WARNING! This seriously Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce is not for the faint hearted! Get past the heat though & you will find that it has a depth of flavour that a lot of hot sauces don’t. It has plenty of zing, a bit of tang & hints of sweet red pepper & maple. Are you brave enough?
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It is International Hot & Spicy Food Day tomorrow and here is my contribution. I don’t go by half measures. This Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce is HOT.
I am a massive spicy food fan. I use a lot of hot sauce but the one I like most from my local farmer’s market is nearly $9 a bottle. It is delicious but with the way we go through it, I decided that it was time to come up with my own version and I couldn’t have timed it better.
My first few attempts didn’t go too well. They were far too hot.
Incredibly and inedibly hot.
My lips and tongue were numb for hours after trying them and I couldn’t find anyone brave enough to stand in for me as taste tester. I had to carry on my mission alone.
It was a difficult process as obviously hot sauce needs to be hot but not so hot that it burns the top layer off your tongue!
HOW IS THE CHILI PEPPER HEAT SCALE MEASURED?
The heat of chili peppers or products derived from chili peppers, is measured with the Scoville Heat Scale.
The scale is named after William Scoville who developed the test in 1912 and works by measuring the level of the chemical compound capsaicin.
Until recently, extract from the pepper was continually diluted until it was no longer detectable to the people tasting it. The final amount of dilution gave the pepper its measure on the Scoville scale. Now a more modern method of measuring the heat is utilized and this is called high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Peppers are dried then ground up then water is filtered through. A machine is then use to measure the heat. This method is of course much more accurate than relying on human taste buds.
I love this humorous article written by Anna Maria Barry-Jester called “Rating Chili Peppers On A Scale Of 1 To Oh Dear God I’m On Fire“.
It goes into a lot more depth about the whole subject and is a good read.
Habaneros, as used in my Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce, have a Scoville rating of between 100,000 – 350,000. They are up there with the wonderful Scotch Bonnets which are another of my favourites. Compare this to the very popular Jalapeño pepper which has a Scoville rating of only 3,500-8,000. A significant difference, but although very hot, this Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce has a great depth of flavour. It’s not all about the heat. You get the fiery heat first, then a sharp tang from the vinegar, combined with hints of sweet red pepper and maple. It will make the perfect addition to your dinner table.
HOW TO MAKE HOT SAUCE
FOR INGREDIENTS & FULL INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST
Making your own Hot Sauce is really quite simple.
My recipe is a little different to most in that I like to add some onion and bell peppers for extra depth of flavour.
Here’s how I make it:
STEP1
Sauté the chili peppers with the bell peppers and onions.
STEP 2
Blend the sautéed peppers and onion with the remaining ingredients.
I love my Blendtec for recipes like this.
STEP 3
STEP 3Decant into bottles.
It’s that easy!
WHERE DID I BUY MY LITTLE SWING TOP BOTTLE?
I get asked all the time where I got the little swing top bottle my hot sauce is in in my photograph. It came from a store called Canadian Tire and it was only a couple of dollars.
If you aren’t in Canada though, I found some similar looking ones on Amazon which you can find here.
They will be really handy for storing all kinds of homemade sauces or for making a big batch of this Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce.
If you like a bit of spice in your life then you need to try this Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce recipe soon!
It is so incredibly cheap to make and lasts in the fridge for ages and ages.
You can use it in so many ways. My favourite way to eat it is drizzled on avocado toast. I also love it with rice dishes like my One Pot Spicy Rice, in salad dressings, swirled into soups, in hummus or guacamole and with crispy tofu.
It also makes a fabulous gift for that hot sauce lover in your life.
Give it a try soon!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you did, be a ☆ and let me know what you think by rating it and commenting below. Tag me on Instagram too. I am @avirtualvegan and my hashtag is #avirtualvegan
Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil , any neutral tasting oil (use a tiny drop of water instead to keep the reicipe oil-free)
- 6 habanero peppers
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 120mls / 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ medium onion chopped roughly
- 2 fat cloves of garlic chopped roughly
- 180mls / 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Remove the seeds from the bell peppers and chop into chunks.
- Cut the habeneros in half and remove the seeds
- Over a medium heat warm a pan with the oil ( or a tablespoon of water to keep the recipe oil-free), then sauté the onions and bell peppers for a few minutes until beginning to soften. Add the habeneros and garlic and sauté for a little while longer until soft and slightly caramelized. Make sure you have a window or door open and an extractor fan on if you have one, to ventilate your kitchen. When the habaneros start cooking you will get chili pepper fumes which might make you cough a bit or make your eyes smart.
- Turn off the heat and transfer to a blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender, adding just enough water to get it to the thickness you like. everyone likes their hot sauce different thicknesses so add enough to suit you. It's best to do it gradually though and blend in between so you don't accidentally add too much.
- Blend until completely smooth.
- If you do not have a high powered blender you may find some pieces of pepper skin floating about. If these bother you then just strain the sauce through a sieve.
- Decant into bottles or jars and store in the fridge. I didn't bother sterilizing my jars/bottles as I know I use my hot sauce quite quickly. If you want it to keep for a long time then it would probably be wise to sterilize your jars first. It should then keep well for a few months.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 
Kevin Coc says
Hi! This is awesome! Thank you so much! By the way, where can I buy the stopper bottle in the photo? Thanks in advance.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I bought the little bottle in a store called Canadian Tire. They are really cheap. Just a couple of dollars each. If you aren’t in Canada though Amazon sells similar ones. Search for “swing top bottles”.
CBC says
Hi! is the 1tsp olil for sauteeing or for the balance ingredients for the belnder? :)
A Virtual Vegan says
It is for sautéing the peppers. Thank you for spotting that I missed that bit in the instructions. I just fixed it!
CBC says
Thank you! I don’t really cook much, so I follow all instructions to the letter. The recipe was great! My family enjoyed it.
ron coleman coleman says
Hello, I am Ron, this recipe is the bomb. I picked my habanero peppers from my own garden, I used my own garlic, my bell peppers did not fair this year so I had to go to the market. I tripled your recipe and ended up with 4 16oz bottles. I will be making another batch tomorrow to use up all of my peppers. Ron Coleman
Melanie McDonald says
I’m really glad to hear you think so Ron. Enjoy eating it on all the things!
Jenna says
I’m new to making hot sauce and I’m wondering if you can can this? Recipe looks awesome, thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
I have no experience with canning so have never tried it but I think it should be fine!
Chris Logan says
What a simple and fantastic recipe. We grew Habaneros this year and needed to use em up. Only thing we added was some mango. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you Chris. I’m really pleased you are enjoying the recipe. Mango is a great addition! I bet pineapple would be good too.
Arwen says
I made this last year and loved it, but forgot to leave a comment. I just made it again (I have SO MANY RED HABANEROS omg). I went with seven of the little bombs. Glad I had the attic fan going, because hoooooboy is this a HOT batch. :-D
Melanie McDonald says
I’m really pleased you are enjoying the recipe! And wow, your new batch is going to be awesome. Enjoy!
Dave peppiatt says
Hey crazy lady! Who puts maple syrup in a hot sauce? I’ve been making my own sauces for years, but we got a bumper crop of habaneros so I found your recipe. No word of a lie best sauce ever. Thanks for thinking out of the box. Only thing I changed is I cooked my peppers and onions down on the Bbq, so it’s smokin. Thanks you a genius. s
Melanie McDonald says
Hey, I live in Canada. I put maple syrup in everything! ;O) Ha ha! Love the idea of cooking the peppers etc on the BBQ. I’m going to try that next time I make some. I’m really pleased you enjoyed it and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Chris Builder says
Just made this and went with 4 habs. Wish I had used all 6. I strained it also as I like to splash it on. Pretty hot and very sweet. I also used Anaheim peppers instead of red peppers so I got a light color.
Pamela says
I just came across this recipe and am trying it now. I am cooking the peppers in the oven. My son and son in law are always competing making sauces so I have to get into the competition . Also just ordered your cookbook. Can’t wait for it.
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you so much Pam. If you haven’t already, be sure to email me a copy of your order confirmation (a screenshot on your phone will do) so I can send you your free bonus recipes.My email is mel@avirtualvegan.com . Hope you enjoy the hot sauce!
rehema jafari says
hello,i want to learn more on your cooking so how do I get in touch? And if i was making in large batches and want it to stay for longer periods what should i add so that it can age longer.
A Virtual Vegan says
I would think that if you added it to properly sterilized bottles or jars that it would last for ages and ages. Even in an unsterilized bottle I’ve had it in my fridge for a couple of months with no problems.
Jim Manning says
Wow! Another VV winner! This sauce turned out fantastic. The only variance from the recipe was doubling it, and only adding about 1/3 of the called-for water. The Maple syrup gives just the right balance of sweetness without being overly sweet. For those who see Habanero and worry about the heat – you can relax. This does have a bit of a kick, but it’s relatively tame. I’d mark it less than a four on a scale from one to ten. This batch was for all my Canadian Snowbird neighbors here in the Bahamas. The next batch for my wife and I will have 50% more habaneros to get it up to our California-bred level of heat preference. Great job again Mel!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Jim! And how lovely of you to gift it to your neighbors. Lucky them!
Bosko says
i use this recipe. but i add in 2 red jalapenos, 2 green jalapenos…and 1 Carolina Reaper pepper. i like to dance on the wild side haha. it turns out beautifully! thank you!
Stephanie says
Wow this recipe is SMOKIN!!! Soo good and spicy! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out just perfect.
Thank you
CL says
This recipe kicks ass! I, like many others, deviated, though only slightly so. I had 12 red habaneros so I used them all. I only had 2 yellow bell peppers, so I used those. I used 6 cloves of garlic. I didn’t have white vinegar so I used 50/50 apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar. Then I added 2 teaspoons of course ground pepper and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. With a half cup of water I filled a 1 pint jar. Thickness was slightly thicker than Siracha but way thicker than Franks. The sauce is a pretty bright yellow with heavy black pepper specks throughout. It’s a striking but great looking sauce.
The heat is nice with steady and building heat profile. Less sharp than just eating the peppers raw. The sauce well loved among my friends and I am sad I could only make a pint. I need to come up with more peppers before it’s too late to find them.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Chris! I love the “kick ass” description and I hope you find more peppers soon so you can make more!
Cynthia Essiambre says
Great recipe! I love the addition of maple syrup for sweetness. I didn’t add any water, I like my hot sauces thick.