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 Recipe
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.
More Ghost Pepper Recipes to Try
- Homemade Ghost Pepper Chili Sauce
- Roasted Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- Fresh Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Ghost Pepper Jelly
More Hot Sauce Recipes to Try
- 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
- Fresh Jalapeno Hot Sauce
- Sweet Habanero Chili Sauce
- Sweet Pepper Chili Sauce
- Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water
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 Information
Joseph Reitano says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Joseph! Let me know how your brother likes it! Curious to hear!
Mike says
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.
Erin says
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.
Bill says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Smart move, Bill. Yeah, the fumes can really get you for sure.
Bro says
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.
Megan says
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.
Gerry says
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.
Jeff says
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.
Adam says
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.
Jeremy Duerden says
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.
Bob says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That’s great, Bob. I do the same with many of my unripened peppers at the end of the season. Great stuff!
Tony says
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.
Florentina says
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.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Now you can really spice it up!
Bill says
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.