This homemade hot sauce recipe brings a mix of sinister umami, earthy sweet, and vibrant heat for big, bold flavor that lingers like the devil's kiss.
I have a brand new hot sauce recipe you're going to love, my chilihead friends. You'll want to pour this over just about anything.
The flavor is a mixture of tongue-tingling heat with touches of umami, and mildly sweet and earthy undertones. It's very easy to make with simple ingredients, done in under 30 minutes from start to finish.
I created this hot sauce for a dark fiction novel I'm writing entitled "The Devil in the Red Coat".
The hero of the story finds bottles of this hot sauce in the villain's refrigerator, and I have to give it up to the villain in this case, because this hot sauce is loaded with unforgettable flavor ready to throttle your taste buds.
Let's get cooking, my friends! It's hot sauce time.
Pure Devil Juice Hot Sauce Ingredients & Notes
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chili Peppers. I'm using a mix of fruity-fiery red habaneros and ghost peppers for creeping heat that haunts the throat. You can easily adapt to using other chilies to your heat preference. Use reapers in place of the ghost peppers for extra pain. Choose your punishment.
- Red Onion. Sweet char and earthy depth.
- Red Beet. For bloody color, but also rich body and a subtle earthy sweetness.
- Garlic. Pungent, sharp, grounding.
- Smoked Paprika. A touch of warmth and a smoky echo.
- Fish Sauce. Adds the funky umami backbone - subtle, but you'll know it's there.
- Brown Sugar. Just enough sweetness to pull it all together.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. The bright acid to lift the burn and bring the tang.
- Pickle Juice. You'll love the salty brine and extra tangy bite.
Mike's Recipe Tips & Notes
- Char it Dark. Dry-roasting the onion, beet, garlic, and chilies until deeply blistered builds a smoky backbone and brings out sweet, earthy undertones. Don’t rush this step. You want those little blackened bits for flavor.
- Beet = Blood Magic. The beet adds color and body, but also a subtle sweetness that balances the heat. If it stains your cutting board, good. That’s part of the ritual.
- Pickle Juice Punch. Don’t skip it. Pickle juice brightens the sauce, adds salt, acid, and just a little tangy funk. It’s the weird thread that ties the whole thing together.
- Let it Rest. Give the finished sauce at least 24 hours in the fridge before using. The flavors settle, deepen, and somehow get meaner overnight.
- Wear Gloves. No, seriously. Don’t learn the hard way.
Serving Suggestions (If You Dare)
- Drizzle on tacos – carnitas, barbacoa, or anything that needs a fiery kick.
- Spoon into chili or stew – just a little... or fire up the whole pot.
- Mix with mayo or sour cream – makes a killer spicy dip or sandwich spread.
- Brush onto grilled meats – pork, chicken, or ribs near the flame.
- Toss with roasted veggies – especially carrots, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower.
- Dab on pizza, eggs, or fried rice – trust your instincts.
- Swirl into ramen or pho – for that “something dark just entered the broth” effect.
Warning: A little goes a long way. Or don’t listen to that. You do you.
Storage Information
This hot sauce will last many months in a cool, dark place due to the acidity, even longer in the refrigerator. Store in cleaned or sterilized glass bottles with sealable caps.
See my post - Does Hot Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my hot sauce recipe! Let me know your thoughts if and when you make it!
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!)
Tools Used For This Recipe
Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack with Flip Top Caps - Includes Stainless Steel Funnel and 3 Extra Flip Top Caps!
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Superhot Hot Sauce. This hot sauce brings the REAL heat and pain.
- Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe. You'll get nice heat with a vibrant fruity finish - manageable, but still nice and fiery.
- Devil's Tongue Hot Sauce. Made with devil's tongue chilies, for serious heat with unique flavor.
- Cherry Bomb Hot Sauce Recipe (Cherry BOOM!). A great everyday sauce made with vibrant cherry peppers.
- Smoked Ember Hot Sauce (with Smoked Chilies) Recipe made with a variety of chilies that have been smoked for a distinctive flavor.
- Sun-Kissed Umami Hot Sauce Recipe blends red chilies, miso, kombucha, and sun-dried tomatoes into an umami-rich flavor bomb.
- 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.
Pure Devil Juice Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 small red onion chopped (about 3 ounces)
- 1/4 small red beet peeled and chopped (about 1 ounce)
- 10 red habaneros chopped (about 3 ounces)
- 4 ghost peppers or 4 reapers for punishment, chopped (about 1 ounce)
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar or more as desired
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Add the onion and beet and dry roast, stirring, for 5-7 minutes to get a dark char on them.
- Add the chilies and garlic. Dry roast for 2-3 minute, stirring a bit, until slightly charred.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a saucepan or pot.
- Add the smoked paprika, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, and ½ cup apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until smooth.
- Stir in the pickle juice. Taste and adjust for salt. Add water or more vinegar or pickle juice to thin as desired.
- Let the flavors mingle at least 1 day to meld. Enjoy.
Notes
This recipe is great on your outdoor grill, as you can get fumes from dry roasting chilies indoors. If roasting indoors, be sure to open a window or use a kitchen fan.
Nutrition Information
Chris L. says
Recipes turned out great!
I will never dry roast Reapers in the house again! Lol
Mike Hultquist says
Great flavor, bad fumes!!! I hear you there!
Jack says
Mr. Mike, this one did NOT disappoint! The fish sauce was an amazing layer of depth that really made the earthiness of the beets pop. I went heavy with a few extra super hots and quadrupled the recipe overall. This is my favorite recipe from you. Keep up the great work!
Mike Hultquist says
Boom!! Glad you like it, Jack! I LOVE this hot sauce. Thanks!!
Chobie Pepper says
Someone gave me a handful of Carolina Repears, so of course I made them into this sauce. (It's extremely hot, yes.) I can imagine that it has great flavor, but it's too hot to tell. Although I am on day 4 and I went back for more with burning lips (it's a TRAP!).
I used dehydrated beets, deglazed the pan after dry-roasting, and added a spoonfull of apple sauce. I even threw in a home-grown jalapeno that I had--I'm sure it had no effect. Mine came out too thick, even after trying to water it down a little. Oh well. Chilli-paste is still good!
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, Chobie. Yes, reapers are crazy hot!! Using dehydrated beets is part of the issue with thickness. Regular beets add moisture. You'll need to just add more water to your mix and you'll have a very nice sauce. Just keeping adding a few tablespoons at time until you get the consistency you enjoy.
Chobie says
Thanks. Good point about the beets. Dehydrated was just what I had. I should have reconstituted them or something.
MsDVG says
This year I’m growing some super hots that I’ve never had like Komodo Dragon and Genghis Kahn Brain. Been looking for something to use them in and this looks great! However my beets are already processed for the season. How do you think using pickled beets would pan out?
Mike Hultquist says
Actually, pickled beets would likely work here as vinegar is an added ingredient regardless. I have not tested it, but think it would work nicely. Let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
MsDVzg says
It worked out fantastic. It’s basically a fiery ketchup taste due to the spices in my pickled beets. So glad I went for it.
Mike H. says
Glad to hear it. Enjoy the recipe!
MsDVG says
It worked out fantastic. It’s basically a fiery ketchup taste due to the spices in my pickled beets. So glad I went for it.
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it. Have fun!
MaddJoy says
Yes,thank you. My friends tease me for using beets,kohlrabi and other root vegetables in my sauces. I shouted a resounding,"Yes" when I read your ingredient list. I did dumb down the heat for myself. But all together, the combonation of flavors is magic.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, absolutely! Many root vegetables can make a hot sauce stand out. Sweet potato is another one I enjoy working with.
Mike says
Great recipe. I used all ghost peppers, so this was super hot. The flavors of the beats and pickle juice are there right before the heat takes over. The color is fantastic and gives a good warning for what is coming.
Mike H. says
Thank you for the feedback, Mike!
Eric Bolden says
Mike, I've "borrowed" a lot of your recipes over the past few years - some excellent concoctions. I made this sauce with just a bit more vinegar to lower acidity, and I'm not sure what to make of it yet. It is earthy, but it's also a little tart and sweet. It's a strange, but not bad combination! I didn't care for it on pizza, but it went really well with various proteins and stew.
I'll probably tweak this one a bit. My personal go-to is always smoked reaper flakes to flavor nearly every meal (and I mean every), but I love a good hot sauce on smoked and grilled meats and on... well, almost everything.
Thank you for all of the great ideas over the years and helping my semi-retirement hobby grow. Good luck with the book!
Mike Hultquist says
Perhaps the extra vinegar tore away the extra star, Eric, LOL. Happy experimenting, and I appreciate the comments. Glad I can be helpful. Cheers.
Cheryl A. says
Sounds delicious, what kind of pickle juice, sweet or dill?
Mike Hultquist says
I used sweet, but both will work. Or use the juice from pickled jalapenos. Enjoy!!
James Shoemaker says
I have to do this. looks amazing. can I substitute honey for brown sugar? let us know when novel comes out.
Mike H. says
I will =) And yes, you can!
Thomas Wagner says
If I was to ferment this what all would you ferment and for how long?
Mike Hultquist says
It's variable, Thomas. You can learn more here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/how-to-make-fermented-pepper-mash/. I typically ferment 2 weeks, though sometimes longer. I'd probably ferment the onion, chilies, and beets.
John Shotsky says
I am growing red habanero, ghost and reaper peppers, among others this year. This recipe is one of the first things I'll make. I plan to smoke them rather than using a pan. I will probably make one with just habs, one with ghosts and one with reapers. I like the texture, similar to ketchup. I will have to wait until they start ripening, but have saved this recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
I hope you enjoy them all, John. Take care.
Steve Gardner says
Hi Mike,
This looks amazing. what do you think about holding off on the vinegar and brining then fermenting the chopped ingredients, then blending/adding vinegar to taste?
Mike Hultquist says
Steve, yes, you can absolutely do that. Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
Steve Gardner says
Thanks, Mike!