This Jalapeno Hot Sauce is still one of the most popular recipes on the site, have you made it yet?!

It's super easy to make and I love keeping some in the fridge for a quick blast of zippppp!

For any green hot sauce lovers out there.... please consider giving this one a go, you won't be disappointed!

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. Like this Egg Breakfast with Jalapeno Sauce. 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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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.

4.43 from 155 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Servings:

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

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Comments

Tyler

September 05, 2022 at 10:41 am

Does the salt serve any recipe-purpose besides taste? My dad can’t have extra sodium and I’d like to make it for him without. But I wasn’t sure if it preserves anything or whatnot.

- Patrick
  
  September 07, 2022 at 10:08 pm
  
  Hi Tyler! Yeah you can omit the salt and I think you'll still get a good result for your Dad, it's just in there for flavor purposes. Cheers.
  
Will

September 04, 2022 at 2:17 pm

I made this today. 1 pound of jalapeños from my garden was about 20 - you must have used huge ones if you only had 11! Anyway, I made the sauce per the recipe and it’s pretty good. An easy way to use up some extra jalapeños from my bumper crop. The only suggestion I would make is that for some greater depth of flavor, maybe roasting the jalapeños first, or adding in some other roasted peppers to the mix, such as poblano. For those who want less spicy sauce, removing seeds and ribs tones it down a bit.

- Patrick
  
  September 07, 2022 at 10:10 pm
  
  Thanks much for your note Will, so glad you tried out this recipe! Cheers.
  
Mary

August 20, 2022 at 6:32 am

Quick question. I have about 21 jalapeños for a pound and they’re normal size. Is it 1# or 10 large jalapeños?

- Patrick
  
  August 20, 2022 at 11:16 am
  
  Hi Mary! Yeah I usually do it by weight so I would probably use all of those. Cheers.
  
Marisa

August 17, 2022 at 8:10 am

I love this sauce, thank you for sharing.

- Patrick
  
  August 18, 2022 at 2:38 pm
  
  Thanks Marisa!
  
Adam

August 16, 2022 at 10:25 am

Any idea how long this recipe would last if canned?

- Patrick
  
  August 18, 2022 at 3:50 pm
  
  Hey Adam! Sorry I can't give a better answer, but I haven't tried canning this recipe yet. Cheers.
  
Ally

August 14, 2022 at 6:25 am

Can the sauce be frozen?

- Patrick
  
  August 18, 2022 at 3:51 pm
  
  Hi Ally! I haven't tried freezing this sauce yet so can't say for sure how it affects the flavor, sorry I can't give a better answer. Cheers.
  
Mary Fox

August 07, 2022 at 11:29 am

Excellent! Love this hot sauce

- Patrick
  
  August 08, 2022 at 3:27 pm
  
  🙂
  
malcolm

August 03, 2022 at 11:22 am

how many bottles of salsa does it make?

- Patrick
  
  August 03, 2022 at 12:50 pm
  
  You'll have enough for three of the standard sized hot sauce bottles (5 oz.). Cheers.
  
James

July 13, 2022 at 4:09 pm

I made this and it's now a staple item, to be in my fridge for all of time!!!-

- Patrick
  
  July 14, 2022 at 3:35 pm
  
  Ahh good to hear, thanks James!
  
Bud

July 08, 2022 at 8:54 am

Can you use parsley instead of cilantro?

- Patrick
  
  July 08, 2022 at 12:51 pm
  
  Hey Bud, you could but I would probably just leave it out as I don't think it will add much to the final flavor. Cheers.