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.
Bob says
Glad I found this recipe. Looking for something new to try. When making my sauces I've always used carrots. Would you recommend using them in this recipe?
Again, thanks for the recipe and the replies!
REPLY: Thanks, Bob. Yes, I use carrots sometimes. They're great for rounding out many sauces. Go for it! -- Mike from ChiliPepper Madness.
Kat hanson says
I LOVE this hot sauce! I made a ton of it last summer with my abundance of Ghost Peppers! I pressure canned quite a bit as well ⯑⯑ I chopped and froze a ton as well, as I wasn't able to keep up with them bc I had so many! I wasn't as blessed this year bc of all the rain, and I ran out of sauce, so I made a batch with some that I froze last summer, and let me tell you, I think they got hotter! Even the sauce that I canned was seriously hot, but thats how I like it! I like it thick like Sriracha, and have also made it thinner. Just depends what you want to have with it. Regardless, it is delish, and thank you for the recipe⯑
REPLY: Thanks, Kat! Glad you like it! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Paul Muckenfuss says
I have lots of Ghost and Carolina Reepers and want to can, should I add some lemon juice like when canning tomatoe sauce? Also I found using golden raisins and a dust of cinnamon is better over sugar when making tomatoe sauce and will try it with your recipe. Thx.
REPLY: Paul, unless you are pressure canning, yes, it is good to ensure you are canning at the proper acidity level. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Eric says
Thanks. I don't know if I want to change it. My friend made a great point: the thickness is great for dabbing onto pizza. I was throwing it on Cheez-Its today. So good.Maybe I need two versions... What have I done?
Eric says
Just made this last night. It is a bit thick for the tapatio (small tapatio) type bottles I bought for it. It tastes great. mildly hot for now on the next day anyway. Can't wait to see what happens next. It filled 5 bottles and if I did it again I would maybe add more water to fill 6 and thin it out a bit. It's the first sauce I have made out of peppers at all, and these came out of my garden. I have some habaneros coming up. Will probably get them into a few bottles too. Thanks for the recipe!
REPLY: That's GREAT, Eric. Thanks. You can easily thin out this sauce with water or even a bit more vinegar to your tastes. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Julia says
How long does this last
REPLY: Julia, 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. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Lyndon Pousson says
Have you ever made Ghost Pepper hot sauce with the green Ghosts?
REPLY: Lyndon, yes, you can do that. It will have more of a green/unripened flavor, but should still be delicious. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Luciano says
Just made this recipe, still didn't have the courage to see if it turned out any good, I'll let it sit in my fridge for a couple days, this was my first try ever at messing with peppers in my kitchen! I can safely say I messed upthe quantity of water, it's OK though, i did not intend to use it as a dip, but rather add it to other recipes (Such as a delicious Feijoada) where the watery consistency I got won't really matter. SInce I live alone and the recipe filled a 500ml jar, due to the amount of water, I ended up adding a bit more of Vinegar, hope I didn't make it TOO acid.
Curt says
A little late for this batch but was wondering if you drain the can of tomatoes, do you chop them up and if you don't chop them up do you put in enough water to cover the whole tomatoes?
REPLY: Curt, no need to drain the tomatoes. Also, the tomatoes will break down a bit while cooking, and you will be processing them, so no need tochop, but you can break them apart with a wooden spoon to assist with cooking. I hope this helps! Best, and good luck! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Roxanne says
Going to make this and gift it in bottles for christmas - how much will it yield? Thanks in advance!!
REPLY: Great, Roxanne! This should yield you roughly 20 ounces or so. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Teena Smith says
I have my first batch of this on the stove now. Hopefully it will be the perfect sauce that my husband and father in law will love!
Anna says
Just made this recipe... I will be honest and say that this is HOT!! I found it a bit bland and added 2 more tbsp of sugar and about 1 tbsp of Himalayan rock salt and the zest and juice from one lime. Great recipe for a true HOT sauce!
Jenny says
Love you recipe, i did use Trinidad scorpion and habaneros, it turn out super delicious for my son, I'll probably die if i have some