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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Recipe Video
Water & Vinegar. I use 1 cup of each along with 2 cups lightly crushed dried pepper pods. This results in a thin sauce, like Tabasco or Crystal. If you'd like a thicker sauce, use less water and/or vinegar. Also, reduce the amount of vinegar for less tang. You can also use other liquids. See my page on How to Make Hot Sauce for further discussion and ideas.
Vinegar Options. Use your favorite vinegar. However, you'll receive best results with a high quality vinegar.
pH. If you'd like your hot sauce to keep longer, shoot for a pH of 3.5 or lower. If your pH is higher, adjust with more vinegar or add citrus, then retest it.
Other Ingredients. You can add in all sorts of other flavor building ingredients, like onion, garlic, other peppers. vegetables, herbs and spices, fruits, juices, alcohol, and so much more.
16 comments
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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.