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.
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:
We’ll start by sweating 1/2 onion and 2 whole, peeled garlic cloves over medium heat in some oil.
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
Bring to a simmer and then add everything to a blender along with:
8-10 sprigs cilantro
the juice of 1 lime
And now give it a good whirl!
I usually leave it a bit chunky but you can always blend it thinner if you want.
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
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.
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.
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:
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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Jalapeno Hot Sauce
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.Â
Notes
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.
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Bill
Prepared this per your recipe and wasn’t happy with it. Yes, lots of jalapeños heat and flavors, but little else. It was also too chunky to pour on my burrito. So here’s what I did:
Added 1 shredded carrot
Added 1 additional cup of distilled vinegar
Added juice from 1 additional lime
Added 1/2 tsp of salt
Blended on liquify.
Came out delicious!
Patrick
Hey Bill thanks much for mentioning your adjustments. Cheers.
Terry
Have you ever made this recipe with Cayenne peppers? I have a bunch of Cayenne peppers and I am looking for a sauce recipe I can use for them.
Patrick
Hey Terry, no I haven’t tried this recipe with Cayennes. Keep in mind that Cayennes have about 5-10x the heat as Jalapenos so it would definitely be fiery 🙂
Christy Adkins
Mine was a bit on the thin side. I used about 12 peppers. Did I do something wrong.
Patrick
Hmmmm, a little surprised to hear this Christy as mine usually seems to come out a bit on the chunky side. Could be the size of the jalapenos, but you can always simmer the sauce a bit over mediumish heat. This will burn off some of the water and thicken it up a bit. I hope the flavor was there for you! Cheers.
Jennifer
I was looking for a good recipe to use up my end of the season harvest. I used a mix of jalapenos and banana peppers and all I had was a red onion because that is what I had left so it looks ugly in the jar. But my husband puts this on everything so goal accomplished.
Patrick
Ha awesome, putting it on everything sounds like the ideal final confirmation 🙂
Nikki
I love this recipe! I’ve used it a bunch of times this summer for the many jalapeños from my garden. I give it away to friends and they love it too! Thank you. The batch I made today I decided to add a little sweetener and strain out the pulp for just the liquid and it turned out amazing as well.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for mentioning your adjustments Nikki, good to know. Cheers.
Mary
Could you add some of the hot sauce right into your hamburger patties before cooking?
Patrick
Hi Mary I like how you’re thinking! I haven’t tried that but it’s probably worth a go. I would be tempted to start small just to make sure the patties still come together and cook properly. Cheers.
John
Hi Patrick,
This looks absolutely delicious, but I have one question. The recipe calls for 1 lb. jalapeno peppers (approx. 10 jalapenos). A pound of jalapenos has more than ten jalapenos. Please let me know if it is a pound or ten.
Thanks,
John
Patrick
Hey John! Try to use a pound’s worth of jalapenos — that’ll be around 10 medium to larger jalapenos, or if you are using smaller ones you can add in a few more. Cheers.
John
Okay, Patrick. I must have small jalapenos! I made a batch, using a pound, and had some people taste it. Favorable reviews! I plan to make more of this. Thanks for the excellent recipe!
Patrick
Ahh good to know, glad this recipe is a keeper for you John. Cheers.