This hot sauce recipe uses serrano peppers that have been fermented, then processed with vinegar, garlic, tequila and lime juice. It is juicy, tart and just the right amount of spicy.
Spicy Serrano Hot Sauce Recipe
More hot sauce coming at you, my friends. If you can believe it, our garden is STILL producing peppers because of this phenomenal weather we've been having. I know cold weather is on the way, but we've been a bit lucky here in zone 5 this year and I'm reaping the benefits.
I grew serrano peppers this year and HOLY WOW did they go wild. I only planted a single plant and that plant has produced marvelously. If you're going to grow peppers, be sure to include a serrano plant. One of the most productive plants in the garden.
The big question, though, when growing serrano peppers is...
What Can I Do With a LOT of Serrano Peppers?
Here's an idea for you. Make HOT SAUCE.
Yes!
This is a fermented hot sauce recipe and it requires an entire pound of serrano peppers, which may not seems like a lot of weight, but it takes quite a few serrano peppers to weigh 1 pound.
To Ferment or Use Fresh Peppers?
If you're not comfortable with fermenting (you SHOULD be, though), you CAN make this hot sauce with fresh serrano peppers. Just skip steps 1-4 in the recipe. Start by processing the peppers in a food processor, then jump to step 5 and make your serrano hot sauce.
It will still be a good hot sauce, for sure, but you'll have a fresher, greener flavor that is not quite as developed that you achieve by fermenting.
Check out my page on How to Make Fermented Pepper Mash to learn more about why you should be fermenting chili peppers.
Fermented hot sauces are mellower and have a deeper flavor, so I've been fermenting a LOT of chili peppers this year for hot sauces.
This is actually a hot sauce for Patty, because she tends to lean toward green hot sauces and seasonings. I tend to favor vibrant red and orange sauces, but Patty loves her serrano peppers.
So here you go, Patty! She loves this one. It is slightly garlicky and tart and distinctive with the addition of tequila, something else Patty loves.
Enjoy and check out my other Hot Sauce Recipes, too.
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.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Process this hot sauce for longer storage. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.
- Wondering what to do with this 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. I hope you find it helpful!
- After you strain out the solids to thin out the hot sauce, you can throw the solids away, OR --- dehydrate them and use them for seasoning. Or simply do not strain for a thicker sauce. Those solids still have plenty of life left in them, and hey, what a great way to make some homemade seasonings for yourself? Sprinkle it over foods or use it as a rub. It would be GREAT on chicken. Give it a little ZING, right?
Storage & Leftovers
This sauce should keep many 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.
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
Check out These Related Recipes:
Try Some of My Popular Serrano 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.
Spicy Serrano Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound serrano peppers
- 3 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 quart unchlorinated water
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 ounces white wine vinegar
- 1.5 ounces reposado tequila
- Juice from 1 lime
Instructions
- First, ferment the serrano peppers. Process your fresh peppers in a food processor. If you don’t have a processor, use a mortar and pestle or simply rough chop them. Pack them into a jar, leaving at least 1 inch of head space. The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting.
- Next, mix 1 quart unchlorinated water with 3 tablespoons sea salt. Pour just enough brine over the peppers to cover them, pressing them down a bit as you go. Discard or save any remaining brine for another use. It is important to keep the peppers covered with brine to avoid spoilage. Check this daily.
- Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F. The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, sobe sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases. Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting. See our page, “How to Make Fermented Pepper Mash”, for further instruction.
- After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish and the brine will turn cloudy and taste acidic.
- Pour the fermented serrano peppers, including the brine, into a pot along with garlic, vinegar and tequila. Bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. NOTE: If you feel the brine will make your hot sauce too salty, you can strain the peppers and use fresh water instead, just enough to cover the peppers in the pot. Or, use a combination of brine and fresh water.
- Cool slightly then add to a food processor with the lime juice. Process until smooth.
- Strain the mixture to remove the solids, if desired. Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Laura Criss says
can I water bath can this hot sauce?
Mike Hultquist says
You can with this one, but check the acidity. Add vinegar if needed. Shoot for a pH of 3.5 or lower for home canning.
Shane Keene says
This is the first of your recipes I've gone rogue on and experimented with. I used about 2 cups fresh serranos, 4 dried red habaneros, 5 cloves garlic, 1/2 a white onion, 2 teaspoons of honey (after the fact, to turn the heat down a notch) 1 cup water, 1/2 cup white vinegar, salt to taste. Simmered 15 minutes, processed and strained half of it, simmered again (covered), blended. It's amazing, and very vivid green. Your recipes are always so on point, it's easy to focus on experimentation, knowing the base recipe won't let you down.
Mike Hultquist says
Perfect peppers, Shane! I love it!
Brenda says
I don't have a kitchen scale, so how do I measure 1 pound of serranos?
We don't drink, so I don't want to buy a bottle to get only 1.5 ounces. Is the tequila necessary, or could it be replaced with something else that would be just as good?
Mike Hultquist says
Brenda, a kitchen scale is best as sizes of peppers can really vary. It could be anywhere from 30-50 for serranos, so maybe use 40 or so. Instead of tequila, try white grape juice or a bit of lime juice instead, with maybe a touch of agave nectar. I hope you enjoy it.
Shane Keene says
Mike's suggestions are great, or you could buy an airplane bottle at a liquor store (it weighs in at 1.7 ounces).
Brenda says
Thank you -- great idea!
Randy says
Buy the ounce alcohol bottles.
Katie says
This is THE best hot sauce recipe I've ever made. Three years in a row now, last year I also tried it with red jalapenos. I can't decide which one I like more, so I'll be making serrano and jalapeno hot sauce from now on. I like to pour the whole mixture, unstrained, into a mason jar for a chunkier sauce. The family doesn't eat tacos without it!
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! So happy you enjoy it, Katie! I appreciate it!
Jeremy says
I made this sauce and wow is it good! The only issue I had was it came out a bit watery. I did strain the solids so maybe that's where I went wrong. I'm assuming if I want a bit thicker sauce I would just leave some or all of the solids in correct?
Mike Hultquist says
Jeremy, yes, this a very thin sauce, but you can skip straining for a thicker sauce.
Kim says
Can this be made with fresh serranos instead of fermented?
Mike Hultquist says
Absolutely, Kim. Skip the water and only use 1/2 teaspoon of salt, or to taste. Enjoy!
Jennifer says
I made a small, trial batch early last season and then made a full batch at the end of the season. The first batch was a little salty, so I followed the recipe adjustments when I made the second one. My husband isn't normally a hot sauce guy, but really enjoyed this recipe. He's asking me to make a batch this season--when I didn't plant any serranos or jalapeños.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer. Thanks!
William R Babcock says
So, I didn't quite have enough serranos yet, so I added some jalapeños and some green habaneros. I added some carrots and garlic and let it all ferment. After 2 weeks followed all your other steps, using an immersion blender to puree everything, then strained it. I also used a mezcal as opposed to the tequila for a little "smokey" flavor. YO....it came out dope. So good. Most of my friends (who are hot heads, like myself), were totally digging on it. Thanks so much for the inspiration. Cheers.
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! I love it, William. Nice.
Lauren says
First time hot sauce maker here! How long does the bottled hot sauce last on the shelf?
Mike Hultquist says
Laureen, hot sauces like this typically last 6 months out and 12 months in the refrigerator. I have a post on that here with more discussion: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/frequently-asked-questions/refrigerating-hot-sauce/
Cheryl says
I am looking for a recipe to use serranos for a spicy margarita. Would this work or do you have another suggestion?
Mike Hultquist says
Cheryl, I would use my Spicy Jalapeno Margarita Recipe, but use serranos instead. Here is the recipe: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/drinks/citrus-jalapeno-margarita/
Malissa Dodds says
Can I reuse the brine? Drink it? Bathe in it?
I’d hate for it to go to waste
Mike Hultquist says
You can reuse brine, yes, though not indefinitely.
Malissa Dodds says
Do you have suggestions on how to reuse it? I mean like, repurpose it? Someone said to make bread, but I’ve never made bread. Marinade?
Mike Hultquist says
Malissa, yes, those are great uses. You can also use it as a starter culture for more fermentation batches, use it for making soups and stews, and even make drinks out of it. I'd love to hear how you wind up using yours.
Malissa says
First of all…..yum.
I didn’t follow the directions and added the garlic to the Serranos to ferment for 3 weeks, still turned out totally awesome!
I did equal parts water and brine and I added some lime zest to the party and wow!
I didn’t like the consistency of the final product w/ the food processor so I used my immersion blender
This recipe is stupid delicious! Love the spice. I want to drink it all
Thank you! I can’t wait to share with my spicy friends!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Malissa!