Homemade Red Hot Sauce
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.
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.
Homemade 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 about 6 months. Enjoy!
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. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe.
- 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
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon thyme*
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- 1 clove
- 6 peppercorns
- Salt to taste
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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 about 6 months. Enjoy!
*You can adjust the spiciness of the sauce according to your personal taste; Arbol peppers are hot, while guajillo peppers are very mild.
** If you don’t have the thyme and marjoram, you can still have a great salsa by just using the cumin and oregano.
You will need glass bottles.
Buen Provecho!
Mely Martínez,
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I can't wait to try this! I also like the spicy green sauce that I had in Mexico. Its so hot, I used tiny drops on my tortilla-but oh so good. When there is snow and cold here in Ohio, I can't wait to return to lovely Mexico:)
Praying citizens there don't think us all responsible for the incoming government.
Where did you get the awesome bottle to put it in?
Hello Nathan,
I found it at Hobby Lobby store, but you can also look at Michaels stores. They sell different sizes.
Pinning this one, I've never made my own hot sauce despite the fact that I have EVERYTHING I need to make this in my kitchen right now.
This looks and sounds wonderful! Where do I buy the peppers?
Hello Yolanda,
Now almost every Walmart store sells dried peppers. If you don't find them there, check this link:http://amzn.to/2ilptRv
Hola Mely,
Soy Gina, una mexicana que lleva mas de 10 años fuera de México. Sólo quería escribirte para darte las gracias por éste blog y por todas las recetas que compartes con nosotros. No solo son deliciosas sino también me han servido para saber los nombres de los productos tipicos mexicanos en ingles!
Muchas gracias!!
Saludos!
about how many ounces does the recipe make?
Hello,
About 10.3 fluid ounces. (1 1/3 cup)
Ooooh, it looks like a yummy recipe. I can't wait to make it and have my hubby singing praises to his awesome wife, lol! Gracias, Mely.
I’d like to make about a gallon of this. Do you just multiply everything out til you get to the right amount since your recipe makes about 10 ozs?
Hello Jim,
You are right, I will only reduce the amount of vinegar a little bit. But that will be a personal taste.