A flavorful hot sauce recipe made with fiery datil peppers, tomato paste, vinegar and honey, with a few extra spices tossed in for flavor. This might be your new favorite hot sauce!
Datil sauce in the house, my friends! I grew datil peppers this year in our garden and luckily for me, the plant exploded with datil peppers.
If you've never cooked with datil peppers before, and if you enjoy the heat, you owe it to yourself to either grow or rush out and get some for yourself.
Datil peppers pack the intense heat of the habanero pepper or Scotch Bonnet, but its flavor is sweeter and fruitier. Heat wise, they're right up there, measuring in at 100K-300K on the Scoville Scale.
That's some nice heat! Learn more about the Datil Pepper here.
I got so many of them this year!
Aren't they gorgeous and vibrant?
I dehydrated some of mine for chili powders and chili flakes, as well as used many of them for hot pepper jelly, but I also grew them for a very specific purpose - making hot sauce!
YES!
Datil pepper sauce is nice and fiery, and it's so good dashed over many, many different dishes. Use it to spice up a pot of chili, spoon over tacos or sandwiches, swirl into your next pot of stew or into your slow cooker with a nice hunk of beef or pork.
So many wonderful possibilities with this, right?
I made this hot sauce with datils, of course, and complimented them with tomato, vinegar, sweet honey, and a few additional spices to round out the flavor.
Let's talk about how we make this hot sauce, shall we?
How to Make Datil Pepper Hot Sauce - The Recipe Method
First, gather up your ingredients, which includes datil peppers, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper. You'll also need some water to thin out the sauce a bit to your preference, though you can also use extra vinegar if you enjoy the flavor.
Next, add all of the ingredients accept for the water to a pot and bring to a quick boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the peppers soften up nicely.
Cool it slightly, then process the whole mix in a food process or blender until very smooth.
Add in water a bit at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
BOOM! That's it!
Such a gorgeous and SPICY hot sauce. I can't get enough of this stuff.
This recipe makes about 1 cup of unstrained hot sauce. It’s a pretty thick sauce overall, so thin it out as desired with either water or vinegar. You can also strain out some of the solids to thin it as well.
I hope you enjoy it, my friends! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Learn More About Hot Sauce Making
How to Make Hot Sauce - The Ultimate Guide
That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy the hot sauce! Go cayenne!
Safety Advice
When working with very hot chili peppers peppers, 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.
Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.
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. 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. I hope you find it helpful!
Try Some of My Other Popular Hot Sauce Recipes
- Homemade Sriracha (both fermented and non-fermented varieties)
- Roasted Red Jalapeno Hot Sauce
- Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- Honey Roasted Hot Pepper Hot Sauce
- Ti-Malice – Hatian Creole Hot Sauce
- Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- Superhot Hot Sauce (The Hottest Damn Hot Sauce I Ever Made)
- Devil's Tongue Hot Sauce
- Homemade Tabasco Sauce
- More Hot Sauce Recipes
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.
Datil Pepper Sauce – Recipe
Ingredients
- 3.5 ounces datil peppers chopped (98 g) (About 40 datil peppers, depending on the size)
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup water or more to thin the sauce
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients accept for the water to a pot and bring to a quick boil. If you need a bit more moisture, add a couple tablespoons of water.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the peppers soften up nicely.
- Cool it slightly, then process it in a food process or blender until very smooth.
- Add in water a bit at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Brian says
Oh my! This sauce is so good! Recently having visited St. Augustine, I now grow Datils here in my San Diego backyard and they are flourishing. This is just what I needed to create something outstanding with them. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Brian! Yes, datil peppers are so amazing, perfect for sauces. I wish I had some fresh ones. Thanks for sharing.
John Dayton says
Something seems amiss here. 40 datil peppers seem like a lot more than 3.5oz regardless of size. My peppers are about 2 inches long and about 15 of them make 3.5oz.
In another recipe I saw, it called for 6oz. and that said about 10-12 peppers. There can't be that much variation in size/weight. Can you explain?
Mike Hultquist says
John, it's really best to go by weight, as sizes really can vary a lot for peppers. Also, most hot sauce recipes can be pretty forgiving, so you can vary the amounts quite a bit when making them.
Jennifer Sutton says
Any ideas if this would be good if I smoked the peppers before hand? I have a new smoker and its been fun!
Mike Hultquist says
Jennifer, absolutely! Smoking the peppers first adds an AWESOME layer of smoky flavor. It's so good!
Dave says
Hello Michael, have you ever made this recipe with fermented datil peppers? If you did how did that turn out?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Dave. I have not made this particular recipe with fermented datils, but have many many sauces with fermented peppers. Fermenting them would be great here. Very nice. Let me know how you enjoy it if you make it.
Dave says
Just one word, PERFECTION. The ferment added that tangy funky note that really makes it just perfect. I made the recipe according to your instructions but this one allows a lot of freedom to experiment and I think people should.
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding!! Glad you enjoyed it, Dave!
Carey says
I've ordered peppers from https://www.savethedatil.com. These people have been great! From buying datil peppers, datil pepper seeds, and their amazing hot sause. Obviously seasonal so get them soon.
I've grown datil pepper plants in Colorado too. At 5k feet they struggle getting used to the intense high elevation sun but I've gotten good harvests. I can't wait to try Mayhem's seeds in 2022! LOVE THE DATIL!!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Thanks for sharing, Carey!
Jodie says
Where can I find the datil peppers? I've zero luck growing them. I live central Florida and just have no luck as the legend goes. Since no datil fest this year but I'm in town where can I buy?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jodie, I wish I could help! You might contact your local farmer's market or possibly grocer, or contact the fest and see if they can help you locally. Good luck!
Derek Smith says
There are multiple Facebook groups where you can find Datil peppers for sale this time of year.
Raymond W Ryals says
If you get a chance, go to St. Augustine. I live in Melbourne and drove up to St. Augustine and was told to check out Ace Hardware and any nursery's in the area. I got a half dozen plants at Ace. I'm loaded with peppers now.
Mark says
Spicy for sure! Good flavor. I used fermented datil peppers puree I didn't realize the peppers were by weight not liquid so I ended up making a huge batch. All good in the end lots to share!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Thanks, Mark!
Darren Brothwell says
I made this with my Cayenne chilies, not sure how different they are to Datil chilies? But it came out so good, love the flavours. Will be making this again...and again...
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Darren. Cayenne's a great here. They're different, not as fruity and not as hot, but still great in their own right. I love it.
Becky says
This looks delicious and would love to make with Datil peppers. Moved to Washington state 4 years ago and miss those delicious peppers. Ordered some seeds but they were NOT Datil peppers. Do you know any reliable sources for true Datil seeds or plants? Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Bummer, Becky! Check out my page for chili pepper seeds resources: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/resources/
Terry Bills says
Thank you I'll let ya know
Terry Bills says
Ok dumb question it didnt say to blend up peppers I so want to do this
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Terry, chop the peppers first, then simmer them in the pot. Then blend it all with a food processor or blender (see step #3). Let me know how it goes for you. Enjoy!
Jerry Bell says
What do you recommend to get rid of bugs on datil plant. Something has been eating little holes on my peppers,so I’ve cutting them off earlier than I wanted to
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jerry, there are some products out there you can buy, but try a solution of 10 drops dish soap, 1 tablespoon red pepper and 1 gallon water. Mix and spray. This is a good homemade solution.
Matt says
Get some lady bugs and let them go onto your plants. They will eat all of the bad little bugs and have your plants looking better in days. Also, plant some basil and marigolds nearby to deter other bad bugs.
Lisa says
Do you use seeds and all in the recipe?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Lisa, I usually just leave them in, but you can remove them if you'd like, or strain the sauce after.
Craig Braswell says
I've got 2 huge datil pepper plants that I picked up in Saint Augustine, Florida as seedlings, and I've harvested about 500 peppers already and they aren't slowing down.
I've gotten hold of a couple of family sauce recipes from longtime residents and growers in Saint Augustine. I have gallons of canned sauces, relishes, BBQ sauce, datil mustard, pepper flakes, etc.
Scouring the internet for other recipes I came across this one and made a double batch of it this morning. DEEEELISHUS!
Seems that 1 teaspoon is the perfect amount for a burrito. Thanks for the recipe.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Craig! I appreciate it. Super happy you enjoyed it!!
brent says
used what I had in the fridge as subs:
one clove of simmered garlic+one clove fresh
3 oz chopped habs
no tomato paste so some el pato sauce+ketchup to round out the other 3 oz.
lime instead of lemon
smoked pap instead of paprika---and yes it gave a NICE smoky taste.
Mike, the ACV was the perfect vinegar for this
and I doubled the honey
I'm writing this after I gave it time to cool and blend:
holy cow--what a great sauce.
5 stars.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Brent! Glad you enjoyed it! I love what you did with it.
brent says
Hi Mike, a couple questions. Such an intriguing recipe.--seems to belong to no culture or geography. Unique.
1) Would not even know where to find Datils so is habanero a good substitute?
2) Would you do anything different after a couple years? Fresh garlic instead of powder? Smoked paprika instead of regular? Lime juice instead of lemon or does that effect the honey flavor?
This sauce looks like a delicate balance of flavors so don't want to screw it up. Thank you.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Brent. Yes, I love this one. Datils are common in Florida, but if you can't find them, yes, habaneros would be a good substitute. I wouldn't personally change it, but fresh garlic is ALWAYS good, so use it if you'd like. I would say to follow the recipe, give it a taste and adjust. If you're concerned about there being too much of one element, either omit it at the start and slowly add it in, tasting along the way, or only add half, then taste and adjust. All of your considered updates would be perfectly acceptable and would result in a tasty sauce, I believe. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Andrea McFarlane says
I am currently growing datil peppers but mine are a light green color. Will this recipe work with this type of Datil? Thanks in advance!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Andrea. Yes, absolutely, you can make this recipe with green datils. Please let me know how it turns out for you.
Charles says
Following this recipe it seems to me there's just not enough liquid even bring it to a boil. I had to add extra vinegar and a little extra water to the pot otherwise it was too thick. Hopefully it's going to come out good
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Charles, it's really about the simmering. I had no problem with the amount of liquid, but as you mentioned, you can easily add in a bit more water or vinegar to get a good simmer. Much can depend on the pot or pan you are using. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Charles says
Came out great I added an extra half a cup of apple cider vinegar. Just tried it on my tacos and has a great taste ...i like it I will make it again
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great, Charles! Glad you enjoyed it!
Al says
Just found you website looking for a way to use all the datils that I have growing. A quick question about putting them in those great little sauce bottles. Is there a recipe for canning in those things so I don't have to keep them in the fridge?
Thanks,
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Al, if you want to process woozy bottles at home, I believe you'd need to use ones that have metal caps. I'm not sure if there is a good way to process them at home. You can always process them in jars.
Nicole says
Is this recipe ok to can in jars? I have tons of datils and this seems like a great way to use them up!
Mike Hultquist says
It should be, Nicole, but check the acidity. Shoot for 3.5 pH or lower for home canning.
Deborah Thoni says
4th time making this yummy sauce. It never lasts long. My garden runnith over with Datil peppers this summer. I’m picking 20+ a day. I double the recipe - use about 100 peppers per batch and share with family. Only hot sauce we use these days. I nix the honey and use Stevia. Works great. Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Outstanding, Deborah! You've got a HECK of a lot of datil peppers! Sweet! I wish I had your problem, haha! Nice tip on the stevia. Glad you like it!
Dmitriy says
1/4 water in what measurements??
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
1/4 cup, Dmitriy. You can start with a few tablespoons if you'd like, then keep adding from there to thin it to your preferred consistency. Thanks! Let me know how it turns out for you.
Thomas Ray Coker says
I am growing Datil peppers in my hydroponic AeroGarden. I have three plants that are about four weeks old. Six inches tall and growing like a weed. 17 hours Day artificial grow light, water and nutrients every two weeks. I have purchased another AeroGarden and started four more Datils. Wish me luck. Can’t wait to make hot sauce with my home grown datils. OBTW, got the original seeds from a pepper I dried (The agricultural farm at St. John’s in St. Augustine gave me a few). New seeds ordered from Sandia Seed in Albuquerque. ????????????????????
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds GREAT, Thomas. Proper seeds! I'd love to hear how it all turns out! Report back in, please!
Ivan Dublenskiy says
Tried this recipe twice, but without datil (it's a real problem to get some exotic hot pepper in Moscow), just common chill pepper from grocery. First time I violated the recipe and added too much tomato paste, so I warn everyone: avoid it or you will get ketchup )
Second time I got something pretty like the picture; the taste is interesting, sweet, somewhat like barbecue sauce. Thank you for the recipe!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Ivan. Thank you! I hope you can find some datil peppers in the future, but yes, this recipe can work with just about any pepper. Take care.
Adam says
I have used thise recipe a heap of times with different types of chilli, and everytime the sauce comes out amazing! I absolutely love the flavours.
I have substituted the Datil with;
Bhut Jolokia - made 2 cups
Yellow Habananer - made 1 cup
Chocolate Devils Tongue - made 2 cups
X-Strain Variant + Capsicum - made 2 cups
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Adam! I love it.
Ann W. says
O.....M....G! I just finished making this and immersion blending it in the pot.....it’s not even cool yet, and I cannot stop eating it! This HAS to be the BEST hot sauce I have EVER tasted! I have never made any homemade, but I had an over abundance of Datil peppers this year and started looking for recipes. Didn’t have to go far to find this one....and I am putting this recipe in my lock box so I will NEVER lose it! Can’t wait for my “heat resistent” sons to have some! THANK YOU!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Ann! Super happy you like it! I love this sauce, too. So good. Nice and spicy.