A sweet and spicy hot sauce recipe made with fiery ghost peppers, fresh mango, citrusy pineapple and more, perfect for chicken or fish.
Flat out - I can't keep these around the house long enough. They never last! Hot sauces get poured onto everything. It is AWESOME to have hot sauce around as a nice finisher. Plus, you can incorporate them into recipes.
How many times have I written, "Hot Sauce of your choice" in a recipe? While not all hot sauces are alike, this recipe produces an ideal level of both sweet and heat, the perfect combination.
Walking through the store the other day, I found this HUGE pile of pineapples and one accidentally spilled into my cart as I was passing by, so I figured, OK, fine, I will cook with you.
And then his friend the mango came along for the ride. I didn't want them to be alone, so into a sauce they went. Tropical fruit is so nice and friendly like that.
Especially with ghost pepper! Yes!
I know ghost peppers are hot, over 1 Million SHU, but I urge you to try this hot sauce recipe, even if you are afraid of the heat. You can always sub in some milder chili peppers, but in reality, this isn't quite as hot as you'd think.
The ghost pepper heat is tamed a bit from the sweet. This particular hot sauce is excellent on chicken, fish, or shrimp. It would also be a nice base for a glaze.
Safety Advice
When working with hotter peppers, including superhots, 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, the fumes from the chili peppers and/or the fine powders may get into the air if you are not working in a well ventilated room, so you may want to wear a mask and goggles. Superhot chili peppers, truly, are called superhots for a reason.
Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce Ingredients
- Olive Oil.
- Ghost Pepper. Chopped.
- Freshly Cut Pineapple. Chopped.
- Mango. Chopped.
- Cherry Peppers. Chopped.
- Water.
- Distilled White Vinegar.
- Cilantro. Chopped.
- Sugar.
- Paprika.
- Salt.
Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce - The Recipe Method
Heat a large pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Add peppers and fruit. Cook to soften.
Add water, vinegar, sugar, cilantro and paprika and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. Remove from heat and cool.
Add to a food processor and process until smooth.
Pour into sterilized bottles and serve it up!
Frequently Asked Hot Sauce Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:
How long will this sauce keep?
It should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. Refrigeration is not required, but recommended for longer keeping, particularly for sauces containing fruit.
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
.
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.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- While not all hot sauces are alike, this recipe produces an ideal level of both sweet and heat, the perfect combination.
- You can always sub in some milder chili peppers, but in reality, this isn't quite as hot as you'd think.
- The ghost pepper heat is tamed a bit from the sweet. This particular hot sauce is excellent on chicken, fish, or shrimp. It would also be a nice base for a glaze.
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.
Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce - Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 ghost pepper chopped
- 1 cup freshly cut pineapple chopped
- ½ cup chopped mango
- 2 cherry pepper chopped
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Add peppers and fruit. Cook about 8 minutes to soften.
- Add water, vinegar, sugar, cilantro and paprika and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
- Add to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Pour into sterilized bottles and serve it up!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Katie says
Hi Mike. I'm not sure where your located but have you ever eaten at 'Continental Divide' in either Charlottesville or Richmond? They have a wait-a-minute sauce that is amazing, I've even tried to get the recipe but they don't want to spill their secrets! This sauce reminds me of it and was wondering if it's based on their sauce!?
REPLY: Katie, I have been through that area but never encountered that sauce. Now you have me curious! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Phil says
Virginia?
Ashley says
Hi Mike,
Loved the sauce and plan to make more. Would it be possible to can this recipe so that it stores longer? If so, how do I go about doing so?
REPLY: Ashley, yes, you can "can" this recipe. You would just need to make sure you follow proper procedures. See our "Preserving" section for information on this. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Ashley says
Hi. This will be my first time making a hot sauce and I am unable to find cherry peppers. Is there something else I could use to replace them?
REPLY: Ashley, look for anything red and sweet with a thicker flesh at your local grocer, such as Italian sweet. You only need a 1/4-1/2 cup chopped or so. Or, just use all ghost peppers for extra heat! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Bob says
Great recipe! I have a bumper crop of ghosts this year and living in Florida, a steady supply of fresh mangoes and pineapples.
I made my first batch last night and used today on freshly caught grilled mahi topped with my homemade mango salsa... pure delight...Thanks for the recipe....
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
You're very welcome, Bob!!
Scott Layman says
Mike, this is a great sauce. I appreciate the recipe. It has inspired me to experiment with Ghost Peppers in my everyday cooking, I made a few of your hot sauces for a guys night.... and my friends shipped me more ingredients and hot sauce bottles. They all want more! Keep up the good work. Best,
REPLY: That's GREAT, Scott. Glad they were a hit! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Jessica says
I am going to be making this in the next week! One question- once sealed initially after being poured into the bottle , does it have to immediately go to the refrigerator? I would like to give some as gifts to my fellow foodie friends, and was wondering if the room temp would cause it to go bad.
Reply: Jessica, no, you can keep them out a bit, but they are better stored in the fridge for longer term use. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Nick says
Did you use fresh or packaged ghost peppers
REPLY: Nick, I used fresh, though can rehydrate dried peppers for this. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Billy says
How much sauce does this make in ounces?
REPLY: Billy, this should make close to 20 ounces or so. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Peter says
Hi,
First time making a hot sauce. I added extra everything and used one Naga Morich (wanted to take out some of the bite of the superior pepper). It tastes great and has a wonderful kick, even family who don't like spicy flavors are enjoying it.
However, after continually pureeing it isn't really smooth. Almost between a chili sauce and a hot sauce. Any advice to help thin it out without changing the flavor too much or should I try a different processor?
Thanks!
REPLY: Hey, Peter - Try a food mill or straining it with a strainer or cheese cloth. It will take out the solids and make a smoother sauce. Let me know how it turns out. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Mike C says
Hi Mike, having tried the sauce a couple more times, I'd actually like to change my review a little - could you do that? Wonderful site, BTW! New review below:
I tried this recipe with Orange Habaneros - which have a great flavour. This sauce is very, very fruity, I found it almost too fruity. At first I wasn't too sure about it and found the cilantro a little over powering but having let the sauce sit in the fridge over night, it's grown on me a lot. It was great with rice and beans and gave a lovely fruity burst and with fried fish, it was actually really good. For my next batch I'm going to try it, without the cilantro and pineapple and with the addition of half a fried onion, to give it a little more of a savoury edge - it's a great base for experimenting and has really inspired me to try new, fruity flavours!
REPLY: No problem, Mike. I'm glad it came together for you! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Mike C says
I tried this recipe with Orange Habaneros - I can't believe I'm saying this but I think it's the first hot sauce recipe that I don't really like. I didn't love the pineapple and actually quite disliked the addition of cilantro. Having said that, it really inspired me to try new things with my hot sauce recipes, which is no bad thing!
REPLY: Sorry you didn't like it, Mike, but I agree, the great thing is learning to experiment and getting creative with your flavors. Learn the process and you can make any sauce you'd like. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Craig says
Does it have to be refrigerated
REPLY: Craig, if there is enough vinegar it will keep a long time, but I still like to keep mine in the fridge for keeping. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Bob McLeod says
Great recipe. I improvised as I had ripe Ontario peaches on hand. I used 2cups of diced peaches and substituted 6 cherry tomatoes in lieu of the cherry peppers. Turned out great. Can wait to try out the original recipe. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's great, Bob. I love that it's such a versatile recipe. Easily adaptable!