Have you ever wondered what it tastes like to kiss the sun? This Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce recipe is as close as you will get to experiencing that on earth!
A few years back I decided popping a whole ghost pepper into my mouth seemed like a good idea, as having a knack to make bad decisions is a specialty I have painstakingly cultivated over the years. Upon popping the craggy pod into my mouth my I was greeted with a sensation familiar only to someone who snacks of branding irons. Once my taste buds were done melting and my internal body temperature subsided below 212 degrees, I found the pepper to be incredibly flavorful with a distinct fruity flavor. I was hooked.
Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce Recipe
So yes, this ghost pepper hot sauce recipe packs a tad bit of heat. However, its deep roasted flavor and fruity undertones make it the most flavorful hot sauce in my arsenal. I put in on everything from egg sandwiches to Mexican foods, to cereal. OK, maybe not cereal. If you like heat, you will love this sauce. If you don't like heat, you will probably just leave me angry messages in the comments below after trying this.
If a flaming hot sauce of death isn't really appealing to you, check out my Asian Hot Sauce instead. It a great all-purpose sauce for Asian food or pizza, similar in heat to sriracha.
How to Make Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
There isn't any special equipment needed to make this hot sauce, just an oven, saucepan, and blender. To get the deep roasted flavor in the hot sauce we first roast carrots, onion, peppers, and garlic in the oven, then everything is combined in a blender with vinegar and blended until perfectly smooth. The final step is simmering it in a saucepan with some added water to get the ideal consistency. Pretty easy, right?
How to Store Hot Sauce
You can store this directly in the refrigerator for months since it contains a high percentage of vinegar. However, it is also shelf-stable for 6 months when properly bottled.
To bottle this sauce you will want to purchase 5 oz woozy bottles and caps (affiliate link). Sanitize the bottles by heating them in boiling water, wash the caps to ensure they are clean, then fill with the sauce when it is heated to 180+ degrees. Flip the bottles upside down, and let stand inverted for 5 minutes to sanitize the caps.
Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 11 ripe Ghost peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 4 large carrots
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- ⅔ cup water
Instructions
- Cut carrots into 1-2" pieces and roast at 450 degrees for 45 minutes, or until tender.
- Add onions and peppers about halfway through and cook until tender and slightly charred.
- Add garlic in the final 5 minutes and roast until softened.
- Remove all vegetables from the oven and place in a saucepan with ⅔ cup water and enough vinegar to cover. Simmer for 10 minute to ensure everything is fully softened.
- Add entire mixture to blender and puree for a few minutes to ensure smoothness and add remaining vinegar.
- Return to sauce pan, bring to 180 degrees and bottle.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com October 21, 2015.
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Andrew
Should the peppers be seeded and deveined? If not, wouldn't the sauce need straining before bottling?
Colin
Basic new guy question here but do you coat the vegetables in oil when roasting?
Also i have some half ripened peppers still on the vine, would it be a bad idea to toss those in there as well?
Fox Valley Foodie
No, you do not have to do that.
Robin
Does it need to be refrigerated? Or can I keep on shelf. How long will it keep once bottled?
Fox Valley Foodie
I store mine in the fridge, but the vinegar will make it self-stable for about six months.
Richard Brightman
Just do Thai recipe for the first time. I grilled some pineapple slices and then added it to the simmering process.
It’s a little hot for me, but the flavor is amazing. Next time I will decrease the amount of ghost peppers. That with the pineapple I think this will be a great sauce.
Thanks for sharing.
Brooke
Curious if there is supposed to be no salt at all?
Thomas Barker
Just made this all I taste is vinegar.
Nancy Rizza
Could you roast some peaches with this?
Fox Valley Foodie
I haven't tried it, but it sure sounds good!
Cameron Glover
Can I store this in jars instead of bottles?
Fox Valley Foodie
Absolutely!
Scott Lyons
Hi first time growing Ghost Peppers and making the sauce. Some of my peppers are really small (1/4 inch). Do I just use more or will they pack enough heat anyway?
Thanks!
Fox Valley Foodie
I would use more.
Marci
Do you think you could replace the carrots with a mild pepper (like bell or Jalepeno)?
Fox Valley Foodie
Sure, but you would be better off adding the mild pepper in addition to the carrot. The carrot adds body and sweetness.
Stephanie
Can I make this recipe using fermented ghost pepper mash?
Fox Valley Foodie
I haven't tried it but I bet it would taste great!
Nick B
This sauce is really good! I was surprised at how well the flavors of the ghost peppers are pronounced after roasting. It came out a little thick (I should’ve added more water during simmering at the end) but all in all this is a really good recipe! Thanks for sharing
Daryl
Mine came out a little think too. I wanted it a little thinner to pour more easily for people I gave it to taste test on this first batch. I added same proportions of water and apple cider vinegar, one to three, to maintain PH level. I do not currently have a PH meter so just assumed the same proportions would technically work. It has a slight vinegar taste poking through while tasting alone and fresh out of the pot. Hoping a few days of melding flavors together will reduce it, but I also haven't tasted on food yet. It may dissipate when eating with foods instead of just tasting plain.
Thanks again for the recipe!
Cindy
I added a can of pineapple rings. Gave it an added layer of flavour and sweetness to offset some of the heat.
Fox Valley Foodie
I love that idea!
Lyndon
Just finished making the sauce. My question is, the other recipe that I previously used called for two tablespoons of raw sugar. This gave the sauce a sweet taste. Nevertheless, my sauce today is delicious. With tons of ghost peppers and a pantry full of ghost pepper salt, sauce, flakes, etc., and with tons out in the garden, I will not plant ghost peppers again.
Fox Valley Foodie
You can certainly add sugar if you desire, I enjoy it as written, but sweetening it up a bit would taste fantastic as well!
beto
I bottled mine so added the 2c of Apple cider vinegar, my question is, does it eventually blend in better? The sauce itself came out delicious as the peppers were perfectly ripe and roasted beautifully, but I just get a bit of vinegar aftertaste.
Fox Valley Foodie
Let the flavors meld a bit.
Joetta
I am working on this right now, but mine is not as thick as your pictures show, what am I doing wrong?
Fox Valley Foodie
You probably aren't doing anything wrong. Carrot sizes vary, so you are probably using smaller carrots than I did. You can add more carrots for more body, but quite honestly I really like it as a thinner hot sauce too!
Karen Frazier
My son loves this. He said he "will put it on everything." He just ate it on corn on the cob. I'm sure the rest of my family will love this too! Thanks for a great recipe.