Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water is a traditional Hawaiian condiment made with Hawaiian chili peppers, rock salt, vinegar and more! It's typically used as a hot sauce and adds a ton of flavor to whatever you toss it on.
What is Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water?
Hawaiian chili pepper water (also called “pepper water”) is a thin, salty, tangy hot pepper condiment, a bit like a zingy hot sauce. It’s meant to be splashed on at the table to add quick heat and zip.
It is one of those recipes you may have never heard of, but once you've tried it, you don't know how you ever lived without it. It's a condiment that's like a hot sauce in style, but somehow also something completely original.
Hawaiian chili pepper water is very much like a watered down Pique, which is a Puerto Rican condiment made primarily with vinegar and hot peppers. See my Puerto Rican Hot Sauce (Pique Recipe) here. Basically, it's a mixture of water and vinegar that has been infused with chili pepper flavor and heat.
Ingredients in Chili Pepper Water
- Water
- White vinegar
- Hawaiian rock sea salt
- Hawaiian chili peppers
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Soy sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
How to Make Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water
Boil, then simmer. Add all of the ingredients to a pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Enjoy! Remove from heat, cool completely, then transfer to a bottle.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Let it sit. The longer it sits, the more the peppers and other flavors will infuse the water/vinegar mixture.
- Feel free to change up the flavors. Variations include adding slices of garlic and/or ginger (which you can also smash to release the juices more), as well as a splash of soy sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce for added flavor.
- Can't find any Hawaiian rock salt? No worries. You can use kosher salt or any other sea salt you have on hand.
How to Use Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water (Pepper Water)
Hawaiian chili pepper water is meant for splashing over foods at the table to liven things up with a touch of heat and zippiness.
Best ways to use it:
- Poke & seafood. A few dashes over ahi poke, salmon, shrimp, grilled fish, or oysters.
- Plate lunch favorites. Great on Hawaiian kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, huli huli chicken, loco moco, and anything rich or savory.
- Soups & noodles. Stir in a little at a time for saimin, ramen, pho, or wonton soup.
- Rice & eggs. A quick finish for steamed rice, pineapple fried rice, fried eggs, omelets, and breakfast sandwiches.
Easy ways to customize:
- Add a squeeze of lime for extra bright flavor.
- Stir into mayo or sour cream for a creamy spicy sauce.
- Mix with a touch of soy sauce and sesame oil for an island-style drizzle.
Storage
You can keep this bottled chili pepper water in the fridge for up to 1 year. Just make sure it's fully cooled to room temperature prior to storing for the best results.
You'll also need to make sure your bottle is sterilized - if it has even a little bit of bacteria in it, your chili pepper water will spoil. And always use a clean spoon to help it stay fresh longer.
Try More of the Best Condiment Recipes
- Caribbean Style Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
- Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- Homemade Caribbean-Style Sweet Chili Sauce
- Homemade Fire Cider
- Pique - Puerto Rican Hot Sauce
Try More of My Hawaiian Recipes
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces water
- 2 ounces white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Hawaiian rock sea salt you can sub in any sea salt or kosher salt
- Hawaiian chili peppers sliced (add anywhere from 3-20, or as many as you can fit - you CAN sub in other spicy chili peppers)
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 2-3 fresh ginger slices
- Splash of soy sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce if desired
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a small pan and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat immediately and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cool, then transfer to a sterilized bottle. Use as needed. The longer it sits, the more the peppers and other flavors will infuse the water/vinegar mixture.
Notes
- Storage: This will keep in the refrigerator for about a year or so in a sealed container or bottle.
- Heat Factor: Medium. You'll get some good zestiness with this recipe, depending on your choice of chilies
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This post was updated on 2/21/26 to include new serving information. The recipe was not changed.
Patty Tachera says
Aloha! I love making hot sauce but have never seen such a list of different hot sauces? How do I save this post? Or can I just go to your website and be able to find all these recipes? Thanks! And going to make some Hawaiian chill pepper water!
Mike Hultquist says
Aloha, Patty! I just got back from Kauai and Maui! You can access any of my hot sauce recipes here anytime: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/hot-sauces/. You can SAVE them by signing up for Grow, by clicking the icon in the right side of the recipe page. It's 3 dots connected by 2 lines. I hope this helps. Enjoy!!
Ri says
what kind of peppers did you use in the photo?
Mike Hultquist says
I made the recipe with these Hawaiian Chilies that I grew that year: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/sweet-mild-chili-peppers/hawaiian-sweet-hot-chili-peppers/
Suzie says
I used thai chilli peppers since the originals dies nit exist invthe mainland snd it came out super!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Suzie!!
Robert says
Fantastic recipe!
I enjoyed it the first time making this and now writing as this year’s batch is cooling down before bottling (the local farmer didn’t have a good crop last year). Learning from past mistakes the windows were now open and fans were on high (my enthusiasm the first time I forgot about that-very important).
Today I used two Carolinas and two Scorpions while tripling the recipe.
What a great website!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, Robert! Glad you're enjoying the site. Yes, you're doing have a wonderfully spicy condiment here! I love it!
Julia says
Hi Mike! I have a question about this recipe if you don’t mind. My Hawaiian chili pepper bush and lilikoi - passion fruit- vine are about to be loaded. If I put lilikoi in the recipe, would the shelf life change at all? How would I do it so that it would still last a year?
Thank you so much!
Mahalo, Julia
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Julia. Fruits don't usually last as long as veggies, though everything is in vinegar, which is the preservative. I think it would still last a few months, though you might want to refrigerate it to keep longer with fruit.
Julia Marrack says
Thank you so much!
Shireen Knudsen says
This recipe is the one!
Mike Hultquist says
Boom!
Betty Izquierdo says
Brought back childhood memories because we ate that with bananas, taro’s meats, etc. and loved it
Even my kids when they were little had a taste of it.
Ray says
Spectacular! So good that routinely I drink this elixir by small glass. The best non-alcoholic bracer I’ve tried. I’ve had to use various types of chiles, however, as Hawaiian Red Chiles are next to impossible to source.
Mike Hultquist says
Great! Glad you enjoyed it, Ray!
Suzanne says
This recipe was so easy and it turned out great. Here in the Northeast things are at the end of the growing season so I used a combo of jalapenos, long hots, and hot cherry peppers. Delicious! After bottling,I did pull the veggies out and gave them a whirl in the blender with a dash of honey, some olive oil, and a little water to smooth it out. Now I have two condiments to use 🙂
Thanks for recipe. I've been buying this stuff but now that I know how easy it is to make, I'll be doing this regularly.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Glad to help, Suzanne! I love that you can make it at home now instead of buying it. Perfect!
Robert says
Suzanne, what a great idea for blending the vegetables to make a second condiment. I’ll be using your idea soon.
Noe says
Aloha everyone,
Having been raised on Oahu, this is a staple condiment. Your recipe is good and close to what I make. Grandpa’s recipe 1970’s called for 5 Hawaiian and the only difference is he smashed the ingredients into the water then boiled it together. Time for the boil always deferred. He said when your nose and eyes burned, that’s when to take it off the burner. Let it cool down and then he buzzed everything except the garlic in the blender.
Today I use an immersion blender. If you don’t want it too hot, strain before putting it in a bottle. Add more 2 more chili peppers if you want Lava heat
You can make a chili pepper soy sauce (shoyu) too. Just use soy sauce and chili peppers. Boil, cool and buzz.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks for sharing, Noe!
Dave Haggland says
Aloha from Kaua’i. Made some today with Thai and Chocolate Habenero just prior to finding your recipe. It is, however, almost exactly as such. First time using other than Thai or Hawai’ian peppers. Gonna be HOT! Dave
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, Dave!
Todd says
Hi Mike
Love your recipes!! Quick question… can I use dehydrated peppers?
Thanks
Todd
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Todd! Fresh peppers are more traditional, but absolutely, you can use dehydrated. They'll still give plenty of kick to the liquid. Enjoy it!
Joan says
Love this! I only had green serranos, so used them sliced, along with sliced garlic & ginger, and a splash of worchestershire. Tastes great- thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, thanks!
Kevin Kim says
Handful of whole Hawaiian Chili’s, 2-3 cloves smashed garlic, couple teaspoons Hawaiian rock salt, placed in clean glass bottle and capped. Set on window sill or even in the sun for days. Checking until the salt is dissolving and breaking down the garlic and peppers. Boil water and cool it. Top off the bottle with the water and cap it. Set it out again for days to allow fermentation. You can add a few drops to a teaspoon of vinegar if you like the tang. Taste it from day to day, until you get the fermentation you want. Store it in the fridge indefinitely. It’s like a sourdough starter culture. So you can top it off with same ingredients, if you get lazy to start from scratch and expect guests and need a full bottle. Still needs a few days in the fridge to bring it up to par. Some people add limu kohu(crunchy seaweed from Hawai’i beaches), onions, or other peppers, like delicious favorite peppers, or Thai, or Mexican peppers for a blend of pepper flavors. It’s like sipping whiskey. You can drizzle over foods. Or take sips from a spoon, or the bottle cap between bites. Give or take ingredients to taste. Break or chop the peppers if you don’t mind the hot seeds in your chewing. I keep it simple. But the fermentation is the key to great Hawaiian style chili pepper water. We call it chili peppa wata here in Hawaii. Aloha!
Bill Ward says
Kevin,
I tried chili peppa wata for the first time at Sam Satos in Maui. I couldn't;t get enough! Bought a bottle and finished the whole thing in a week.
I have a question. So boil water and let it come to room temp and use that to top of any water loss from initial fermentation?
Thanks for the legit Hawaiian recipe! Mahalo!
Sharon Dominguez says
Do you mean ratfoot limu or ogo? And yes! It really is like a sourdough starter. You just keep adding back whatever there's no 'nuff of anymore.lol
Mike Dodds says
Kevin, thank you so much for the details. The info you've provided fills in gaps I didn't even know I had! Can't wait to try this recipe taking advantage of your insights.