This extra-hot hot sauce recipe is made fresh from ghost pepper chili peppers, aka the bhut jolokia, but is also has a sweeter side.

Homemade Ghost Pepper Chili Hot Sauce Recipe
Here we go again. More homemade hot sauce! This one is not for Patty, though she's been enjoying hotter anad hotter chili peppers. This one is more for me, using some nice and spicy ghost peppers, aka the bhut jolokia chili pepper.
Ghost Peppers top 1 Million Scoville Heat Units, which is pretty darned hot. In a good way. That is if you're like me, who likes it crazy hot sometimes.
I've made versions of this particular hot sauce recipe with other peppers and it always turns out because of its simplicity. It is a tomato-pepper-based sauce with only 7 ingredients, pretty hard to go wrong.
It works with habanero peppers, Scotch Bonnets, larger sweet peppers, Serrano peppers, jalapeno peppers, though I tend to lean toward the more Caribbean style peppers that are sweeter.
It also works with dried chili peppers if those are all you have on hand. Just be sure to rehydrate them as needed.
I included a bell pepper here for substance and to balance out the ratio of peppers to tomato. You can omit the bell, but I personally would add in more ghost peppers, or you're hot chili sauce will have more of a tomato base.
Let's discuss how to make ghost pepper hot sauce!
Ghost Pepper Chili Hot Sauce Ingredients
- Ghost Peppers.
- Red Bell Pepper.
- Whole Tomatoes. Canned.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Sugar. Or you can use honey.
- Salt.
How to Make Ghost Pepper Chili Sauce - the Recipe Method
- Add all ingredients to a large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer about 20-30 minutes to soften.
- Transfer contents to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Transfer to a container. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
NOTE: The flavors will grow more intense the longer you wait.
Shake this on everything! I mean everything! Everything you eat, I mean.
Don't splash it on your neighbor or anything. Bring on the ghost pepper hot sauce!
Safety Advice & Heat Factor
Heat Factor: VERY HOT. Ghost peppers pack a GREAT amount of heat. Enjoy.
When working with very hot chili peppers peppers, including superhot chili peppers, 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, pepper fumes may get into the air if you are not working in a well ventilated room, so you may want to wear a mask and possibly eye goggles. Superhot chili peppers, truly, are called superhots for a reason.

Frequently Asked Hot Sauce Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:
Storage Information
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. If you're concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. Sauces made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.
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 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
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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. LOL. I hope you find it helpful!
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
Check Out Some of These Other Popular Ghost Pepper Recipes
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.

Homemade Ghost Pepper Chili Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 bhut jolokia peppers ghost peppers, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 14- ounce can whole tomatoes
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar (or use honey)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer about 20-30 minutes to soften.
- Transfer contents to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Transfer to a container. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition Information

Michael Munoz says
I didn't have any ghost peppers, but a friend hooked me up with about 12 Carolina Reapers so I made sauce out of them. Since the peppers were on the smaller side, I added 4 habanero peppers. The result was fantastic. I added about 2 tablespoons of honey to sweeten it up and man was it good and hot. Great on eggs.
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! NICE level of heat, Michael! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Ron says
Can I freeze this sauce?
Mike Hultquist says
Ron, yes, it freezes nicely. Enjoy!
Chuck Rizzo says
Thanks for the recipe, I made it today !
Mike Hultquist says
Sure thing, Chuck! Glad to help!
Sharon says
This is the best sauce I have ever made. I LOVE hot sauce…I have tried making many others, but it never has the correct balance of heat and taste. I have shared small jars with family and friends. They have all requested more! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Glad you found the recipe for you! Very happy you're enjoying it. Thanks for sharing, Sharon.
Jan says
I made this sauce last weekend!! Love it. 4 ghostpeppers did the job for me. Still super hot but not lethal 😉
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, Jan!
Reid D says
The flavor of this hot sauce is a 5/5, extremely good. The spicyness I’d rate about a 2/5. Due to so much liquid in this recipe, it tones down the hotness quite drastically and the sauce is truly a sauce. I wish it was a little thicker. I’ll probably double the ghost peppers next summer when I get more in the garden. It made 7x 5 oz bottles. I have used it on grilled chicken and pizza so far and it was really good.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Reid. For spiciness, you can easily mix in some hot powders to bring it up to a level you prefer. Or use more peppers.
John Minter says
This is a very nice change from my usual sauce. I really like the consistency and the use of tomatoes. I cut up 14 ounces of tomatoes from my garden and I substituted 1 clove of of regular garlic with a half clove of elephant garlic. I'm a big fan of this recipe and will make a batch so I can gift a few bottles.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, John! Thanks for sharing!
Tiaan says
This is really easy to make and tastes good. Thanks for this. 5 stars all the way
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent, thanks!