Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce is fruity, hot, sweet, and incredibly easy to make! A mix of bold Jamaican seasonings compliment the natural flavors of the peppers in a beautiful way. Serve this sauce with chicken or seafood to really elevate your meal!
Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
Scotch Bonnet peppers are some of my favorites! In fact, I grow them myself because I just can't get enough of them. They have a good level of heat, very similar to a habanero pepper, along with the duo qualities of being both fruity and somewhat sweet.
It’s the ideal trifecta for me, really – fruity, spicy, and slightly sweet. Yeah, baby! Give me that combo any day of the week. This is a recipe that begs to take your chicken or seafood to the next level.
It's a particularly fiery sauce takes you straight to the Caribbean in the most delicious way!
Ingredients in Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce
- Scotch Bonnet peppers (learn all about these famous spicy peppers HERE)!
- White onion
- Carrot
- Chayote
- Cucumber
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Garlic
- Jalapeño peppers
- Cumin
- Salt
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lime juice and zest
How to Make Jamaican Hot Sauce
Blend, boil, simmer, serve. This recipe couldn't be easier to make!
Blend the ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until nice and smooth.
Boil, then simmer. Transfer the blended sauce to a large pot and bring to a quick boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour to let the flavors mingle.
Enjoy! Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then transfer to a container and seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 day to let the flavors develop.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Adjust the heat level. If you’d like to dial back the heat level, skip the habanero pepper. You can also reduce or skip the serranos, and go with jalapeño peppers only. You’ll still get a nice kick from them.
- Use a good sauce bottle. 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.
- Use it in a variety of ways. You can use it as a marinade for your chicken or fish, or as more of a finishing sauce, or both! It’s also great for swirling a few tablespoons into soups, stews or other sauces to give them a bit of a fiery kick and blast of flavor.
- Let it chill for a while. I let my Jamaican hot sauce sit in the fridge at least a day before using, allowing the flavors to mingle even further.
Storing
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.
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 Scotch Bonnet peppers chopped
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 1 small carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 chayote peeled and chopped
- ½ cucumber chopped
- 1 mango peeled and chopped
- 1 cup chopped pineapple
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ cup pickled jalapeno peppers chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- Juice from 2 limes plus lime zest
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until nice and smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a large pot and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour to let the flavors mingle.
- Cool, then transfer to a container and seal. Refrigerate at least 1 day to let flavors develop.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Richard P says
Hi,
I can't get choyote. Would courgette/zucchini be an ok substitute?
Mike H. says
Chayote does have that mild, slightly sweet flavor and a firm texture, but you could definitely try courgette. Although be ready for texture and some flavor differences. Maybe try green papaya as an alternative.
ML says
I’m sitting here staring at two Carolina Reaper peppers contemplating adding them to this recipe which I doubled. I’m nervous. Should I or shouldn’t I?
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, ML. Well, reapers are very, very hot! Roughly 6 times the heat in Scoville Units. It really depends on how hot you like it. You'll never know until you try, though! If you DO add them in, you can always reprocess the entire batch and combine it with another that is much milder in order to dilute the overall heat. Let me know how it goes if you give it a go.
ML says
Thanks for the advice Mike! I’m on my third batch of hot pepper sauce this summer and want you to know this is my favorite recipe.
I am going to divide this batch and add 1/2 of a Carolina reaper to it. It will go to my grandson who is the only family member who can tolerate VERY hot food.
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds wonderful!!! Thanks, ML!
Jenn says
This is literally the best thing I’ve ever tasted. Making it a second time tonight, hoping it’s as good as the first!! Thank you!!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Awesome! I love to hear it. Thanks, Jenn.
J says
So we are not peeling the cucumbers?!?
Mike Hultquist says
You can peel them if you'd like. Personal choice.
Garry says
Hi Mike. How would you compare the heat of this sauce to you Garlic Habanero? which I make quite often with many variances. I grew a whole bunch of Scotch Bonnets this year as i find the flavor of these peppers in hot sauces to be very noticeable. Which is great for flavor.
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Gary. Habaneros are Scotch Bonnet peppers are roughly equivalent in heat level, so that will translate to the final sauces. Should be pretty close. I hope you enjoy it!
Paul Eaton says
Hot Damn Old Son; this is a definite ring ping maker. great though. I have tried some of your other hot sauces and wasn't disappointed. You are the KING of HOT etc Barry.
Thank You Very Much,
Paul Eaton, Calgary AB
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, thanks, Paul!
Barry says
How long can you keep Jamaican hot sauce in refrigerator unopened?
Mike Hultquist says
Barry, this will last 12 months or so in the refrigerator because of the acidity from the vinegar and citrus. Just keep an eye out for any signs of spoilage. Enjoy!
Connie says
I love this sauce! I keep it in a glass mason jar in the fridge and it lasted a LONG time (many months). I love it drizzled on quesadillas, in tacos, for marinating chicken, etc.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Glad you love it, Connie! Definitely a favorite here!
Mary Dante says
Can this recipe be canned?
Mike Hultquist says
Mary, you can process this in a water bath, but make sure the pH is 3.5 or lower for home canning. Or, look into pressure canning.
Kris says
Do you recommend leaving the seeds in?
Mike Hultquist says
Kris, I usually do, but you can remove them if you'd like. Most of the heat is in the pepper innards, so removing the innards will tame that heat.
Robert says
Awesome!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Robert!
Sydney says
Hi there!
Would it be horrible to omit the pineapple from this? Would you recommend subbing more mango or leaving as is? Just debating, also dont love sweet salsas but since ive never tried this recipe i dont want to misassume the sweetness ratio, thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Sydney. Not horrible at all. You can skip it and replace it with mango or more peppers. No problem at all. Make it your way for sure! Enjoy.
Imtiaz says
Fresh, fruity and kicks like an Ox!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Thanks for your rating! Glad you enjoyed it!
Jen says
This is the best hot sauce I've ever tasted. I followed the recipe but used half the salt, twice the vinegar and extra mango.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Boom! Thanks, Jen!
Jesse says
I like this recipe but I find the cumin is overwhelming. Is there something I can do after the fact to dilute that.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jesse, sorry to hear. Dilution is the best way, really. You can make another batch without cumin, then combine them. Or, add in some other ingredients to balance it.