Learn how to make hot sauce from chili powder and a few other simple ingredients with this easy method. You'll never go without hot sauce again.
It's hot sauce time in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. When isn't it? As spicy food lovers, hot sauces are a huge part of our overall food love, with bottles of the stuff never out of reach.
There are many, many great artisan hot sauces on the market, and I love many of them, but I also greatly enjoy making my own at home. I usually grow different varieties of peppers each year for this very purpose, to make my own personal hot sauce blends.
I have lots of information here on the site about how to make hot sauce from fresh peppers and how to make hot sauce from dried peppers, but did you realize you can also make hot sauce from chili powders?
One question I get a lot here is, "Hey, Mike, can I make hot sauce from chili powder?"
The answer is yes, absolutely.
Making hot sauce from chili powder is actually rather simple, probably one of the easiest ways to make hot sauce. Knowing how will ensure you never run out of hot sauce again.
Let's talk about how we make how to make hot sauce from chili powder, shall we?
Ingredients Needed to Make Hot Sauce from Chili Powder
There are only 3 primary ingredients to make a hot sauce from chili powder. They are Chili Powder, Vinegar and Salt. Ratios can vary to your preference, but a good starter is 1 cup vinegar to 4 tablespoons chili powder to 1/4 teaspoon salt. You can adjust from there.
You can add other ingredients to change things up. Let's discuss.
- Chili Powder: 4 tablespoons chili powder of choice. You can use different powders, or a blend of different chili powders. I often like to use powders from peppers I've grown in my own garden, dehydrated, and ground into powder.
- Vinegar: 1 cup vinegar. Use your favorite vinegar here. My only suggestion is to use a good quality vinegar with a flavor you enjoy. A bad quality vinegar will result in a bad quality hot sauce. Try distilled white vinegar, rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar, a combination of vinegars or others. Vinegar is also important for acidity and preserving.
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Salt brings out the flavor and really rounds things out.
- Optional Additions: Your additional ingredients are practically limitless here. Consider adding garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, dried basil, dried oregano, black pepper, dried and crushed carrot, citrus like lemon juice, lime juice, pineapple juice and other juices. You are only limited by your creativity.
- Water: My base recipe here calls for 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water. I prefer to dilute the overall vinegar taste, which can be quite overpowering, with water. However, this is optional. You can use pure vinegar if you'd like, but it is fine to cut it with water.
How to Make Hot Sauce from Chili Powder - the Recipe Method
Add all of your ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust for salt and vinegar. Add more water or vinegar for a thinner sauce.
You can use the sauce as-is at this point, or heat it in a small pot. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors develop even more.
Cool, bottle and enjoy.
Boom! Done! Easy enough, isn't it? Making hot sauces from chili powders is pretty simple. Questions for you include: Do you simmer yours or prefer it freshly mixed? Do you prefer more or less vinegar? What other flavor building ingredients do you add to your hot sauces?
Let me know. I'd love to hear!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Play with the Ratios. Consider this a base recipe. Play with the ratios of liquid to powders to achieve your preferred consistency. Want a thicker sauce? Add more chili powder and use less vinegar and/or water. Thicker sauces made with chili powders tend to be grainier. Want a thinner sauce, more like a Tabasco Sauce? Use more vinegar.
- Experiment. Experimenting with flavors and other ingredients is very important. Start with what you love. I love garlic so almost always include it. Love tomato? Tomatoes are great for hot sauce. Carrots, too. Do you enjoy fruit? Chili peppers and sweet fruit are best friends. Get crazy, experiment, and have fun.
- Make Your Own Chili Powders. If you are a gardener, or are thinking of starting one, I highly encourage you to grow your own peppers. There are so many types you just can't get anywhere else. Once they are harvested, you can dehydrate your peppers to make your own chili powders. Then, use some to make hot sauce!
That's it, my friends. Time to make some hot sauce! Let me know what you wind up making. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
See my post on "Does Hot Sauce Need to be Refrigerated?"
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- How to Make Hot Sauce: The Ultimate Guide
- How to Make Hot Sauce from Dried Peppers
- Fermented Hot Sauce
- Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce
- Homemade Sriracha (both fermented and non-fermented varieties)
- Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- More Hot Sauce Recipes
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.
How to Make Hot Sauce from Chili Powder - Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder of choice yes, you can use a mixture
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- Optional Additions: 1 teaspoon or more of onion powder cumin, dried basil, dried oregano, etc.
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust for salt and vinegar. Add more water or vinegar for a thinner sauce.
- You can use the sauce as-is at this point, or heat it in a small pot. Simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors develop even more.
- Cool, bottle and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition Information
Paul J Eaton says
I just made your hot sauce recipe today with a few small add ins. I simmered for 30 minutes to reduce and thicken a bit. I used a shake or 2 of flour to help. Will let it mellow in my chill chest for a couple days then give it a taste. Thanks for all your great recipes and ideas. I won't rate it, but I'm sure it will be a winner.
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds wonderful, Paul! I love it.
Alexander Lewis says
I have found that vinegar tends to reduce the heat of the pepper sauce drastically, so that a commercial very hot pepper sauce seems to contain less vinegar. But what is used instead in those cases?
Mike Hultquist says
It all depends on the sauce and the brand, and many use only vinegar. However, you can use other liquids, such as water, juices, even alcohols. For acidity, though, use citrus juice (lime, lemon, etc), or look into citric acid, which is a powder and can add acidity without the need for vinegar.
Wynne Geikenjoyner says
Hi Mike, Thanks for this! I've always made hot sauce with rehydrated dried peppers (or chipotles in adobo), but now that I live in New Zealand, it's hard to source my favorite southwest chiles. I finally found chipotle powder though. I kept your ratios, and added 1/2tsp cumin and 1tsp cocoa powder as optional ingredients. I put it all in a hot sauce jar, without using a blender or food processor, because I'm concerned that the flavor could linger in the device and affect future recipes (chipotle-flavored fruit smoothies doesn't sound so great to me, haha). I gave the bottle a few minutes of shaking to combine, and I can see that none of the powders failed to incorporate. Yet, it is still really runny, more like a broth than a sauce. I am certain I used the ratios listed. Any ideas? Does the food processor make that much difference?
Mike Hultquist says
Hello, Wynne. You really need to use the food processor or blender. It won't come together and thicken up if you just stir it together, as you've discovered. Be sure to watch the video in the recipe card, which shows this exactly. You can always add in more powder when processing to get the consistency you prefer, then simmer to bring it all together. I hope this helps.
Robert Sargent says
My version consists of:
4 tbl fermented cayenne and garlic powder
2 tbl onion powder
3tbl garlic powder
2 tbl smoked paprika
75ml organic honey
150ml vinegar
100ml filtered water
1/4 Tspn Xanthum gum
And blitz in a Nutribullet
Make 3 variations with either fermented habanero powder and lastly a fermented Jalapeño powder, all different and tastes incredible.
Mike H. says
Thanks for the review and sharing, Robert. Hope you will try my version one day! 😉
Jose Chaparro says
I made this and modified it with Costco/Kirkland organic apple cider vinegar, 2 T Chipotle powder, 1 T ancho chile powder, 2 t habanero powder, 2 t smoked paprika, 2 t dried cilantro, 1 T each garlic and onion powder and 1/4 t salt. Spicy and Delicious! Thank you.
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds GREAT, Jose!
Teej says
Love your site, thank you! This might be a silly question, but can you ferment hot sauce made from chili powders?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Teej. Yes, you can ferment sauces with chili powders, but you may need to use a fermentation starter to get fermentation going. Or, try mixing in some fresh peppers, which can help. Enjoy.
Pete says
I would like to add some fruit to a ghost pepper powder hot sauce. I'm thinking peach or pineapple. How much do you think I may need to 1 (knock down the heat) and 2 (not make the sauce too thin). Thanks in advance. I love your website!
Mike Hultquist says
Pete, yes, you can do that, no problem. Maybe start with 1/2 to 1 cup of peach or pineapple, see how the consistency feels. I have several recipes that use pineapple, peach, or other fruits, in the hot sauce section. Maybe start with this recipe to refer to: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/hot-sauces/caribbean-style-mango-habanero-hot-sauce-video/
Stan Stevens says
What is the shelf life of the hot sauce and does it require refrigeration or stable at room temperature?
Thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Stan, this type of sauce will last many months, depending on the ingredients used. I have a post on this here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/frequently-asked-questions/refrigerating-hot-sauce/
Brad M says
The yield says 20 servings, but how much is that actually? 1 5 oz bottle? 2 bottles?
Mike Hultquist says
Brad, this should fill close to 3 5-ounce bottles or so.
PeterB says
Thanks very much for the recipe for hot sauce made from powdered cayenne. It was very helpful to have some guidance. I started with two teaspoons cayenne, one teaspoon smoked paprika, and one teaspoon ground chipotle, with half and half vinegar and water as you suggested. Salt of course. The results were immediately good if slightly grainy. I'm wondering whether the graininess will decreas as the powder gets soaked with the liquid.
anyway, very helpful, thanks again, and I look forward to experimenting further.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Peter. You can reduce the graininess with more liquid, but that's one of the characteristics of sauces made from powders, to various degrees. Happy experimenting!
Karl says
Will it decrease the flavor if you were to strain the sauce through a strainer with cheese cloth to eliminate the graininess?
Mike Hultquist says
It won't dilute the flavor, but will thin it out considerably. You can always mix some of the pulp back in if you'd like.
Aaron Eagleburger says
I have two quarts of powder. a blend of habaneros, ghosts, and Carolina reapers. the powder is powerful!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes! Powerful indeed!
Ramy says
How long this sauce will last in the refrigerator or on the pantry?
Mike Hultquist says
Ramy, typical vinegary hot sauces will last 6 months or longer out of the fridge (they start to lose freshness), and 2 years in the fridge.
suzanne says
Excellent information. thank you so much. i have been experimenting with my 'bitch be trying to kill me' hot sauce made from my fresh cayenne peppers. my husband named it last year. he loved it so here we go again.
looking at suggestions to thicken hot sauces, how come no one ever mentions adding powders like chili or cayenne/ sorry my keyboard won't type caps anymore. need to upgrade ahaha. Also, whenever i use cornstarch or flour in gravy it solidifies in the fridge. Does thickening with cornstarch solidify the hot sauce too/ again, that's a question mark lol
thanks again for the video. btw love the blender. i have one from the 70's. inherited it from my mother. need to upgrade that as well.
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, Suzanne. Yes, you can thicken with powders and other spices, as long as you are happy with the added flavor. Starches and such CAN harden up a little in the fridge, but can loosen when they warm up a little. You don't need a lot, though. Xanthan gum is a good thickener you might try. I appreciate the comments!
Josh says
Hello! Great info! I was wondering if you could use cornstarch to thicken it up without adding more chili powder? Sometimes adding more chili powder will increase the heat. Let me know what you think?
Mike Hultquist says
You can, Josh. Xanthan gum is more often used as a thickener for hot sauce, though you can use corn starch or similar, like arrow root. Those are more used for other sauces, but will still work!
Josh says
Oh wow, you replied so quickly you read my mind! Haha thank you! I'll let you know what happens next!
Josh says
Sorry for the excessive replies.
I want to stick out when it comes to unique blends. That being said, if the cornstarch works and I wanted to substitute something more interesting like: Potato Starch, Rice Flour, Tapioca Flour, Arrowroot Powder, Xanthan Gum, Ground flaxseeds is that something that would go well?
Mike Hultquist says
Yep, you can really use any of those. I usually use cornstarch or similar for thickening something like gravy, chili sauces, even soups and such, but they'll work for hot sauces as well.
Bob says
Hi Mike. I really enjoy your blog and have tried several of your pepper sauce recipes. I also have a pepper garden with about 20 plants. Here in AZ, I get great crops in the spring and fall, and make more salsa style sauces. During the summer, the plants go dormant. So, I've started making sauce from dehydrated and ground peppers. I'm not very fond of vinegar, so I have been using grapefruit juice, which has a PH of 3.9, lower than white vinegar. IMHO, a big improvement.
Mike Hultquist says
I love the use of grapefruit juice, Bob. Sounds awesome!
Eivind Nilsen says
Have you tried blooming the spices at the start of this recipe? I wonder if it might deepen the flavors.
Mike Hultquist says
You can surely do so, Eivind. I often do that with recipes.
Brea says
What does blooming spices mean?
Mike H. says
Hey Brea, another word for blooming is tempering. It is a cooking technique from South Asia - really helps to bring the aromas to their maximum!
Mike says
Hey mate, wondering how you would go about doing this as a ferment? So you think it's possible and what would would you have to change about it? Thanks
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Mike, I've never tried to ferment powders. I think it would be difficult to keep it below the brine, but if you try, I would mix it with fresh peppers to make sure the ferment gets going. See: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/how-to-make-fermented-pepper-mash/
Chase says
I went off the deep end and totally winged a new sauce!
8 ghost pepper
1 head garlic
1 tbs kosher salt
1 sweet vidalia onion
4 cups chopped Roma tomato
6 peaches
6 cups vinegar
Roasted all the veg and fruit for 25 min at 350 F, then low boiled with vinegar for an hour. Let it rest for a half hour then processed it and strained it.
The end result is a beautiful sweet kick up front with a nice, lingering heat on the back end.
Let me know what y’all think!
Cheers!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
There you go, Chase! I love it! Very nice.