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
Anthony G says
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.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's great, Anthony! Nice tweaks!
Barry says
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.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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!!
Mitch B says
I do all of my hot sauce making and blending outside on the patio.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Smart move. The fumes can sometimes get you inside.
Shane says
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?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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!
JC says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, JC! I love it!
Anna says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Anna! Super happy you enjoyed it!!
Anna says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Anna!!
Ashley says
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! 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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!
I dried my ghost peppers for the winter, can I still use them? says
Making this for my brother in law ex marine.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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!
Mitch says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Mitch!!
Gaz says
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).
paul says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Haha, good luck! Enjoy!
JDUB says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, JDUB! Let me know how they turn out for you!
Marc says
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.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's GREAT, Mark. Thanks! I love the addition of the apple as well. Glad you enjoyed it.
Todd says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I love the addition of the beer. Perfect!
johnnie says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect, Johnnie! Thanks! Yeah, this will warm the winter bones.
Sherry Bell says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.