This jalapeno hot sauce is bright and citrusy, made with fresh jalapenos and lime juice, perfect for drizzling over your favorite foods, easy to make with only 6 ingredients.
Jalapeno Hot Sauce Recipe
Let's make jalapeno hot sauce, my friends! Are you ready for a spicy kick? This hot sauce is very easy to make, and it's perfect for drizzling onto just about anything you like for a burst of flavor and heat.
A good hot sauce can bring life and pizzazz to even the blandest of dishes. If you love a good verde sauce, this recipe will absolutely deliver.
It's one of Patty's favorites. She LOVES a good verde sauce.
What You'll Love About This Hot Sauce
- This hot sauce hits all the flavor notes - it's spicy, savory, citrusy, and salty.
- It's very easy to make with only 6 ingredients! You'll have this ready to enjoy in very little time.
- It's very customizable, so you can add in any of your favorite spices or herbs to make it your own.
- You can scale the recipe up to make larger batches. More hot sauce is a good thing!
Let's talk about how to make jalapeno hot sauce, shall we?
Jalapeno Hot Sauce Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh Jalapeno Peppers.
- White Onion. You can also use shallot, or yellow onion.
- Fresh Garlic.
- White Vinegar.
- Fresh Lime Juice.
- Salt.
How to Make Jalapeno Hot Sauce - the Recipe Overview
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This is an easy hot sauce recipe! All you need to do is process all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor.
You can make it as thin or chunky as you prefer. If it feels too thick, add a bit more vinegar, citrus, or water to thin it out to your preference.
Check out the vibrant green color. It already smells so good, nice and fresh.
Then, simmer the jalapeño hot sauce very gently for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Be careful to not use too high of heat, as it can darken your sauce.
This is OK, but it may lose some of its visual appeal.
Boom! Done! Your jalapeno hot sauce is ready to serve. Bottle it up, my friends, or store in a mason jar, after you let it come to room temperature.
I think it's much better the next day, after the flavors have properly mingled.
Easy enough to make, isn't it? You can pour this on just about anything for a spicy kick and burst of citrus flavor.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Make it your own! Try other hot peppers like serrano for a spicier version. Tomatillos are a nice addition. A green chili powder is nice, too, like Hatch or green habanero, or your own personal blend. Also, try fresh cilantro, though it won’t last as long.
- You can strain the hot sauce for a thinner sauce, but you’ll have less hot sauce. You can dehydrate the strained solids to use as a seasoning.
- You can process the ingredients, then simmer per the recipe, or simmer them all first to soften, then puree them. The recipe works either way.
- Consider roasting or smoking the jalapeno peppers first for a great flavor variation.
- For thicker hot sauce, use half of the liquid ingredients and adjust from there.
Storage
Hot sauces like this will typically last 6 months out and 12 months in the refrigerator, due to the acidity. A pH of 4.6 is considered shelf stable, though I recommend 4.0 or lower for home cooks.
It is best to use a good pH meter to measure acidity. I recommend Thermoworks. Get yourself a ph meter from Thermoworks today (affiliate link, my friends). I am a happy affiliate.
See my post - Should Hot Sauce be Refrigerated?
You can also freeze it up to 6 months.
Heat Factor
Mild-Medium Heat. Jalapeno peppers do have a nice kick, but they are on the milder end of the Scoville Scale, measuring in at around 5,000 Scoville Heat Units.
You can make this recipe with hotter peppers, or include a spicy chili powder.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this jalapeno hot sauce recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Where'd You Get That Hot 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
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Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Roasted Red Jalapeno Hot Sauce
- Creamy Jalapeno Hot Sauce (Salsa Doña)
- Homemade Tabasco Sauce
- Habanero Hot Sauce
- Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce
- Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- Sambal Oelek
- Chili Oil Recipe (How to Make Chili Oil)
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
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.
Jalapeno Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces jalapeno peppers chopped (about 4-5 large jalapenos or 8 average sized)
- 1 ounce white onion chopped
- 1 ounce garlic chopped
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a small saucepan. Heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Cool slightly. (NOTE: The color will darken if you use too high of heat.)
- Taste and adjust for salt and lime juice. Strain if desired.
- Pour into bottles and enjoy. The flavors are better after they’ve combined for a day.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Rick Weber says
Hi Mike, Could this recipe work with fermented jalapeños?
Mike Hultquist says
Absolutely, Rick. It works great! Adds to the flavor. Enjoy!
Sun Time Farm says
So Yummy! I doubled the recipe and used all fresh ingredients. Followed the recipe exactly except added a touch more vinegar to make sure the ph was good and a little extra salt. Turned out great! Just what I was looking for! Thanks for your recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! I love it!! Thanks for sharing. =)
Debi says
Hi Mike - Do you use regular vinegar or pickling vinegar (7% acetic acid)? Our family is really enjoying your recipes both online and from your book. Hoping to score some jalapeño's at our farmers market this Saturday.
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Debi. I use regular vinegar, the vinegar you typically have in your kitchen for eating with other foods. It's plenty acidic enough. Happy hot sauce making!
Lisa says
Could you water bath can this sauce. I have a large amount of peppers from my garden and would love to have a way to can.
Mike Hultquist says
Lisa, yes, you can, though check the acidity. Shoot for 4.0 or lower pH for home canning. Enjoy!
jamie parisi says
Mike, i have a hotel pan full of cooked with garlic italian spicy peppers and i want to make a sauce so we dont waste them. Any ideas?
Mike Hultquist says
Jamie, a pan full of ?? Sorry, this wasn't clear to me. Happy to try to help.
victoria says
I made this recipe, and I found it to be to be too vinegary. I used lemon juice from a bottle instead of lime juice. Could that have affected the outcome?
Mike Hultquist says
Victoria, it could have, or even just the vinegar you used. There isn't even that much vinegar in it compared to other hot sauces. However, you can always make another batch without vinegar and combine them to adjust for flavor.
victoria says
Can I use onion powder and garlic powder instead? And if so, how much of each?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, and 1-2 teaspoons each will be sufficient. Enjoy.