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Homemade Hot Pepper Sauce {Tastes Better Than Frank’s Red Hot Sauce!}

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1975 shares

When I was pregnant with my first son, I loved hot sauce so much that I put it on EVERYTHING, including ice cream {well, maybe not ice cream–but I did put it on salads and just about anything else}. But even now, without being prego, I love it.

Homemade Hot Pepper Sauce

However, now that I have health in mind and have been scrupulously staring at the backside of bottles to identify the ingredients, I’ve learned that most hot sauce is chock full of unhealthful preservatives and other unhealthful things. Which led me to researching and discovering how to make it myself.

Hot Pepper Sauce Recipes {Better than Frank's Red Hot}The hot sauce recipe I’m sharing with you today is based off the ingredients on a Frank’s Red Hot Sauce label, only made with fresh garlic and real salt. And, of course, I had to tweak it to reach restaurant heights and make it original by adding a few more basic ingredients for extra flavor. The result is (in my family’s opinion at the very least) tastier than Frank’s!

This recipe is very simple and very easy to make. And the resulting sauce is fresh and delicious. It is a great way to use up the surplus of peppers you may have from your garden.

If you don’t have fresno peppers or if you simply prefer a different kind of pepper, just about any kind of hot pepper (including jalapeños or habaneros) can be used instead.

To enjoy the hot pepper sauce, simply use it as you would any other. Add it to recipes for some added heat and a boost of flavor or use it for dipping. My favorite thing to do is to mix two parts hot pepper sauce with one part melted butter then coat some chicken wings, cook them up in the slow cooker, and finish them off under the oven’s broiler for a crispy skin and the best hot wings you’ve ever tasted.

This recipe is a big hit at football parties, barbecues, men’s parties (such as Father’s Day or birthday), and even a girls’ night out. Everyone enjoys the fresh, flavorful taste and they’re always impressed when they learn that it’s homemade!

Updated Recipe on TJ’s Taste

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. All Natural Katie says

    September 7, 2013 at 7:55 am

    I want to try this recipe with all of the hot peppers from the garden.

    How will this last in the refrigerator?

    Reply
    • TJ says

      September 7, 2013 at 6:35 pm

      It should last probably about 6 months in the fridge, maybe longer because of the acidity of the peppers (I’d just keep an eye out for mold growth). It should taste better the longer it sits, too. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Mike Popelier says

    September 9, 2013 at 12:03 pm

    I was not able to get the direction for the hot pepper sauce. Can you tell me how I can get it. Thanks

    Reply
    • TJ says

      September 9, 2013 at 4:04 pm

      Hi, Mike! The directions are with the recipe here in this post. If you are using Internet Explorer, you’ll need to use a different browser such as Chrome because IE does not display many websites correctly (and therefore you probably can’t see the recipe). Please let me know if you have any further troubles and I’ll email the recipe to you. Have a great day!

      Reply
      • Dayo says

        September 14, 2018 at 7:55 pm

        How about shelf life, can your recipe last for a year?

        Reply
  3. Amanda says

    September 27, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    I found your recipe after I discovered that the sweet mini bell peppers I planted were in fact Fresno peppers (quite a shock!!). Just made your recipe, and it turned out beautifully! I used 1/2 jalapenos and half Fresno peppers. Super simple!! Thanks for the great recipe!!

    Reply
    • TJ says

      September 27, 2013 at 5:11 pm

      You’re welcome. 🙂 Thanks for using it! Have a blessed day!

      Reply
  4. Amee says

    October 17, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    Hey! Ive made this recipe twice using a combination of Serrano and Habanero peppers (cant find Fresno, and I like it SPICY!) Very easy recipe and tasty! I replaced a 1/2 cup of the white vinegar with apple cider vinegar to add a bit of sweetness. I never really get close to the 3 cup yield though…I probably got closer to 2 cups. Thanks for sharing this!

    Reply
    • TJ says

      October 17, 2013 at 10:17 pm

      Awesome! I’m glad to hear that you enjoy it. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing! 😀

      Reply
  5. Tim says

    October 17, 2014 at 6:37 am

    Since this recipe yields about 3 cups and only lasts about 6 months in fridge, can I can the sauce for longer shelf storage?

    Reply
    • jj says

      March 2, 2015 at 1:14 pm

      yes

      Reply
  6. Reign says

    April 21, 2015 at 11:16 am

    When I was pregnant, I put it on everything including ice cream. Favorite night time snack was strawberry ice cream with sea salt, mixed nuts and hot sauce.

    Reply
    • TJ says

      April 21, 2015 at 12:04 pm

      Lol. 🙂

      Reply
  7. beth says

    May 9, 2015 at 7:18 am

    would love to try this recipe to make for wedding favors, but would it be ok not refrigerated ??? and if so how long? THANKS! excited if this can work! sounds SO good.

    Reply
    • TJ says

      May 19, 2015 at 11:20 pm

      Possibly. I’m not sure how long since I’ve never tried it. 🙂 I do know you could can it, which could be stored probably up to a year or more unrefrigerated.

      Reply
  8. Gen says

    September 28, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    Hello, I’m trying this recipe now, smells great can’t wait to try! We’re going to can it. Should we take out the bay leaf before grinding it up?

    Thank you for sharing your recipe!!

    Gen

    Reply
    • TJ says

      September 29, 2015 at 6:29 pm

      Nope, I leave mine in. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Lee says

    December 5, 2015 at 7:18 am

    Hello!

    Just about to make this as a stocking filler for Christmas.

    I plan on making 6 – 8 small (150ml) bottles of it.

    My question is, where you say “20 servings”, what do you mean by servings? A dollop or a jar?

    Many thanks in advance 🙂

    Reply
    • TJ says

      December 7, 2015 at 3:22 pm

      That’s a great idea! About a tablespoon is a serving. 🙂 The recipe card plugin I use doesn’t allow me to say things like “1 cup” or “12 ounces” or whatever, which is a bummer, because the only measurement is the vague “how many servings.” Hence the reason it’s vague.

      Reply
  10. Denise says

    December 27, 2015 at 11:01 am

    How long would canning time need to be in order to properly preserve?

    Reply
    • TJ says

      December 27, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      Hi, Denise. Here’s what I’ve done before: bring to a boil and process pint jars for 35 minutes and quart jars for 40 minutes (for high altitude, add 10 minutes per 1,000 feet above sea level). Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.

      Reply
  11. Stephanie says

    March 27, 2016 at 7:31 am

    This recipe is amazing. I have made many times and once I tried using half white and half cider vinegar and it was not as tasty. I made it as gifts and had a lot of requests for more……
    Make this!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      August 25, 2022 at 6:29 pm

      Which is better white or apple cider?

      Reply
  12. Leslie says

    March 27, 2016 at 4:45 pm

    Hello. I want to make this as wedding favours for my guests. If I make it and then fly it down to Mexico will it last outside the fridge for a week or so?

    Thanks. Leslie

    Reply
    • TJ says

      April 2, 2016 at 12:13 am

      Hi, Leslie! If you can it properly and it is transported gently {meaning no tipping, rattling, shaking, etc.} it may be okay. I was always taught {via 4-H} that transporting canned goods is a risky affair though. If the seal is even slightly compromised, bacteria can get in. I definitely wouldn’t try actually shipping it. And with flying, the carriers can be pretty rough. One thing you could do is make it fresh when you get there, can it, then inform guests to store it in their fridges for two weeks before using it.

      Reply
  13. Mel says

    May 4, 2016 at 7:39 am

    Hi! Just wondering if I need to remove the seeds from the chillis?

    Reply
    • TJ says

      May 7, 2016 at 10:57 pm

      Hi, Mel–sorry for the late reply, I was off to a conference! No, you do not have to remove the seeds unless you want to. The seeds will make it hotter. 🙂

      Reply
      • Mel says

        May 8, 2016 at 5:28 am

        Thanks TJ! Looking forward to making it. Hope you enjoyed your conference!

        Reply
  14. Kimberly says

    June 25, 2016 at 9:21 am

    Hi there, I’m wanting to try this recipe as we don’t have the franks hot sauce here in New Zealand (I’m making something that requires it) but was wondering if it will be alright to use straight away or do I have to refrigerate it for a week first? Thanks

    Reply
    • TJ says

      July 26, 2016 at 1:37 am

      Hi, Kimberly. It tastes better after it has set in the fridge for a while, but it should be fine using right away as well.

      Reply
  15. Tim says

    August 16, 2016 at 8:03 am

    I just harvested 5 Habaneros from my garden. Given that they’re about 10x as hot (in Scoville units) as a Fresno, and somewhat larger, how many Habaneros would make the equivalent heat in this recipe? Around 2? Or would not the substitution not work that way?

    I like hot, and love the flavor of Habanero, but I want to make a hot sauce that’s not weapons-grade. 🙂

    Reply
    • TJ says

      August 22, 2016 at 5:24 pm

      Hi, Tim. I’d still use the same amount of peppers. The sauce will be hotter, but you can just use less. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Tamara says

    August 23, 2016 at 7:58 am

    I would love to try your recipe but did not see it on the site. May I be able to have it I would live to make it as my husband and I love hot sauce.
    Thanks in advance, Tamara

    Reply
    • TJ says

      August 25, 2016 at 1:06 pm

      Hi, Tamara. We had some technical difficulties with our website so recipes were down. They should be visible now. 🙂

      Reply
      • Tamara says

        August 27, 2016 at 7:39 am

        Thank you so much TJ. I can’t wait to try it as I make hot sauce every year but don’t really have a real recipe. How about substituting the pepper with other peppers? Like cayenne peppers, habanero peppers or ever ghost peppers which I have all growing in my garden. Would that be ok?

        And thank you once again for your reply.
        Tamara

        Reply
        • TJ says

          August 30, 2016 at 1:34 pm

          Hi, Tamara. Yes, absolutely, you can substitute with any peppers you want. 🙂

          Reply
          • Scott says

            October 10, 2017 at 4:46 pm

            Hi TJ, Can I use Sweet Banana peppers?

            Scott

          • TJ says

            October 13, 2017 at 11:44 am

            Probably. Let me know if you try and how it turns out. 🙂

  17. Ole says

    January 8, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    Curious, why you didn’t list it as Paleo also? As i’m sure, this recipe will work perfectly fine with regular Vinegar, you could try it or list it as an option?

    Reply
    • TJ says

      January 9, 2017 at 12:23 am

      Hi, Ole! I just forgot honestly lol. I’ll add that now. 🙂 Thank you kindly!

      Reply
  18. Eugene says

    January 18, 2017 at 5:23 am

    I always remove bay leaves at some point from all my soups, stews, etc.
    But I did not see you explicitly specify removal of the bay leaf. So do you remove the bay leaf prior to blending or does it stay and blends in?

    Reply
    • sherri says

      June 14, 2017 at 11:29 am

      Eugene

      I read previous post that TJ told someone that she leaves it in and grinds it.

      Reply
  19. Eveline says

    March 27, 2017 at 12:51 pm

    Best sauce I ever expect! Just made it!
    Used chili peppers. Devided all ingredient in half, because wasn’t sure about the result.
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • TJ says

      March 28, 2017 at 12:43 am

      Glad you liked it! 🙂

      Reply
      • Mandy says

        July 3, 2017 at 1:44 pm

        Hey TJ, what have i done wrong, it tastes so vinegary? Help lol.
        I even used half a cup less vinegar this time.

        Reply
  20. texasgirlfarfromhome says

    July 21, 2017 at 9:46 am

    Would it be possible to give me a gram weight of 18 cayenne pepper? I have never seen a fresh one, and we don’t have them here. If I know the aprox grams, I can sub some quite hot peppers grown here locally. Thanks so much for your post.

    Reply
  21. Randy says

    September 23, 2017 at 10:54 am

    5 stars
    Very good recipe..
    I will be making this many times.
    I savendy the smushed stuff with a little bit of the juice in a separate container to spoon on to eggs. 🙂 No waste.

    Reply
  22. Dennis Hall says

    October 27, 2017 at 9:32 am

    Hi , what makes it red if you using green peppers . It looks red in display picture. Thanks, dennis

    Reply
    • Bill W. says

      September 22, 2018 at 7:02 pm

      Fresno peppers are red

      Reply
  23. Patrick O'Jason says

    February 20, 2018 at 2:02 pm

    Thanks. I’m going to try this one.

    1 question. What do you mean with Paprika? In the Netherlands a Paprika is also a bell pepper. I think you mean paprika powder? Just want to be sure.

    Reply
  24. Ron Wilson says

    July 21, 2018 at 11:31 am

    Hi, I just finished running it through my sieve and had to try it. I used 20-22 scotch bonnet peppers for the recipe. The sauce turned out great nice heat, beautiful color and smell. Hot at first but not too hot that you cant enjoy it, lips also burning but after a couple of minutes the burning toned down.

    I will definitely continue making this hot sauce for my family!
    Thanks for posting the recipe.

    Cheers
    Ron

    Reply
  25. Craig says

    August 27, 2018 at 10:30 am

    Great recipe. Just tried it over the weekend with a few of my own modifications. Used apple cider vinegar instead of white, and an extra tbsp of lime juice. Also loved that I didn’t need any xanthan gum to thicken it after running the sauce through the sieve.

    Reply
  26. Paul says

    September 24, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    My sauce is to thick to strain. What should I thin it with.

    Reply
    • Bill says

      November 12, 2020 at 8:47 am

      You can add a little more vinegar if needed. I usually force my sauce through the sieve with a silicone spatula.

      Reply

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