Easy-peasy Homemade Jalapeño Hot Sauce

Author & Photographer: Fiona Lu

Hot sauce is a fridge essential that can spice up any bland meal, but store-bought varieties can be pricey, leaving you wondering if you’re really paying for what you’re getting in those tiny little bottles. But fear no more; this easy-to-follow beginner’s recipe will equip you with the knowledge to make your own hot sauce from scratch. So, grab a glass of water, and get ready to feel the heat!

First things first: choosing your pepper. This can depend on a variety of personal preferences such as spice tolerance and acidity. Once you choose your pepper, that will inform the rest of your base ingredients. For this recipe, we will be using jalapeño peppers to make a citrus salsa verde. Jalapeños are a mild-medium spice level, so gloves are optional for the preparation steps. 

I personally love this recipe because of how quick and easy it is to make enough hot sauce that will last me for months. Plus, most of the ingredients are readily available in my kitchen! The resulting product is a fresh, zesty sauce that’s packed full of hearty flavor and goes great with tacos, chips, or-- if you’re feeling adventurous--a breakfast omelette with a kick. 

Ingredients:

  • ½ medium sweet onion, chopped

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 8 tomatillos, chopped

  • 7 jalapeños, diced 

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 8 baby carrots, chopped

  • 3-4 cups water

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 3 tsp salt

  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. 

  2. Add in onions and garlic, and sweat them over medium heat (about 3-4 minutes). 

  3. Stir in carrots, tomatillos, jalapeños, and rice vinegar and cook for 3 minutes. 

  4. Add enough water to pan until ingredients are covered (about 3.5 cups). When water starts to boil, cover with lid and cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. 

  5. Strain out about half of the liquid into a separate bowl and pour remaining contents into a blender. 

  6. Blend mixture into a purée and add in strained liquid until desired consistency is achieved.

  7. Season with salt and lime to taste.

  8. Garnish with cilantro.

Now that you have your hot sauce ready, pour your mixture into a salsa bowl and serve with tortilla chips, or store them away in small jars for future enjoyment! 

Melanie WangComment