Mexican Please

Jalapeno Hot Sauce Recipe

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Any green hot sauce lovers out there?  If so then this easy Jalapeno Hot Sauce recipe is a good option for your next homemade batch.  

If you’re new to homemade hot sauce I think you’ll find it surprisingly easy to make — just keep in mind that you’ll need extremely high doses of acidity and heat to give each drop that familiar tangy zip.  

Here's an easy recipe for a batch of homemade Jalapeno Hot Sauce. It uses a pound of jalapenos so consider yourself warned! mexicanplease.com

How To Make Jalapeno Hot Sauce

This batch relies on a single pound of fresh Jalapeno peppers. 

That turned out to be 11 of these medium-sized beauties:

1 lb. jalapeno chile peppers

We’ll start by sweating 1/2 onion and 2 whole, peeled garlic cloves over medium heat in some oil. 

Adding Mexican Oregano and cumin to the onion

Once the onion is starting to brown you can add:

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano  What is Mexican Oregano?
1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)
some freshly cracked black pepper

Briefly cook and then add:

the rinsed, de-stemmed jalapenos
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Adding a single pound of jalapenos to the pan

Bring to a simmer and then add everything to a blender along with:

8-10 sprigs cilantro
the juice of 1 lime

Adding ingredients to a blender

And now give it a good whirl!

I usually leave it a bit chunky but you can always blend it thinner if you want. 

Green hot sauce after blending together all the ingredients

Hello fireball Jalapeno Hot Sauce!

Give it a taste but keep in mind it has real zip, so maybe a small taste only 🙂

If all went according to plan then even the smallest of tastes should have:

Fiery sharpness from the jalapenos
Lip-smacking tang from the vinegar
Hint of sweetness from the browned onions
A bit of extra flavor and depth from the Mexican oregano

Here's an easy recipe for a batch of homemade Jalapeno Hot Sauce. It uses a pound of jalapenos so consider yourself warned! mexicanplease.com

It’s got a fresh, vibrant flavor that you won’t get from store-bought hot sauces.  Awesome 🙂

And with the amount of vinegar in each bottle it should keep for at least a month in the fridge.  (Note:  instructions not designed for long term canning or preserving.)

A pound of jalapenos will make enough hot sauce for three 5 oz. bottles.

Three 5 oz. bottles of Jalapeno Hot Sauce

For storage you can either save your old hot sauce bottles, buy some for a buck each on Amazon, or simply use a small Mason jar.

Here's an easy recipe for a batch of homemade Jalapeno Hot Sauce. It uses a pound of jalapenos so consider yourself warned! mexicanplease.com

This Jalapeno Hot Sauce will work anywhere you employ your normal hot sauce, with a special nod to egg dishes.  That’s definitely one way to wake up in the morning 🙂

And if you like the idea of making your own hot sauce on a regular basis then here are two other options on the site to consider:

Habanero Hot Sauce

Chipotle Hot Sauce

Both of those are just as easy to make as this one.  And yes, there is something quite satisfying about making a hot sauce that beats the pants off the watered down versions that have become the norm 🙂

Buen Provecho. 

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Here's an easy recipe for a batch of homemade Jalapeno Hot Sauce. It uses a pound of jalapenos so consider yourself warned! mexicanplease.com

Jalapeno Hot Sauce

Here's an easy recipe for a batch of homemade Jalapeno Hot Sauce.  It uses a pound of jalapenos so consider yourself warned!  Note: instructions not designed for canning or long term preserving.
4.66 from 43 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 48
Calories: 202kcal
Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. jalapeno peppers (approx. 10 jalapenos)
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)
  • 8-10 cilantro sprigs
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Give the jalapenos a good rinse and de-stem them.  Be sure to wash your hands after handling them. More info on handling hot chiles.
  • Saute a roughly chopped 1/2 onion and 2 whole, peeled garlic cloves in a glug of oil over medium heat.
  • Once the onion is browning you can add 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, some freshly cracked black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional). Briefly cook until fragrant and then add: the de-stemmed jalapenos, 3/4 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and then add everything to a blender.
  • Add 8-10 sprigs cilantro and the juice of 1 lime to the blender. Combine well or to your desired consistency. I usually leave it a bit chunky but you can always blend it thinner.
  • Add mixture to three 5 oz. bottles or a small Mason jar. Store in the fridge where it will keep for at least a month. 

Notes

It's best to use a non-reactive pan for this recipe -- I've mistakenly used my cast iron pan in the past and the acidity will eat away some of the pan's seasoning.
More info on the best chile peppers to use for hot sauce.
I recently made a batch using Serranos instead of Jalapenos:   Serrano Hot Sauce
Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

Disclaimer:  Yes, there are affiliate links on this page.  That means I get a small percentage of the sale if you decide to try out one of the linked products, at no additional cost to you.  But my opinion is not for sale and I only recommend products that I actually use and trust.  Email me if you have questions about this. 

Want to see the latest recipe?  It’s this awesome Birria de Res:

Beef Birria tacos

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Um, yum! I made this tonight with garden jalapeños and it turned out amazing! I did add a tsp of sugar to help balance the spice, but other than that I followed the recipe to a t. Thank you!!

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Used some homegrown jalapenos that pack some heat. Even though I live in Sout Central Texas, the jalapenos in the local grocery stores are weak. Great recipe. I’ll prolly add some more jalapenos and onions just to thicken it up a bit. I cant wait to share with friends that love real heat.

    Reply

  3. 4 stars
    After using this recipe, I measured a PH of 3.8, which should mean it’s shelf stable!
    didn’t go for cilantro or lime though, still turned out great!

    Reply

  5. 4 stars
    Great basic recipe! A couple changes I made was to take the peppers, onions and garlic roast them under the oven broiler to a light char. then add the vegetable along with the rest of the ingredients to a large saucepan bring to a simmer. . then into the food processor….I doubled (more or less) the recipe. I packed the hot sauce into half pint jars then into a water bath for 15 minutes….this allows you to free up refrigerator space and enjoy this hot sauce for up to a year!
    The best advice is to absolutely us Mexican oregano and don’t be a slave to the recipe, branch out, add tomatillos if you like ….As i said this is a great basic recipe. Thank You

    Reply

    • Hi Marianne, sorry I can’t give a better answer but I haven’t tried any long term preserving with my recipes. Cheers.

      Reply

  9. 4 stars
    Made this for the first time!!!!!!!!!! Very hot!!! Will drop the balls off a bull at 100m!!!! Should keep quiet the ones who say my sauces could be hotter!

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Great flavor and just the right amount of heat. I’ve used it on my eggs, tacos and even patato. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply

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