A thick, tomato-based ghost pepper chili sauce built for cooking. Spoon it over tacos, stir it into chili, use it as a marinade. Big heat, rich body, ready in 40 minutes.
Spicy Chili Sauce
If you've made my ghost pepper hot sauce and want something different - thicker, richer, more of a cooking sauce than a condiment - this is it.
That recipe is made for drizzling straight out of the bottle. This one goes a different direction. Canned whole tomatoes, red bell pepper, and onion give it a deep, savory body that holds up in a pot of chili, spooned over tacos, used as a marinade, or stirred into braised meat. It's less about heat-forward punch and more about heat with substance.
Ghost peppers (Bhut Jolokias) bring on the real heat. We're talking over 1 Million Scoville Heat Units, roughly 200 times hotter than a jalapeño, so don't let the tomato base fool you. This sauce is hot. The sweetness and body just give it somewhere to hit.
Seven ingredients, one pot, about 40 minutes. Let's get into it.
Ghost Pepper Chili Sauce Ingredients
- Ghost Peppers.
- Red Bell Pepper.
- Whole Tomatoes. Canned.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Sugar. Or you can use honey.
- Salt.
What Makes This a Chili Sauce (Not a Hot Sauce)
This is closer to a chili sauce or a spicy tomato-pepper sauce than a traditional hot sauce. It's the version you want when you're cooking, not just finishing a dish.
Most hot sauces, including my classic ghost pepper hot sauce, are created around vinegar and peppers. They're thin, acidic, and made for pouring. This is something else. The canned tomatoes give it a thick, almost chunky body before it hits the blender. The red bell pepper adds sweetness and volume. The onion and garlic simmer down into the base and round everything out.
How to Make Ghost Pepper Chili Sauce
- 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 it as smooth or as chunky as you like. A longer blend gives you something closer to a pourable sauce. Pulse it briefly and you've got more of a chunky salsa consistency that's great as a topping.
- Transfer to a container. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
NOTE: The flavors will grow more intense the longer you wait.
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.
Serving Ideas
This sauce works differently than a thin hot sauce. Think of it less as a finisher and more as an ingredient. Stir it into chili or black beans while they cook. Use it as a taco topping straight from the jar. Mix it with a little oil and use it as a chicken or pork marinade. Thin it out with a splash of broth and use it as a braising liquid for short ribs or brisket. And yes, you can drizzle it on eggs, but it'll hold up to a lot more than that.
See my post on How to Cook with Hot Sauce.
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
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.
More Ghost Pepper Recipes to Try
- Roasted Ghost Pepper Sauce
- Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Sweet Ghost Pepper-Pineapple-Pear Hot Sauce
- Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon
- Crispy Ghost Pepper Chicken Wings
Looking for something thinner and more vinegar-forward? My Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce is the classic drizzle version. Same heat, different texture and use.
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 Chili 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 chunky or smooth to your preference.
- Transfer to a container. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Frequently Asked Hot Sauce Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:
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.
Can You Make it With Other Peppers?
I've made versions of this particular chili sauce recipe with other peppers and it always turns out because of its simplicity. 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.
Can You Can This Sauce?
This sauce makes a great canning project if you're working through a big ghost pepper harvest and want something shelf-stable with real depth of flavor.
Yes, and this recipe is well-suited for it. The tomato base means you're already working with higher acidity than most pepper-only sauces. A few things to keep in mind:
Check your pH before canning. Target below 4.6 for shelf stability, closer to 4.0 or below if you're home canning and want a safety buffer. Add more apple cider vinegar a tablespoon at a time until you hit your target. I recommend a pH meter from Thermoworks for accuracy.
Use proper water bath canning procedure with sterilized jars. Process 8-ounce jars for 10 minutes at a full boil, adjusting for altitude if needed.
NOTE: This page was updated on 4/14/26 to include new information, including FAQs and serving ideas. The recipe was not changed.
G Danish says
Can you use Carolina Reaper peppers? Yes I did grow them, and now not sure exactly what to do with the scary little things
REPLY: Absolutely! Get the extra heat. Let me now how it turns out. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Joe says
I'd like to make this sauce using a bunch of ghost chili's my father-in-law gave me. Some of the peppers are red but some are still green. Can I still use the green peppers or are they too immature? Thanks!
REPLY: Hi, Joe, yes, you can use them. They MIGHT taste a little green, but you'll still get flavor and heat. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Julian says
Im going to make this sauce today and was wondering that when you chop the ghost peppers do you leave the seeds in or take them out?
REPLY: Julian, you can remove them if you'd like, though it isn't necessary. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Daniel says
Would it have a longer shelf life if put in canning jars?
REPLY: Daniel, yes, it would keep much longer if your processed the sauce with proper preserving techniques. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Becky says
Just made your hot sauce. I used fresh tomatoes & ghost peppers from our garden. Wasn't sure about amount of water. Used 2 cups but will use less next time. Excellent recipe!! Very HOT!!!
Tim koeglet says
I make sauces at home primarily a jalapeño tomatillo lime, Datil pepper sauce , scorpion ghost sauce, Jamaican jerk marinade, and habanero blend with pineapple or mango. I put my jars in a water bath(canning pot ) to seal them. They keep on the shelf for up to a year.
Mark Daigneault says
i make something similar with purple or red habanero peppers. i usemore garlic though. it's the ultimate condiment!
Lee says
Possibly a silly question, but what would the shelf life be for this sauce recipe? Don't want to poison my family haha!!
REPLY: Not silly at all! I usually keep mine in the fridge around a month or so, though it can last longer because of the ingredients. I eat it pretty quickly, though. - Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
JAM says
I went with this recipe as a base to start from. Play with the vinegar and sugar a little. Used white wine vinegar 3 tbspns and two of sugar.. aded rwo of salt and butter. Came out better than great
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness says
Pasty, I make mixed pepper sauces all the time. Some blend together so nicely. Try mixing and matching not only different flavor styles, but different heat levels for a nice balance. Also, yes, some do not need to be cooked. You will get a fresher, more raw flavor, but sometimes that is the ultimate goal. They're much quicker to make!
Patsy says
I've recently started reading up on making hot sauce as my peppers are maturing in the garden and I came across this. This year, I've got some Naga Vipers, cayenne, mazzetti, and jalapenos. What are your thoughts on making a mixed pepper sauce? Also, I've come across some recipes that don't require cooking, but just assembling via food processor. Would you know what the effects/benefits of cooking via raw? There are so many recipes to try.. 🙂
Phil Veverka says
I like the simple recipe (maybe minus the sugar). We had a lot of red jalapeno's last year and discovered making a mash with them. Really awesome!! This year we are growing Ghost peppers as well as a host of other hot peppers (serrano, lemon pepper,hot lantern, habanero, cayenne, tobasco, jalapeno) wife also found a Carlina Reaper and a Trinidad Scorpion at a local nursery. Of course we have the bells, carmans, cubanelle, pablano, new mexico, etc.. We put a serrano in bottle of Vodka to kick it up.
Dini @ Giramuks Kitchen says
This is going to be made in our home!! We LOVE chilli and hot sauces!! 😀