This Chili de Árbol Hot Sauce is fiery, tangy, and vibrant. Dried árbol chilies are toasted for smoky depth, simmered with vinegar, garlic, and a splash of lime, then blended into a punchy Mexican-style sauce that goes with everything.
Hot sauce lovers! This Chile de Arbol hot sauce recipe belongs in your recipe box. It's very easy to make from dried chile de arbol peppers and it delivers a blast of fiery heat to anything you wish.
These dried pods carry a heat level similar to the serrano pepper and can be even hotter, and since they're dried, you can make this hot sauce anytime you'd like, regardless of the season.
You might also enjoy my chile de arbol salsa recipe.
Why You'll Love It
- This hot sauce brings fire and flavor to any and all of your Mexican style dishes. Try it on birria tacos or steak tacos, or bean burritos. It's fantastic on eggs like my huevos rancheros recipe or this awesome Mexican migas recipe.
- It's not just for Mexican food! You'll find yourself dashing it onto pizza, sandwiches, swirling into soups, and so much more.
- It's fiery hot, but I'll also show you how to dial back the heat to your own preference so everyone can enjoy it.
Chile de Arbol Hot Sauce Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Dried Chile de Arbol Peppers. Small, dried, spicy Mexican chilies. You can usually find these in the International section of most grocery stores.
- Fresh Onion and Garlic. For body and flavor. You can also use onion powder and garlic powder.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. For a touch of tanginess and preserving. You can use red wine vinegar for depth or white vinegar to focus more on the chilies.
- Lime. Lime juice ups the acidity and adds a fresh pop of flavor.
- Dried Mexican Oregano. Optional, for herbal notes.
- Salt. To taste.
How to Make Chile de Arbol Hot Sauce - Quick Steps
Lightly dry toast the chile de arbol peppers in a dry hot pan, then add them to a small pot or saucepan with the garlic, onion, vinegar, Mexican oregano, salt, and a bit of water.
TIP/Adjust the Heat: For a milder hot sauce, replace half or more of the chiles de arbol with a milder guajillo pepper.
Simmer 10 minutes to rehydrate the dried chilies.
Add to a blender with lime juice and blend until smooth. Adjust for taste and consistency with salt and vinegar/water/lime juice.
Boom! Done! It's hot sauce time! Chile de arbol hot sauce, at your service. Spice it up, my friends.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Adjust the Heat! For a milder hot sauce, replace half or more of the chiles de arbol with a milder guajillo pepper. For extra fiery heat, add 1-2 dried (or fresh) habanero or ghost peppers, or add 1 teaspoon cayenne or ghost chili powder.
- Smoother Hot Sauce. Strain after blending if you want a silky finish.
Storage
Store Chili de Árbol Hot Sauce in a sealed glass jar or bottle in the refrigerator for several months. For longer keeping, freeze in small portions.
Because it uses ¾ cup vinegar, the acidity should be safe for short-term refrigeration, though pH can vary. If you want longer storage or shelf stability, test with a pH meter and be sure it’s below 4.0.
See my post - Does Hot Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy the hot sauce! Let me know how you'll be using yours!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 100 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- Flavor Madness Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist
- Also, check out: The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Recommended Products
- Buy Chiles de Arbol - Needed for this sauce, but I use them in so many recipes.
- Hot Sauce Bottles (5 ounces) - I use these like crazy! Perfect for gift giving or home keeping.
- Hot Sauce Bottles (10 ounces) - For larger batches.
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Jalapeno hot sauce recipe, bright and citrusy, made with fresh jalapenos and lime juice, only 6 ingredients.
- This habanero hot sauce recipe is the perfect mix of fire and flavor.
- Learn how to make tabasco with my homemade tabasco sauce recipe. Fermented and non-fermented versions.
- My mango-habanero hot sauce recipe is the perfect balance of fruity and spicy.
- See all of my 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.
Chili de Árbol Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ounce/28 g dried chile de árbol peppers about 1 cup (50-60 dried pods), stems removed
- ¼ small onion rough chopped (about 2 ounces/57 g)
- 3 cloves garlic rough chopped
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar for sharper bite - use 3/4 cup for a thinner sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano optional
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Juice of ½ lime about 1 tablespoon, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat a dry skillet or comal over medium heat. Toast the árbol peppers 30-60 seconds per side, until fragrant. Do not burn.
- Transfer toasted chilies to a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, vinegar, water, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, until the chilies are softened.
- Carefully transfer mixture to a blender. Add lime juice and blend until smooth. Add a splash more vinegar or water if needed for consistency.
- Adjust to taste with salt, vinegar, or lime as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Katie Quinn says
Love this addition to your hot sauce repertoire! Have done a really basic arbol hot sauce before with just toasted then soaked peppers, vinegar and salt, but am excited to try this one (simmering sounds like a better option for softening dries pods). Curious what blender do you use for your hot sauces? Any circumstances where you prefer a food processor?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Katie! I hope you enjoy it! I use a great Vitamix that does a fantastic job. So glad I got it. I have a link to it in my Amazon store here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chilipeppermadness