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
- 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!
Homemade Red Hot Sauce recipe
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!
Notes
Nutrition
Buen Provecho!
Mely Martínez,
For the glass bottles, check this link: HERE
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Roberto
This looks amazing and can’t wait to try it. The 10th item down the list it says simply “1 clove” is that the Christmas spice clove? I’ve only found these ground. Once I figure this part out I’m going for it!
Mely Martínez
Hello Roberto,
Yes, it is the clove spice, you can just add a pinch of that ground clove spice. If you don't have it, skip it.
Kim
Could you suggest how to broaden the flavor of this recipe? Maybe a broth or a fruit juice in place of some of the water?
Mely Martínez
Hello Kim,
That will be your personal choice, you can add broth or pineapple juice.
Leif
This recipe is the closest we've found to duplicating our favorite local Mexican restaurants (Sanchez Taqueria in Tigard, OR). Do you know of a good way to thicken it up a bit? Thanks.
Mely Martínez
Hello Leif,
Reduce the amount of liquid.
Kieran Janczur
This an absolutely Beautiful recipe.
jovonneb
Glad I found your site, Very authentic. Hard to find authentic chefs on Google, I like to go to the source. I have seen and made a lot of hot sauce recipes but none with clove and herbs. This is one of the best hot sauces with more deeper flavors. I made this a few times. I use your recipe as a base and play with other peppers such as casabel and puya. It hardly makes the two weeks to let the flavors meld together, we put it on everything. Bookmarked your site. Thank you.
Mely Martínez
Hello Jovonneb,
Thank you for visiting and for your kind comments. Happy cooking!