How to Make Hot Sauce from Dried Peppers
Learn how to make hot sauce from dried peppers by easily rehydrating them. You can make just about any sauce or hot sauce recipe with this method. Very easy!
Hey, everyone! A question I get here on the site quite often is “Hey, Mike, can I make your hot sauce recipes with dried peppers?” The answer is — Absolutely Yes!
You can very easily make hot sauce from dried peppers. In fact, you can make just about of the hot sauce recipes on my site with them, which is great because some times it is more difficult to get your hands on fresh chili peppers. I grow chili peppers in my home garden every year, but with my climate, I only get fresh pods on a limited basis.
To preserve my peppers, I often dry them whole, which allows me to keep them for years if I want. Whenever I want to make a hot sauce, no problem! I just rehydrate and hot sauce in on the way!
It really is a simple process. You only need to rehydrate the peppers, but there are a few other components to discuss to help you make the best hot sauce for you.
Let’s talk about how to make sauces and hot sauce from dried peppers, shall we?
About the Chili Peppers
You can use any dried peppers to make hot sauce. You can also make sauces and salsas, like adobo sauce or chile de arbol salsa, with them. Dried peppers are extremely versatile and hugely flavorful.
When choosing peppers, choose good quality dried pods. Freshly dried peppers are best, but you can still make sauces and hot sauce from older dried pods. They don’t spoil. They can lose flavor and potency, however, as they age.
Seeding the Peppers. You don’t have to remove the seeds from the dried chili peppers, but most people do. Some people report a slight bitter flavor in the seeds. Also, the seeds can wind up floating in your final sauce, so they become a texture issue. For some, this is not an issue. The choice is yours.
How to Rehydrate the Peppers
The easiest way to rehydrate peppers is to add them to a bowl and cover them with very hot water. The peppers will steep and soften up in anywhere from 20 minutes or longer. Once they are softened, you can use them as desired.
Another method is to simmer the dried peppers in water or a mixture of vinegar and water until they are softened.
Steeping Water
You’ll notice with some darker peppers that the water used to steep them and rehydrate them turns very dark. This is because some of the nutrients from the peppers leaches into the water. That nutrient rich water can be great to thin your sauces and hot sauce. However, some people feel it is somewhat bitter in flavor.
If you find it bitter, use fresh water or more vinegar or citrus to thin out your sauces.
Best Vinegar for Making Hot Sauce
You can use any edible vinegar for making hot sauce. I have made hot sauce with simple white vinegar, champagne vinegar, malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar and more. The key in choosing the appropriate vinegar is to consider the final flavors of your sauce. Some vinegars are sweeter and some are milder.
The best vinegar to use, in my opinion, is a good quality vinegar that you love. A better tasting vinegar will give you a better tasting hot sauce.
Ingredients for Making Hot Sauce from Dried Peppers
The only ingredients you need for making hot sauce is chili peppers, vinegar and salt. You can make some outstanding hot sauce with just those three ingredients, like this Homemade Tabasco Hot Sauce. However, that is only the beginning.
You can add in all sorts of other flavor building ingredients, like onion, garlic, other peppers. vegetables, herbs and spices, citrus, fruits, juices, alcohol, and so much more.
How to Make Hot Sauce from Dried Peppers – the Recipe Method
FOR METHOD ONE
- Lightly toast the dried chili peppers in a hot pan for a minute or 2 per side, until they become slightly pliable and loosen the oils in the skins. This step is optional and develops more flavor.
- Remove from heat and add enough very hot water to cover the peppers. Let them steep for 15 to 20 minutes to soften.
- Strain the peppers but keep the steeping water.
- Add the rehydrated peppers to a food processor or blender along with 1 cup of the steeping water (or use fresh water) vinegar (use anywhere from 2 tablespoons to 1 cup), garlic powder, salt, and other optional ingredients. Process until smooth.
- Taste and adjust with salt and vinegar. Strain if desired.
- Pour into bottles and enjoy, or simmer then in a pot for 10-20 minutes to develop the flavors even more, then cool and bottle. Store in the refrigerator.
FOR METHOD TWO
- Lightly toast the dried chili peppers in a hot pan for a minute or 2 per side, until they become slightly pliable and loosen the oils in the skins. This step is optional and develops more flavor.
- Add water and vinegar, garlic powder, salt and other optional ingredients. Use less vinegar or water for thicker hot sauce. Simmer the peppers for 15 to 20 minutes to soften.
- Add the mixture to a food processor or blender along with vinegar (use anywhere from 2 tablespoons to 1 cup), garlic powder, salt, and other optional ingredients. Process until smooth.
- Taste and adjust with salt and vinegar. Strain if desired.
- Pour into bottles and enjoy, or simmer then in a pot for another 10 minutes to develop the flavors even more, then cool and bottle. Store in the refrigerator.
The Difference Between the Two Methods: The first method rehydrates the dried peppers with water only, allowing you to add other ingredients later as desired. The second method simmers the dried pods and other ingredients together in vinegar and water, then simply processes it all to make the final sauce. Both methods work great.
Check out my resource on How to Make Hot Sauce: The Ultimate Guide, with a great deal more information on history, hot sauce types, fermenting and more.
That’s it, my friends! I hope you enjoy your hot sauce. Let me know how yours turned out for you. I’d love to hear it!
Try Some of My Other Hot Sauce Recipes
- How to Make Hot Sauce from Chili Powders
- Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce
- 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
- Datil Pepper Sauce
- More Hot Sauce Recipes
Relevant Links
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.
How to Make Hot Sauce from Dried Peppers - Recipe Method
Ingredients
- 2 cups lightly crushed and seeded dried chili peppers
- 2 cups water or enough to cover the peppers - FOR METHOD ONE
- 1 cup vinegar or as desired, FOR METHOD TWO
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- *Other ingredients as desired. See notes.
Instructions
FOR METHOD ONE
- Lightly toast the dried chili peppers in a hot pan for a minute or 2 per side, until they become slightly pliable and loosen the oils in the skins. This step is optional and develops more flavor.
- Remove from heat and add enough very hot water to cover the peppers. Let them steep for 15 to 20 minutes to soften.
- Strain the peppers but keep the steeping water.
- Add the rehydrated peppers to a food processor or blender along with 1 cup of the steeping water (or use fresh water) vinegar (use anywhere from 2 tablespoons to 1 cup), garlic powder, salt, and other optional ingredients. Process until smooth.
- Taste and adjust with salt and vinegar. Strain if desired.
- Pour into bottles and enjoy, or simmer then in a pot for 10-20 minutes to develop the flavors even more, then cool and bottle. Store in the refrigerator.
FOR METHOD TWO
- Lightly toast the dried chili peppers in a hot pan for a minute or 2 per side, until they become slightly pliable and loosen the oils in the skins. This step is optional and develops more flavor.
- Add water and vinegar, garlic powder, salt and other optional ingredients. Use less vinegar or water for thicker hot sauce. Simmer the peppers for 15 to 20 minutes to soften.
- Add the mixture to a food processor or blender along with vinegar (use anywhere from 2 tablespoons to 1 cup), garlic powder, salt, and other optional ingredients. Process until smooth.
- Taste and adjust with salt and vinegar. Strain if desired.
- Pour into bottles and enjoy, or simmer then in a pot for 10-20 minutes to develop the flavors even more, then cool and bottle. Store in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
46 comments
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I just finished a batch of habanero hot sauce, guajillo hot sauce and California chili hot sauce all from dried peppers with this method and they are absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for another great recipe.
Thanks so much, Hariet! Super happy to be useful!
Oh my God! How do you get through this process without making the air in your house toxic?! I just drove me and my husband out of the house, eyes streaming, noses running, coughing!! I finally removed the toxic cauldron outside and opened all the doors and windows! I don’t dare complete the next step of blending. Thinking about setting a table up outside for the blender! Even with 15” of snow on the ground.
Maggie, yes, you can get fumes from hot peppers in the house, as you are experiencing. It is best to work with the kitchen fan on, and open windows if you are able. This is more of an issue in smaller spaces, though I have had some issues in a giant kitchen when working with superhots. It can happen. Try to get a box fan going and keep air circulating if you can, or yes, outside or in a garage is always an option if it gets too bad for you.
Great recipe! I used dried cayennes that I grew last year. The finished product definitely has some heat to it, are there any milder varieties you can recommend? Thank you for the recipe!
Katie, not sure what you have access to, but Fresno peppers make for a great jalapeno-level hot sauce. There are a lot of great aji peppers you might grow. Or, next time try mixing your cayennes with dried bell pepper to really cut the heat.
Hello Michael,
Two questions:
1. So, if I wanted to make hot sauce out of dried crushed red pepper flakes, would you suggest rehydrating them first? What about straight mixing the flakes with vinegar in a pot, simmering, then straining, done?
2. If you wanted to add hot sauce (say your homemade Tabasco) to ground beef while cooking it, what amount of hot sauce would you start with for every pound of beef?
Thank you,
Fleischman
Fleischman, I’m not sure if you’d get much directly from the chili flakes, though if there are enough of them (flesh, not seeds), they will rehydrate in the simmering liquid. You can then process it to blend it more. For ground beef, I would start with a tablespoon or 2, then taste and adjust from there. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy!
Thank you, Michael.
Interesting. Do the seeds not add hotness or flavor?
Also, are you concerned about long term gastrointestinal issues from routinely using hot sauces? Should I be? 😉
F
The seeds don’t add any heat or flavor. You can remove them if you’d like. Some people find them bitter and don’t like them floating in their sauces. I have no gastro issues! Haha, though some people may! I eat hot peppers every day. No issues!
I just finished bottling my first batch of fermented chili peppers; I had both red and green serrano peppers from this year’s garden. I was very impressed with the quality of the finished product.
I have LOTS of dried peppers and want to make your hot sauce with dried peppers. Could I ferment them for a week or two like the fresh chili pepper sauce or would that long soak time degrade the dried chili too much?
Thanks, Charlotte. You can ferment dried pods, no problem, but you might need a fermentation starter or some fresh pods to get fermentation going. Let me know how it goes for you.
Love this recipe and can’t wait to try it. Would toasting the peppers on a gas grill impart any added flavor, as opposed to using a frying pan? Thanks!
John, you can toast them on the grill, no problem. It would be a great way to loosen them up. Enjoy!
I just made this using chili de arbol’s and one ghost pepper (all dried). I added juice of a 1/2 lime to boot.
I go to your site and roam around almost every day.
Fantastic recipe.
Randy
Thanks, Randy! The sauce sounds great! I love. Thanks for roaming!
thank you my dear Is there a way to keep a longer period out of the fridge?
Adal, if you have a low enough pH (meaning a lot of vinegar and/or citrus, some form of acid), many people don’t store their hot sauces in the refrigerator. Shoot for 3.5 or lower. I still like to refrigerate mine, but many don’t. You can also process the hot sauce in a water bath or pressure canner to store them, unopened, until ready to use.
Hey quick question. For method two do you use any water, or only vinegar? Thanks
Josh, you can use vinegar or a combination of both vinegar and water, really to your taste preference. You CAN use only water, but the pH won’t be low enough for longer keeping and it would only last a week or so. It will last much longer with vinegar. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Hey Mike. I would like it to be thicker.. How i can make it with thickness? what i should add?? for example some flour or…???
Arsalan, you can thicken up hot sauces in a few ways. You can add more ingredients to it, like more peppers, tomato, chili powders, or other more substantial ingredients. Or you can heat it through and simmer to remove some of the liquid. It will evaporate and the sauce will thicken overall. Adding flour can work, though it will greatly affect your flavor, so not sure that is the route you want to go.
This site is very informative and complete. Really well done. All the links works, pictures are appropriate, the recipes are simple and the commentary is interesting but not lengthy. Good job!
I am wondering if there is a section on Xanthan Gum? I noticed it’s in several different bottles of hot sauce I have (all are commercial). How much would you add so that you don’t have to refrigerate?
Also, I have no idea what a ph meter is. Do you have a link about that specifically?
I used the dried arbol pods I bought as a back up spice when everyone was hoarding for the corona virus out break. Everyone calmed down and I had a huge bag of them so I thought why not try some sauce. It turned out pretty decent even tho I forgot to saute’ them. Next time I will use my juicer to strain the batch. This will allow me to extract the liquid and add in the pulp to my personal taste.
Thank you for sharing. Have a great day!
Thanks so much, Michelle. I really appreciate it. I don’t have a post on Xantham gum, but I should. It’s use as a sauce thickener and helps to keep it from separating. Most commercial hot sauces use it. It isn’t really for preserving, though can improve shelf life. Refrigeration is a big hot button topic in hot sauces. Many people don’t do it, but many do. It’s up to you. However, for longer keeping, get your hot sauce to 3.5 or lower for home use. It’s really 4.6 but 3.5 is better to account for errors. If it is over 4, definitely keep it in the refrigerator. The pH meter I recommend is through Thermoworks. I am an affiliate there, FYI, and use their products. Very great quality. Here is my affiliate link to their site: https://www.thermoworks.com/pH-Humidity/pH?tw=CPM. Let me know how it goes for you and if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Mike,
I’ve made cooking sauces with dried chiles for many years—but it never occurred to me to make hot sauce.
Have some new mexico reds and arbols I want to use–I’m excited.
I have an odd question(s) for you. I have some red wine vinegar I bought for some dressing and I know I’ll never use it all.
You are the vinegar expert—
1) what kind of chilies agree with red wine vinegar the best?
2) what is RWV good for? fresh salsas? vinegar-based hot sauces? cooked salsa? cooked sauces? fermenting? chile pastes?
I’ve only use White Distilled and ACV for sauces so I’m clueless here. Thank you.
Hey, Brent. Super interesting question, actually, and I could probably talk to you for a long time on this. Think of vinegars like wines, where reds pair better with certain things. It’s not as pronounced with hot sauce, as the heat and flavor of the peppers take over mostly, but the vinegar has a pretty big influence. Red wine vinegar is a bit more robust, and you might appreciate a hot sauce or sauce made with RWV with beef dishes, or a good steak. White vinegar tends to influence the final flavors of your hot sauce less, where red will more so, as it is a bit more distinctive. ACV as well. It’s a wonderful dance of flavor, isn’t it? Nuance upon nuance. I always encourage experimentation. Make some sauces with different components. Taste, discover. Keep making the ones you love. I hope this helps. Let me know what you wind up making! Curious!!
Thanks for that Mike. It’s easier to conceptualize the influence of the Vinegar in the end product, as you said so well. “:White influences less”–I agree. And Balsamic overwhelms so.. To classify the vinegars in my head this way is very helpful.
That said. 5 stars sauce recipe.
Filled a small bottle, followed method #1, toasted them, skipped the 10-min simmer because everything was cooked.
(Your method #2 is similar to many recipes in the Southwest except no vinegar in the simmer: but onions and garlic and chiles often simmer together in that water).
Small bottle.
2 dried red new mex
2 dried guajillos
“un puno del arbol” (“a handful of chile arbol” in spanish)
little charred white onion
3 charred garlic cloves
chile water
ACV
Now I understand what you were talking about. The Numex and guajillos had that super strong fruity flavor. In hindsight I’d back off on the ACV because the ACV made the fruity chile taste sweeter. But the garlic and arbols were a nice equalizer.
From one chile-head to another, this is starting to become my favorite site.
Thanks so much, Brent! Happy to be helpful.
What is another acid option for inpreservation, that doesn’t impart flavor? Is tomato enough?
You can try citrus or citric acid. Pretty much anything will impart flavor of some sort. Tomato may work, but be sure to measure pH. Other options to consider are wine, beer, other milder vinegars, even cultured dairy (but that will very definitely change flavor). Let me know what you wind up making. Enjoy!
After years of making great salsas, finally decided to try sauces…and making them from dried chilis is the way to go!
First batch was made with chili puyas, garlic and onion powders, salt, a tiny bit of sugar and quite a bit of cider vinegar.
Blended it all up and simmered it awhile, strained it then checked for flavor, and simmered it about 20 minutes more.
It’s absolutely the most delicious I’ve ever tried.
Yes! I love to hear this, Scott. It really is super easy, isn’t it? I have a TON of dehydrated peppers from my own stock and make sauces and hot sauces this way all the time. Love it, and happy others can do it, too!
Brilliant! Had just started making hot sauce, before reading this. I used chillies, garlic, soaking water, vinegars, sugar and salt – soak and blend, no cooking.
I used fresh garlic soaked with the chillies and there is a slight ‘pickled’ aftertaste. It’s not unpleasant – a bit like a Vinha D’Alhos marinade – but it’s not what I want.
Do you think I should should cook the sauce through? I do this with Piri Piri and it stays ‘fresh’
Or do you think I should use only dried ingredients? I’ve got an Eastern N Carolina BBQ sauce mellowing nicely after 4 or 5 years!
Best Wishes.
Michael,
Northumberland, England
Hi, Michael. The pickled aftertaste is from the vinegar, which gives that tartness/pucker factor. You can cook it to mellow that a bit, or add a bit more sweet, like honey, to balance it. You can also batch up by adding more liquid and peppers, no vinegar, then combine them to sort of dilute the vinegar. I like to cook mine a bit usually to more fully meld and develop the flavors, but not always. Let me know how it turns out for you. I hope this helps.
I have had great pepper crops last two years and dried a lot of them. I’ve been just adding to soups and stews. Now that I know how to rehydrate them and not loose flavor I can make hot sauces and salsas all year long. (Canned tomatoes too).
Yes! It’s a great option, isn’t it? I dry a LOT of peppers ever year, too, and do the same, tossing them into soups, stews, make seasoning blends, etc. Hot sauces and salsa are another great way to use them. So many ways! Thanks for commenting, Vicky.
This worked perfect for me. Now I know what to do with all of these dried pods. Thank you.
Thanks, Damien! Yes, perfect use for them. Glad you enjoyed the hot sauce!
Hi Mike,
Have ground all my chilis after dehydrating them, into powder.. Can you use the Chili powder to make sauces? if so how?
Mike, yes, you can make hot sauce from chili powders. Just combine all of the ingredients and simmer them to your liking. You’ll get more separation with powders, but it is still good. I am working on a different post for making hot sauce with powders so I can have all of the proper ratios, etc. Forthcoming.
I use dried peppers for my sauces, I just use a spice grinder to turn them into powder, no need for soaking.. enough salt and vinegar and your sauce can last a year in the fridge.. maybe more but it does not last that long with me lol.
Yes, you can make hot sauce from powders, of course. The process is not much different, but there are other considerations that starting with whole dried pods. I plan on making a separate post on making sauce from powders alone. I appreciate the comments, Dustin.
Would there be enough vinegar to hot process this recipe and can it or will it last long enough in the fridge?
Jamie, there is, but it is best to measure the pH with a good pH meter. Shoot for 3.5 or lower for home canning. It will last quite a long time in the refrigerator, however, without canning or hot processing.
Have Chipotle sauce hot water bath processed , 5 years old. Tastes great
Outstanding! Thanks, Russ! I appreciate it.