce the heat enough for my wife to try it, otherwise I have a huge amount of this lava to consume by myself.
I flame roasted the tomatoes (to peel them), and used a 50/50 mix of cider/red vinegar, and the addition of an apple (peeled, cored & diced) for an extra fruity tang.
Really good results, so I will be adapting this recipe for other chilli crops on the way.
That’s GREAT, Mark. Thanks! I love the addition of the apple as well. Glad you enjoyed it.
I followed your recipe. But as usual I added some things. 2 cloves of garlic, a Carolina reaper, an Italian red hot, and an Italian fryer. from my garden. plus 1/2 cup of my favorite October fest beer. Thanks Mike!
I love the addition of the beer. Perfect!
getting ready for the cold that is soon to come to us here in Minnesota, This will keep me warm all winter. Planted ghost peppers for the first time this year,they produced like crazy,needed something to use them in…..WOW!!! thanks for this recipe,,,,at least 2 more batches are in the future…Worst part of the recipe is waiting a few days
Perfect, Johnnie! Thanks! Yeah, this will warm the winter bones.
How much sauce did this recipe actually make? I’m planning to can my sauce in small batches but need to know how many bottles you got out of this one recipe before I start multiplying it. Thanks in advance! Sherry
Sherry, this will make you about 2 cups of sauce, though can depend on the size of the tomatoes used. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Question….I love the heat BUT can it be tamed down juuuust a little by subbing a few of the ghost peppers with a red bell pepper or would that throw off the flavor?
Sascol, absolutely. Ghost peppers are pretty darned hot, so you can very easily substitute some of them with milder peppers. You’ll still get good flavor and a heat level you prefer. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Just made this with 5 ghost peppers, 5 reapers, and 5 seven pot bubble gum! Amazing sauce
Great, Hunter! Thanks!
Just made this yesterday, and it turned out great! The tomatoes and onion i used were a little bigger that what was listed here, so i threw a couple extra ghost peppers in to compensate. Not sure i needed to do that because man this stuff is HOTTT! Will definitely be making this again! Thank you for helping me enter the wonderful world of superhot recipes!!!
Awesome, Kyle! Glad you loved it! YES, You’ll DEFINITELY get some heat with this hot sauce. Enjoy!
At the end of every year I take three leftovers from the garden. Smoke them all and make hot sauce. Carrots onions all the leftover peppers whether they be green or ripe.
Every year is different and every year I’m so happy.. problem is the neighborhood waits for that batch and I’m almost always running out by June!
That’s great, Bob. I do the same with many of my unripened peppers at the end of the season. Great stuff!
Can you make this with reapers?
Absolutely! I’ve done this with Reapers and it is AWESOME. Let me know how you like it. Check out this recipe, with superhots – The Hottest DA** Hot Sauce I Ever Made – Recipe.
Wow, this sauce is seriously hot. It has a great aroma and taste for about 1 second before it starts to set your mouth on fire ????. Thanks Mike for another great recipe.
Thanks, Scott! Glad you enjoyed it! Yep, definitely plenty of heat.
Into my 20 minute simmer. The house smells fabulous and spicy! I tasted one tiny drop of the juice that dripped off the spoon and it is exactly what I was looking for. I just might grow more ghost peppers next summer. Thank you for the recipe. Now to make myself wait a few days after I bottle it!
That’s GREAT, Anne. Thanks! Super happy you like it! Waiting is the hardest part.
My wife and I grow a lot of different types of peppers and are alway looking for new recipes to try. We doubled the recipe in order to use our ghost peppers both brief and fresh and WOW.! This is hot! Great flavor and excellent heat!
Thanks for sharing. We can’t wait to try more.
That’s GREAT, Paul! I’m glad you loved it. Thanks!
My sauce came out very vinegar-y. It smells and tastes just like vinegar. Does that fade with time? Did I not let it simmer long enough? I only used 2 tablespoons
Paul, if it is too vinegary for your tastes, I would cook down some more tomato and/or peppers and process them with the finished sauce to dilute the vinegar. Then cool and bottle it back up. Let me know how that turns out for you. I don’t believe the vinegar flavor will fade much otherwise.
I only have 2 Ghost Peppers ripe on the plant, but I have 1 Carolina Reaper and 1 Trinidad Scorpion also ready. If I use those to replace some of the Ghost peppers and also a couple of Scotch Bonnet do you think that will work with the same of everything else?
Thanks
Keith, absolutely. Subbing in a reaper and scorpion would totally work. Just expect some extra heat! I’m actually sort of jealous. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Michael,
After writing I left for a 9 day trip and when I returned I had 3 Ghost peppers ripe, 3 Carolina Reaper and 4 Trinidad Scorpions, 20 Scotch Bonnet. Along with about 55 other peppers of various kinds. I made the Ghost pepper Sauce with a half recipe. The Scotch Bonnet Sauce, The hottest sauce with the reapers and scorpions, the Chili Oil and the Pique. All the peppers, Basil and Culantro instead of Cilantro was from our garden. I have to say they are great and hot. THANK YOU! Had to post on Instagram and show off the sauces from your recipes.
Thanks, Keith! I love it! Super happy you enjoyed them.
Hey Mike –
I am wanting to make this but had a quick question. I was gifted three bags of dehydrated peppers (2 bags of ghosts and 1 bag of scorpions) and was wondering if you had a good method for rehydrating them?
Thanks!
Hi, Joe – Great gift!! I’m jealous! Here is a page that can help you: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/how-to-rehydrate-dried-chili-peppers/ — Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.
Getting ready to make this sauce. Question? I’m looking to make about 8 bottles of 5.5oz and don’t wanted to be extremely hot what should I do?
Hey, Joseph. If you’re concerned about the heat, try dialing back on the ghost peppers and sub in an equivalent amount of milder peppers. You could easily make this with half ghost peppers, half red bell peppers. Let me know how it turns out for you.
My second time making this recipe now. I substitute IPA for water and throw in some poblanos. It’s dankness to the max. My eyes are burning in the living room.
L
Im making my own ghost pepper sauce can I have feedback on the prep and ingredients?
8 stemmed dried ghost peppers Ingredients & Instructions
7 diced jalapeno chile pepper
2 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cup diced onion
2 teaspoons garlic
6 anaheim chile peppers stemmed, halved
9-10 habanero peppers, stemmed, halved
2 teaspoons tabasco
1 pound tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups)
4 ½ teaspoon lime
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
2 ½ teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon Cholula
3 1/2 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Preparation
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, chile peppers, habaneros to taste and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, vinegar, salt and sugar to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down, about 5 minutes.
Carefully transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot ingredients.) Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; pour the pureed mixture through the sieve, pushing on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid. (Discard solids.) Let the sauce cool to room temperature, about 1½ hours.
REPLY: I think this sounds great! — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
thank you very much! It was very nice taste.
Outstanding!
Really tasty, DELICIOUS! It’s winter so there is no getting fresh ghost peppers or fresh tomatoes that have flavor so I had to utilize Dave’s Gourmet Whole Ghost Peppers that I foundonline and a 14.5 oz. can of Hunts diced tomatoes and this still rocked. I can’t wait to have some fresh produce. Now I will allow it to sit in the refrigerator for a few days to come to its full potential.
Note: I had to add some additional water and I could not resist adding a clove of garlic.
Thanks for the recipe brother!!!
Awesome, Todd! Thanks! Glad you loved it.
Just made this with 7 Ghost, 5 truss tomatoes and apple cider vinegar can’t wait to taste the finished sauce.
I did make the mistake of eating some of the chilli before it went into the pan… DAMN !!! those chilli’s are HOT.
Dave, Gold Coast, Australia.
Nice. Glad you enjoyed it. And yeah, maybe not the best thing to eat some of it before it went into the pan! Haha!
I need a source to either get 5oz bottles from or co packer that can bottle my sauce up and out my artwork on it for a reasonable price. Amy pointer to get me in the right direction. Also the shelf life of the suave should be a few months correct , with all the acidity and fresh garden items I used.. p.s. I am making a Trinidad scorpion moruga hot sauce and found raw coconut vinegar at the store so did a mixture of that along with red wine vinegar and it works out really well to give greatflavor in the beginning before the scorpion sticks you with his venom lol. Thanks for any help anyone can give me on my questions
REPLY: Chef Barret, try Endorphin Farms – http://wp.bottle-my-sauce.com/. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Just made this sauce with a few substitutions. Instead of black vinegar, I used 4 tsp of cold brew coffee concentrate, and for mustard I used a lemon tarragon dijon that I had in the fridge already. BANGIN’ SAUCE. The smell of the ghost peppers roasting was intoxicating. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome, Mangry. I’ll bet it was great!
If following the recipe exactly, how would this keep? I assume in fridge? “Canned” in mason jars? Cold cellar? BTW my son & made this last… he likes it, but would prefer double or triple the peppers!
REPLY: Phranq, I keep mine in a sealed bottle in the fridge. You can process it if you want to keep it longer. And YES, add more peppers! Spice that baby up! — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Hi Mike…I love your recipes!
Could I substitute the Ghost Peppers for Thai Hot Dragon peppers instead and how many should I use?
REPLY: Hanif, absolutely. Curious how it will turn out for you. I would go by weight and use about 2-3 ounces of peppers, though you can easily include more for this recipe. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
I made this sauce the other day and have to say, it is THE BEST. Great heat and taste.
I am going to make some more this week
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed it!
How much Hot Sauce will this recipe yield?
REPLY: Larry, depending on the size of the tomatoes, this should yield you about 2-1/2 cups of hot sauce or so. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
can i put 10 ghost peppers or is that overkill?
REPLY: C, surely you can, though be prepared for the heat! =) — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
SIX bhut jolokia to 2/3 C salsa? And this is not tongue in a glass of ice cubes hot??? I’ve been warned @ burning myself. Found Trinidad Scorpions for first time @ Asian Mkt. & they told me use only “one 1/2 Scorpion to 2 gallons salsa,” which Was already made with 1:1 tomatoes: peppers (avg. 100k Scoville) and was simmering @ home on the stove totally mild. Defiantly, I added a whole Scorpion. Barely more heat. So how many Bhut Jolokias (or frozen Trinidad’s) should I add to the 6 remaining quarts of salsa, while I’m also trying your Ghost Pepper Salsa recipe today?
REPLY: Hard question, Colleen! If you’re worried it will be too hot, don’t add much, maybe 1 for the whole thing and test. Definitely do testing to find your preferred heat levels. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
I’ll try your recipe with Carolina Reapers. Can you use apple cider vinegar?
REPLY: Stephen, yes, you can use apple cider vinegar. You will have a fruitier flavor that way. Let me know how it turns out. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Hi,
Can I use white vinegar instead of red? Also will wine tomatoes test same as farmer markets ones in the sauce. I never tried ghost peppers sauce friend of mine just gave me and I saw your sauce recipe. Looks delicious can’t wait to try.
REPLY: Seema, yes, you can use white vinegar, as well as substitute other tomatoes. You will have some flavor variation, but it won’t be a massive change. Let me know how it turns out for you. Send a pic! — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
I (16YO) made this recipe (22 fl oz) for my family to complement my signature burritos. My mother generally doesn’t do excessively spicy foods, but she can’t stay away from it. My brother will love this when he comes to visit. Thanks for the amazing recipe!! 10/10
Thanks, Joseph! Let me know how your brother likes it! Curious to hear!
The tomatos you used in the recipe are a lot larger than the normal tomatos people grow around here. I was wondering about the size and weight of yours.
REPLY: Mike, go with anywhere from 1-1.5 pounds of tomatoes, which would yield you a good amount of hot sauce. You can test and adjust to your tastes from there. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
I am planning on making this today…super pumped! Question though: do you leave the pepper seeds in?
REPLY: Erin, I do leave them in, though you can remove them if you wish. The seeds tend to float in the sauce, so many people like to remove them. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
I always put the saucepan on the grill outside to avoid the ventilation issues. I’ve tried other recipes in the house and always end up coughing my brains out
Smart move, Bill. Yeah, the fumes can really get you for sure.
My wife is allergic to onions. What’s a good substitute?
Thanks
REPLY: Bro, you can omit the onions if needed. Try adding more peppers, more tomato, or add in a carrot to round out the substance. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Will the cooking process be harsh? What I mean is, do I need protective goggles or something?
REPLY: Megan, I would be sure to have good ventilation in the room. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Do you use a whole small yellow onion for this recipe? Using a whole, small onion seems like a lot to me.
REPLY: Gerry, yes, I did, but you can cut back to your personal tastes. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Any idea on the weight o “6 bhut jolokia peppers”? The peppers which come off my plants are usually either way bigger or way smaller, so “6 peppers” doesn’t help much, weight would be way easier to work with.
REPLY: Jeff, an average ghost pepper weighs between 7-9 grams, so figure accordingly. From my experience, this recipe is easily adaptable and you can vary the amount of peppers by a great deal, depending on your preferred heat level. Same goes with the tomatoes. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
How much does one batch make?
REPLY: Adam, it should make you a couple of cups, depending on the size of your tomatoes. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
I have a good crop of cayenne peppers but they have not gone red because of our short growing season at 53 degrees north in England. Will they work as well as red chillies whilst green or do you recommend another recipe? I have used ‘Basket of Fire’ chillies to great effect with this recipe
REPLY: Jeremy, you CAN use this recipe, though the flavor will be more “green”, unripened flavor. I think it could still work, though. You might balance some of that out with other ingredients, like garlic and onion. Let me know how it turns out. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
At the end of every year I take three leftovers from the garden. Smoke them all and make hot sauce. Carrots onions all the leftover peppers whether they be green or ripe.
Every year is different and every year I’m so happy.. problem is the neighborhood waits for that batch and I’m almost always running out by June!
That’s great, Bob. I do the same with many of my unripened peppers at the end of the season. Great stuff!
When finished, my sauce was really a paste. Whats the best way to thin it out, water, vinegar, a combo of both, or something else?
Thanks, Tony
REPLY: Tony, yes, just add in a bit of water and thin it to your desired consistency. Or, you might try a bit more vinegar. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
When I was little my mother prepared the tomato sauce, never hot, but it is a great idea, especially for me that I love spicy food.
Now you can really spice it up!
Where can I buy these fresh – online?
REPLY: Bill, click “Resources” at the top menu and select either Plants or Seeds and see if any of those sellers can provide you with fresh pods. If you have trouble, email me and I can put in you in touch with some potential resources. — Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.