If chipotles are the solution to life's problems then consider keeping some of this Chipotle Hot Sauce in the fridge.
It's got that addictive smoky flavor bursting out of the bottle and you'll only need a few drops at a time to liven up your latest meal.
There are seven chipotles in a single bottle of this hot sauce (yes, seven!) so please keep in mind that it is ultra fiery -- if you want a milder batch you can dial back on the chipotles.
How To Make Chipotle Hot Sauce
Sure, you could start with some dried Morita chiles, but canned chipotles in adobo are much more convenient (and common) so we'll be using those.
If you're new to chipotles in adobo here's what they look like out of the can:
These are smoked jalapenos resting in a tangy adobo sauce and you'll get 6-8 chipotles in each can. Are chipotles spicy?
Occasionally you'll come across larger sizes, but these smaller 7 oz. cans are the most common in traditional supermarkets so I usually buy a few at a time.
I'm in the habit of scraping out most of the seeds as they tend to harden over time.
So we'll do that with seven of these chipotles (seven!) and add them to a blender along with:
1/4 small onion
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
juice of 1/2 orange
3/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin
pinch of salt
I usually saute the onion and garlic in some oil before adding it to the blender. And note that this was a larger onion so I only used about 2/3 of the onion in the photo below:
Once everything is in the blender (or food processor) give it a good whirl.
It'll need at least 30 seconds to liquefy everything so if it still seems chunky then give it a bit more time.
Once it's combined you'll have the perfect opportunity to take a taste for sweetness. And heat!
You're already getting some sweetness from the orange and the cooked onion, but you can always add a bit more if you want -- 1/4 teaspoon of sugar would be a good starting point. I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I did not add any additional sugar to this batch.
You can also taste test for heat. If you started with less chipotles for a milder batch then simply add 1-2 more chipotles if you want more heat.
If all went according to plan you should have a single cup of chipotle fireball hot sauce. Nice! It's got a big, bold flavor and it will fit perfectly into a standard sized 5 oz. hot sauce bottle.
You can reuse older bottles or you can get new ones for about a buck each at Amazon.
It also has a slighter thicker consistency than traditional hot sauces and this will help it cling to food more readily.
You can use this Chipotle Hot Sauce anywhere you would use your favorite hot sauce: tacos, eggs, and definitely potatoes!
Store it in the fridge where it will keep for about a month. (Note: instructions below are not meant for long term canning or preserving.)
Okay, start saving those old hot sauce bottles as it will remind you to make your own! This Chipotle Hot Sauce is a real treat and it's my default option lately, but we also have recipes for Habanero Hot Sauce and Jalapeno Hot Sauce if you want to do some experimenting.
Buen Provecho.
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Chipotle Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 7-8 chipotles in adobo
- 1/4 small onion
- 1 garlic clove
- juice of 1/2 orange
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/3 cup water
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- olive oil
Instructions
- Peel and roughly chop 1/4 small onion. Saute the onion in some oil along with a peeled, roughly chopped garlic clove. Giving it 5-7 minutes over medium heat will sweeten up the onion and bring out some additional flavors.
- De-stem and de-seed 7-8 chipotles in adobo. I usually cut off the stems and then make a slit lengthwise on the chipotles, then peeling them open and discarding the inner veins and seeds. It's not crucial to get rid of all the seeds but I usually discard most of them.
- Add the chipotles to a blender or food processor along with the onion-garlic mixture and 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1/3 cup water, the juice of 1/2 orange, a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano. Blend until completely liquefied.
- Take a taste for sweetness. You can optionally add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar at this point (or more) but I did not add any additional sweetness to this batch. If you started with less chipotles you can always add more at this point if you want additional heat.
- Pour hot sauce into a 5 oz. bottle (I find it easiest to use a small funnel). Store in the fridge where it will keep for about a month.
Notes
Got fresh tomatillos in the house? Our latest post shows all the recipes you can make with tomatillos.
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Jorge
This got good reviews at our house. The smokiness, brought in a lot of flavor and the heat had a nice after warmth without burning your mouth. The sauce was spot on for being a little thicker than many hot sauces, so coated the food nicely. It’s easy to make, so I expect it to be a staple in our household.
Patrick
🙂
Gillie
This is delicious! Not as hot as we were thinking it was going to be, but what it lacks in heat it certainly makes up for in flavor!!
Patrick
Thanks Gillie!
Blair D Madsen
I just made this hot sauce. We attended a home show last February in our community. One of the builders had gift bags as you walked in. They had a bottle of Chipotle hot sause with their custom label with their logo. It was the best hot sauce but all good things come to an end. So I kept the bottles and found this recipe. I absolutely love the citrus orange after tones! I only used 6 peppers and took out the seeds. Good heat but nothing crazy. Thank you so much for posting it.
Patrick
Ahh good news, so glad you tried out this hot sauce Blair! Cheers.
Scottish Lassie
Thanks for the recipe! It's really hard to find chipotle sauce where I live and this scratches the itch nicely
Patrick
Cheers Lassie.
Mo
This recipe is EXCELLENT! The addition of oranges brightens the chipotle sauce and the oregano and garlic are musts. Thank you!
Patrick
Thanks Mo!
peter
Hi Patrick,
do you mean 7 cans of 6-8 chipotles or the content of 1 can for the above recipe?
i'm bit confused...
nice website btw..
thx, greetz, peter
Patrick
Hi Peter, it's 7-8 of the actual chipotle peppers. Cheers.
Kris b
This sounds delicious. I’m excited to make.
Question…any luck with freezing this? I easily go thru 5 ounces in a month so would make frequently wondering about extending the life if I made double batches.
Patrick
Hey Kris! Sorry I can't give a better answer, but I haven't tried freezing this one yet. Cheers.
Jodie
Hey! I triple batched and froze and it’s fantastic!
Patrick
Ahh good to know, thanks Jodie!
Karla
My family goes through a bottle of Cholula chipotle hot sauce a week right now. Our current favorites for accompaniments are scrambled eggs and rice (separately, mind you). I never eat hot sauce on its own so it was hard to tell if it was the right flavor... but when I tasted it after blending, it was too hot for my taste. I pretty much kept adding the other ingredients to dilute the spiciness... so I could probably make the base recipe with fewer chipotles! I didn't have orange on hand, instead using homemade citrus vinegar with white vinegar as a base. I strained the final mixture and reused the Cholula bottle. I'll see how we like it with our favorite meals and will probably play around with the recipe again. Thanks for the inspiration!
Patrick
Hey thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Karla, hope it's a keeper for you! Cheers.
Priya
Hey! Was just wondering if you also toss the remained adobo sauce from the can into the blender as well? Or just the chipotles?
Patrick
Hi Priya, I usually just use the chipotles. Cheers.
Six Bang
Throw away your traditional burger toppings. Load up your cheeseburger with this sauce (it's all that is needed) and dive in. Burger Nirvana.
Patrick
🙂