In Mexico, the bottled hot sauce is used every day to spice up street fares such as potato chips, fruit cocktails, popcorn, and other fried foods sold as snacks in plastic bags. It is also used in some seafood cocktail preparations and alcoholic drinks.
Homemade Red Hot Sauce
Even though nowadays there are many bottled salsas on the market, some street vendors still make their own salsa, and they know their customers and how spicy and flavorful they like their salsa. Some street vendors are very proud of their salsa creations and take it as something that distinguishes the products they sell from others.
In my case, I like to make my own sauce to recreate the flavors of the snacks and late-night street food offered in my hometown. It is a very common sauce offered as a topping at the stands that sell a type of spicy fritters called “churritos” (not to be confused with “churros”). It is also used for subs or hard-roll sandwiches.
How to make Red Hot Sauce Recipe
DIRECTIONS:
- Place the arbol peppers, guajillo peppers, and garlic in a saucepan with the water. Turn the heat to high, and once the water starts boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until peppers are very soft.
- Remove saucepan from heat and allow to drop to room temperature. Once it has cooled, place the peppers, garlic, spices, dried herbs, vinegar, and one cup of the cooking water into a blender. Puree until you have a very fine texture.
- Pour this mixture into a glass container using a strainer, to remove any pieces of pepper skins left.
- Pour the mixture into the saucepan again, turn to medium-high heat, and gently simmer for about 5 minutes. This is just enough time to reduce the salsa to the desired consistency and allow the spices’ flavors to blend.
- Allow cooling. Pour the sauce into a sterilized bottle and secure with an airtight cap or lid.
You can use this sauce immediately, although the flavors will be better about two weeks later. This sauce can last stored in your refrigerator for about 6 months. Enjoy!
Buen Provecho!
Mely Martínez,
For the glass bottles, check this link: HERE
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Red Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 20 Arbol peppers About 10 grams, seeds removed*
- 3 Guajillo peppers About 15 grams, deveined and seeds removed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 cups of water
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon thyme*
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- 1 clove
- 6 peppercorns
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the arbol peppers, guajillo peppers, and garlic in a saucepan with the water. Turn the heat to high, and once the water starts boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until peppers are very soft. Due to the fumes, the peppers will give off, make sure your windows are open or turn on the exhaust fan.
- Remove saucepan from heat and allow to drop to room temperature. Once it has cooled, place the peppers, garlic, spices, dried herbs, vinegar, and one cup of the cooking water into a blender. Puree until you have a very fine texture.
- Pour this mixture into a glass container using a strainer, to remove any pieces of pepper skins left.
- Pour the mixture into the saucepan again, turn to medium-high heat, and gently simmer for about 5 minutes. This is just enough time to reduce the salsa to the desired consistency and allow the spices’ flavors to blend. Again, don’t forget to have the windows open and/or the kitchen exhaust fan on.
- Allow cooling. Pour the sauce into a sterilized bottle and secure with an airtight cap or lid.
- You can use this sauce immediately, although the flavors will be better about two weeks later. This sauce can last stored in your refrigerator for about 6 months. Enjoy!
Tracy
I made two batches. The second batch I added one ancho chile and 1/4 cup more liquid. I also left the seeds in as my husband likes flames shooting out his mouth. Both batches were excellent. Hubby said the batch with the ancho chili was over the top. We have tried to make Mexican hot sauce many times and this is the one we will use from now on. Thank you so much!
Scott
What sauce would you compare this to? I LOVE Valentina and would like to make something similar.
Mely Martínez
Hello Scott,
This one has a differnt flavor compare to Valentina. I would say it tastes a little bit like the "Huichol" brand Salsa.
Scott
Thank you. I'd love to be able to duplicate Valentina. Always loved it's flavor.
Polly Lewis
Can you keep this out of the fridge before opening this if you sterilise the bottles?
When you say it tastes better after 2 weeks do you keep in or out of the fridge??
I want to gift these but don’t want it to go off!!!
Mely Martínez
Hello Polly,
You can keep them out of the fridge before opening the salsa. By the way, once you open the salsa, it will last several months in the fridge.
Susan Patterson
I have not tried to make this, but have been looking for a recipe that is like the ones at Nicos, Filbertos, etc. I tried another sauce and although it is ok, it's still not what I'm looking for. I'll give this one a try, but if you have any suggestions, to get closer to the one I'm looking for, please let me know. Thank you, maybe this is even better, I'll let you know.
Mely Martínez
Hello Susan,
Do you mean Nico's restaurant in Mexico City?
jay
is there a name for this sauce other than red hot sauce? thanks love it by the way
Mely Martínez
Hola Jay,
We mostly call it "salsa embotellada' bottle salsa.
Jeremy Roxburgh
Hello,
Please forgive me. When it comes to the peppers are the to be fresh or dried?
Mely Martínez
Hello Jeremy,
They are dried peppers.
May
Just made this and OMG amazing! Thanks!
Mely Martínez
Hello May,
Thank you for trying the recipe for the Red Hot Salsa. It is glad to know you like it!