Fresh Cayenne Hot Sauce
Fresh, tangy cayenne hot sauce with the perfect kick! Bold spice, garlic, and a smoky touch. Perfect for adding heat to tacos, eggs, grilled meats, and more.
🔗 Cayenne Hot Sauce Quick Links
👩🍳 Fresh Homemade Cayenne Hot Sauce That Is So Easy
We grew three cayenne pepper plants this year, which was awesome. What wasn’t so awesome? Not knowing what to do with all those fiery little peppers once they started piling up. Enter my husband, who had the brilliant idea to turn them into hot sauce.
The result is this bold, smoky, fresh cayenne hot sauce that quickly became a staple in our fridge. It’s got that classic cayenne heat, a little smokiness from paprika, savory depth from garlic and onion, and just the right tangy kick from vinegar. Perfect for drizzling on eggs, tacos, sandwiches. You name it.
Next year, we’re stepping it up. We’re planting three different kinds of hot peppers and can’t wait to experiment with deeper, more complex flavor combos. I’ll be sure to share what we come up with.
🛒 Homemade Cayenne Hot Sauce Ingedients
🥣 Visual Process for Making Cayenne Hot Sauce
Start by giving your cayenne peppers a good rinse and removing the stems. These little guys pack some heat, so if you’re sensitive (or just don’t want to accidentally touch your eye later—ouch), go ahead and throw on some gloves. Roughly chop a red onion and a few garlic cloves while you’re at it
Add the cayenne peppers, chopped red onion, garlic, smoked paprika, and sea salt to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until everything breaks down into a vibrant, fiery red paste. It should smell spicy, garlicky, and just a little bit smoky.
Pour the pepper mixture into a medium saucepan. Add in the white vinegar, which brings the tang and helps preserve your sauce naturally. Stir it all together, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. This quick boil helps marry the flavors and opens everything up.
Once it hits a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for about 20 minutes. This step is where the magic happens: everything softens, flavors deepen, and the sharp edge of the vinegar starts to smooth out.
After simmering, let the sauce cool for a few minutes. Then pour it back into the blender and give it a final blitz until it’s silky smooth. If you want it extra-thin, you can strain it through a fine mesh sieve, but I like mine a little thick with some texture.
Pour the finished hot sauce into a clean jar or bottle. Store it in the fridge, where it’ll keep for several weeks (if you can resist finishing it sooner). The flavor gets even better after a day or two as everything continues to meld.
Drizzle it on eggs, tacos, grain bowls, grilled veggies or even pizza. Once you try it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without homemade hot sauce in your life.
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Fresh Cayenne Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 oz fresh cayenne peppers (stems removed)
- ¼ red onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add everything but the white vinegar to the blender and blend until everything is all chopped up.
- Transfer everything to a saucepan. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool before returning it to the blender and blending again until smooth.
- Store the hot sauce in a sealable jar or bottle in the fridge.
Notes
Substitutions
Storage
Nutrition
FAQs
Can I use a different vinegar?
White vinegar gives that classic hot sauce tang, but you can swap it for apple cider vinegar if you prefer a slightly sweeter, fruity finish.
How spicy will this sauce be?
It’s got some heat, for sure! Fresh cayenne peppers are naturally spicy, but the vinegar and other ingredients help balance it out. If you want it milder, you can use fewer cayennes or add more red onion.
Can I use dried cayenne peppers?
Yes, though fresh is best for flavor! If you’re using dried, rehydrate them by soaking in hot water for about 15 minutes before blending.
Can I use dried cayenne peppers?
Yes, though fresh is best for flavor! If you’re using dried, rehydrate them by soaking in hot water for about 15 minutes before blending.