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
Andrew says
Can I substitute (6) naga viper peppers, since they are roughly the same heat level?
Mike Hultquist says
You surely can, Andrew! Enjoy!
Jay says
Excellent recipe. Have lots of bags of frozen habaneros from last years garden so used 20 habs as well, just used a full cup of water just to thin it out a little and 3 TBSP of red wine vinegar to adjust for the extra peppers. Added 2 cloves of garlic as well. Delicious and it brings the heat for sure.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, Jay!
Reggie Jones says
Just made this for the first time, everything I used was out of my garden. On top of the ghost peppers I added Trinidad scorpion peppers, definitely has some heat to it!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Reggie. Yes, definitely some heat with these peppers! Nice!
Staci says
I haven’t attempted this recipe yet. I found it through a youtube video.
may I ask why the mixture wasn’t strained? I haven’t encountered many sauces with lumps
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Staci, you can strain it if you'd like to. Many people don't like to strain, as it can waste some of the solid material. Extra processing can take care of the lumps. Add in a touch of extra liquid to help. Or, go ahead and strain for an even smoother sauce. You can always save the leftover solids to dehydrate and use as a powder, or use it in other dishes, like soups, etc. It freezes nicely, too. Many ways to do it. Let me know if this helps.
Robert says
My second time making this one, this time I smoked the peppers before cooking only because I had the smoker going for another recipe. Cherry wood added a light flavor to this one. Now back to the garden to clear to the rest of the peppers left, we are getting close to frost temperatures at night now. Thanks again, Mike.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice. Thanks, Robert. I love the addition of smoked peppers with hot sauce. Great flavor touch.
Brenda says
Hey Mike, where can I purchase ghost peppers?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Brenda, check out my Chili Pepper Plants and Seeds Resources Page to help get started: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/resources/
Paul says
Used as a base sauce 50/50 ghost/habs triple batch. Yielded two reused Frank’s Red Hot bottles. About shelf-life: I’ve regularly been using a few dabs with each bite of burrito or similar food so I don’t go through it very fast but taste it regularly. My 2nd bottle is 1/2 full after two years, still tastes the same as the day it was made. Great!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Paul. Glad you enjoyed it!
Daniel Stecko says
Hi Mike, just tried your recipe, excellent!
Made a double batch using 16 Ghosts! I added garlic and a red bell pepper to get a little more flesh.
Great that it’s such a quick prep, instead of a fermented mash style.
Cheers,
Daniel
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, Daniel!
Daniel Stecko says
Hi again Mike. I have a few chocolate brown Reapers coming along that I want to make a sauce with. Is there some tomato like vegetable I can use to thicken things up without changing the colour of the sauce too much? Want to keep it the same as the peppers as much as possible. Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Daniel. You can use tomato, though it won't be an exact color match. Close, though. You can try darker red heirloom carrots if you can find them, which are great in hot sauce. You can add dried chilies, like ancho, guajillo, New Mexican varieties, California chilies, though that can affect your flavor.
Daniel says
Thanks Mike, good tips!
Matt Arnold says
Third time making this one and it's becoming my go to ghost pepper sauce. Changed it up this time with the peppers and veggies in the smoker for 3 hrs instead of cooking it. Left out the water as well to keep it thicker. It is so freaking good.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Outstanding! I love to hear it, Matt! Nice.
Matt says
My 3rd time using this as a base recipe. This year I used ghost peppers frozen from last year's garden(some green, some red) I made a double batch with 12 peppers, added 6 cloves of garlic, and 7 or 8 small/medium tomatoes from the garden. I find the liquid from the extra tomatoes gives it a smoother consistency after it's pureed, and it pours from the bottle a little better, and I like the flavor profile the garlic adds. Friends and co-workers ask every year when I'm gonna have more. Thanks for the recipe!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice! Glad you like it, Matt!
Jeremy says
How many oz of peppers would you say that is? This year my ghost peppers seem smaller and more plump.
Love your recipes
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jeremy, I would say 2-3 ounces, though you can get away with more or less. To your taste preference. Let me know how it goes!
David Hall says
Thank you for this recipe, how long will the sauce last in the fridge?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
David, most hot sauces will last several months or longer in the fridge because of the acidity.
John says
Used 6 ghost peppers,3 Elefanterussel chili peppers,grown from seeds brought back from Ireland. 1 beefsteak tomato ,1 small onion. Salt.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice. Sounds nice and spicy!