Learn how to make tabasco hot sauce with this homemade tabasco sauce recipe, using garden grown tabasco peppers, vinegar and salt. Fermented and non-fermented versions.
Homemade Tabasco Sauce Recipe
If you've ever considered making your own Tabasco hot sauce at home, I have the perfect recipe for you right here.
I've been making my own hot sauces for years, and I grew tabasco peppers in my garden this year just so I could make this sauce.
I'm a big fan of Tabasco Sauce. Some people in the chilihead community bash Tabasco Sauce because of its vinegary flavor and its low level of heat compared to other hot sauces on the market, but I personally have a huge amount of respect for the Tabasco brand and McIlhenny Company, as they've been around since 1868 on Avery Island, Louisiana, founded by Edmund Mcilhenny.
They practically started the hot sauce industry by bringing it to the masses.
Any company with such longevity and unquestioning popularity deserves respect in my book. Besides, I personally enjoy vinegary hot sauces, so here we are, making some at home.
Join me, will you?
I'll show you how to make it two different ways - fermented and non-fermented versions.
Let's discuss how to make homemade tabasco hot sauce at home, shall we?
Tabasco Sauce Ingredients
- FOR FERMENTED TABASCO SAUCE
- 5 ounces tabasco peppers, roughly chopped
- 2-2.5 tablespoons sea salt (.67 ounce or 19 grams by weight) (+ 1/4 teaspoon salt, if draining your brine)
- 1 quart unchlorinated water
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- FOR NON-FERMENTED TABASCO SAUCE
- 5 ounces tabasco peppers
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
How to Make Tabasco Sauce - the Recipe Method
FOR THE FERMENTED VERSION
First, ferment the tabasco peppers. You can process them to coarsely chop them or rough chop them with a knife. Pack them into a jar, leaving at least 1 inch of head space.
The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting.
Next, mix 1 quart unchlorinated water with 2 tablespoons sea salt. Pour just enough brine over the peppers to cover them, pressing them down a bit as you go.
It is important to keep the peppers covered with brine to avoid spoilage. Check this daily.
Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F.
The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, so be sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases.
Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting. See our page, “How to Make Fermented Pepper Mash”, for further instruction.
After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish and the brine will turn cloudy and taste acidic.
Pour the fermented tabasco peppers, including brine, into a pot along with vinegar.
Alternatively, you can strain and toss the brine, then add the solids to a pot with vinegar and 1/2 cup water or more as desired + 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Or use only a part of the brine for a thicker sauce. More brine = more salty. Bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Cool slightly then add to a food processor. Process until smooth.
Strain the mixture to remove the solids. Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy. You can adjust the volume with additional water and/or vinegar.
FOR THE NON-FERMENTED VERSION
Add the tabasco peppers, vinegar and ¼ teaspoon salt to a small pot.
Bring the mixture to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to soften.
Cool slightly, then add to a food processor. Process until smooth.
Gorgeous red pepper sauce right there already, much like the Tabasco original red sauce, but brighter in color.
Strain the pepper seeds and pulp mixture to remove the solids. Look at how much of the seeds and pulp remains.
You don't need to seed the peppers first, as we're straining the hot sauce.
Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy. You can adjust the volume with additional water and/or vinegar.
NOTE: Each version makes about 1 cup unstrained and ½ cup strained. I added in more vinegar to fill up 2+ woozy bottles and get the consistency more like original Tabasco hot sauce.
Boom! That's it, my friends. Now you have your very own homemade tabasco sauce, ready to drizzle and splash over all of your favorite foods.
Add a bit of spice to your lives! I hope you enjoy it.
Recipe Tips & Notes
Making hot sauce in general is easy, but there are a number of factors that can affect the overall quality and flavor of your finished hot sauce.
If you want to make tabasco hot sauce at home, consider some of these factors.
Fermented vs. Non-Fermented Tabasco Sauce
McHilleny Company ferments tabasco peppers for their original Tabasco Sauce brand in white oak barrels for up to 3 years. The longer you ferment, the more the flavor develops.
You'll have a difficult time duplicating the exact flavor of Tabasco without time, oak barrels, and trade secrets.
However, it is still worth making a fermented version at home.
The fermented version is quite a bit mellower than the non-fermented version. Fermenting breaks down the peppers chemically.
Essentially, lactic acid bacteria breaks down the carbohydrates in peppers and converts them to acid. It is a bit like a controlled decay process, and there are numerous benefits to fermentation, including more digestible foods, more vitamins, and more desirable flavors.
The non-fermented version, however, is much easier to make and tastes wonderful as well.
Comparatively, it has a stronger flavor with a bit more bite. Plus, you don't have to wait a week or more for fermenting. You can have it ready in less than half an hour.
Don't ask me to choose which version I enjoy more. I love them both!
The Vinegar
Your choice of vinegar will make a big difference in your resulting flavor. The key is choosing a good quality vinegar, and especially one of which you enjoy the flavor.
Using a cheap white vinegar will give you a cheaper tasting hot sauce.
Can I Make Tabasco Sauce without Tabasco Peppers?
You can make this recipe with any type of chili pepper you like. The original Tabasco Hot sauce, however, uses tabasco peppers, so using other peppers won't give you the same flavor.
If you use other peppers, you're technically making a Louisiana Style Hot Sauce, which is a larger category of hot sauces.
But go for it! I make hot sauces with different peppers, and also mix and match them, all the time with great results.
Learn more about tabasco peppers (capsicum frutescens) here.
Customizing Your Homemade Tabasco Sauce
Consider this a base recipe. It tastes great with only 3 ingredients - peppers, vinegar and salt.
After that, you can customize it to your own preferences with other ingredients.
Consider adding other flavors like garlic or onion, fruits like pineapple, mango or papaya, as well as herbs and seasonings such as cilantro, basil, chili powder or cumin.
You can also introduce other peppers for more flavor and heat, like the smoky chipotle pepper or fiery ghost pepper.
How Hot is Tabasco?
Even though tabasco peppers are very hot, actual Tabasco Hot Sauce is not quite as hot as the actual peppers, measuring in at 2,500–5,000 Scoville Heat Units. That is about as hot as a mild to medium-heat jalapeno pepper.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy the sauce. If you make it, shoot me a pic or post it on social. I'd love to take a look!
Try Some of My Other Hot Sauce Recipes
- Homemade Sriracha Hot Sauce
- Homemade Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- Aji-Garlic Hot Sauce
- Datil Pepper Sauce
- Fermented Hot Sauce
- Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
- Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce (Very Hot!)
- Habanero Hot Sauce
- Spicy Serrano Hot Sauce
- How to Make Hot Sauce from Chili Powders
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce with lots of answer to frequently asked questions, such as pH and acidity, processing, and where to buy hot sauce woozy bottles.
Grab a couple bottles of tabasco 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.
Homemade Tabasco Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE FERMENTED VERSION
- 5 ounces tabasco peppers roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons sea salt (.67ounce - 19 grams)
- 1 quart unchlorinated water
- 1 cup white wine vinegar or more as desired
FOR THE NON-FERMENTED VERSION
- 5 ounces tabasco peppers
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white wine vinegar or more as desired
Instructions
FOR THE FERMENTED VERSION
- First, ferment the tabasco peppers. You can process them to coarsely chop them or rough chop them with a knife. Pack them into a jar, leaving at least 1 inch of head space. The peppers may rise a bit when fermenting.
- Next, mix 1 quart unchlorinated water with 2 tablespoons sea salt (4% brine solution). Pour just enough brine over the peppers to cover them, pressing them down a bit as you go. Discard or save any unused brine. It is important to keep the peppers covered with brine to avoid spoilage. Check this daily.
- Screw on the lid and set the jar away from direct sunlight to ferment for at least 1 week. Ideal temperatures are between 55-75 degrees F. The most active fermentation period is between 1-2 weeks, so be sure to monitor it during this time. “Burp” the jars often by unscrewing the lid a bit to let out some of the accumulating gases. Or, use an airlock or membrane for easier fermenting. See our page, “How to Make Fermented Pepper Mash”, for further instruction.
- After 1-2 weeks, the fermenting activity will diminish and the brine will turn cloudy and taste acidic.
- Pour the fermented tabasco peppers, including brine, into a pot along with vinegar. Alternatively, you can strain and toss the brine, then add the solids to a pot with vinegar and 1/2 cup water or more as desired + 1/4 teaspoon salt. Or use only a part of the brine for a thicker sauce. More brine = more salty. Bring to a quick boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cool slightly then add to a food processor. Process until smooth.
- Strain the mixture to remove the solids. Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy. You can adjust the volume with additional water and/or vinegar.
FOR THE NON-FERMENTED VERSION
- Add the tabasco peppers, vinegar and ¼ teaspoon salt to a small pot.
- Bring the mixture to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to soften.
- Cool slightly, then add to a food processor. Process until smooth.
- Strain the mixture to remove the solids. Pour into hot sauce bottles and enjoy. You can adjust the volume with additional water and/or vinegar.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This post was updated on 10/6/23 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 1/27/20.
Shane Keene says
Made this last night with 8 oz garden grown cayenne peppers--they were what I had--and at first taste, it's amazing. I doubled the vinegar, quadrupled the sea salt, and added cracked black pepper. It's in my fridge now and I won't taste it again for a few days, but my guess is it will be a favorite. So much so I hoarded the two 8 ounce bottles it made. I usually find a sucker to give one to.
Thanks again, Mike. I know this is your business, but it's your art too, and it's inspiring and fascinating.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Shane! I really appreciate it.
Kimberly W says
How long will it be edible? Have you tried canning it to extend shelf life? Do you refrigerate? It will take a year or two for me to use up a regular size bittle of tobasco.
Mike Hultquist says
Kimberly, this will last a year easily in the refrigerator with enough vinegar in it. You can water bath can it, but that only works until you open it.
Pam says
Mike,
I made your recipe of hot sauce. I made a batch of habanero and tabasco pepper sauce. There may be a difference in heat value, but they are both very hot. The colors are very close. I expected a more redder tabasco sauce. My peppers were deep orange and not bright red. I had to pick them or the birds were eating them. Thanks for this guide and recipe. Very, very helpful and they look and taste great!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent, Pam! Glad you're enjoying the hot sauces! Thanks for sharing. =)
Paige says
Is there anyway to process the bottles of hot sauce to make them shelf safe? Thank for the recipes! Can't wait to try it!
Mike Hultquist says
Paige, you can process the hot sauce in a hot water bath, which is essentially boiling them. Usually 10 minutes is long enough, but 20 minutes for higher elevations. Check out this post: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/canning-or-jarring-chili-peppers/
Michael Koonce says
How long will the Tabasco sauce last? And dose it need to be refrigerated? I want to be able to keep it on shelf for a year or so.
Mike Hultquist says
Michael, see my post here on refrigeration: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/frequently-asked-questions/refrigerating-hot-sauce/
JONESCRUSHER says
I am am avid Tabasco sauce user. one of thereasons Tabasco sauce tastes so good is because it's aged in oak barrels for months.possibly a year.
Plus the people who make it are not only in it to make money. Tabasco sauce has been sold for over 100 years. Many of it's employees are third generation
workers
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, absolutely. I am a fan of Tabasco hot sauces.
Rebecca says
Hey there! Hurricane Idalia knocked over my tabasco pepper plant. The peppers are still green. But I'd like to use them up rather than wasting them. Can they be used for tabasco sauce?
Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
You can still use them, Rebecca, though the flavor will be a bit unripe. Still good! Or use them to make a verde sauce.
Lessk O'Brandon says
you can also set your green peppers in the sun for a few days to get them to turn red. I had to do this with jalapeños since the store only sold green ones and my jalapeño plants didn't make it this year. just make sure they don't stay too moist or they could get moldy.
Mike Hultquist says
Also, see my page on How To Ripen Unripe Peppers for further help: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/how-to-ripen-unripe-peppers/
Shane Keene says
Mike's second suggestion, verde sauce, is a really good one. Green Tabasco peppers have a bit of a grassy/earthy aftertaste that would pair very well with a tomatillo based chili verde.
Joan from NOLA says
Should this be refrigerated after using it?
Mike Hultquist says
Joan, I keep most of mine in the fridge, as they last longer and stay fresher, though you can leave it out with enough vinegar in it. I have a post on this here - Should Hot Sauce Be Refrigerated? https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/frequently-asked-questions/refrigerating-hot-sauce/
Katie says
Three years ago I was given Tabasco pepper seeds and even though I don't like Tabasco sauce (), I gave it a shot. Once I had peppers coming out of my ears, Chili Pepper Madness saved me with this recipe. The steps are so simple and I've been successful each year I've made this. I still don't use or like Tabasco sauce but, after the first year, friends always ask if we're growing Tabascos because they are ready to trade in empty bottles for full ones. I love fermenting the peppers and making the sauce, so it's a win/win.
Do yourself a favor, try this recipe out and then come back for more!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Katie! I'm always glad to be helpful! Thanks for sharing this. =)
Ben Eggenberger says
OK So I'm assuming you just forgot to mention the vinegar in the fermenting solution so I went ahead and added it. Thanks for the recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Ben, you don't need the vinegar during fermentation, as the act of fermentation produces its own acidity. You add the vinegar later for flavor. FYI.
Ben Eggenberger says
What are the advantages of fermenting versus not fermenting? Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
There are many probiotic benefits to fermentation, provided you don't cook the sauce at the end. Also, it produces flavors you can't get anywhere else.
Randy says
Can I leave all the Tabasco peppers on the vine until they all turn red?
Mike Hultquist says
Absolutely.
Kai says
Hello! I used this recipe to make my first ever hot sauce and it came out great, so thank you!
The sauce tastes very good and is quite spicy, but I'm finding mine has sort of a bitter "aftertaste."
I poured out just a small amount to use while eating, and watering that sample down a bit seemed to help. But for the entire bottle, should I just add a bit of water? Or is there a better ingredient to counteract the bitter?
Mike Hultquist says
Kai, did you ferment or not? Sometimes fermentation can offer a bit of a funk or bitter factor. You can add in a bit of water to dilute, or add a touch of honey. Or you can process it with some other ingredients to balance it out. I hope this helps.