✔ Updated · more vinegar for acidity, chili-safety steps, fridge storage + fermented version
My ghost pepper hot sauce is smooth and bright red: fresh ghost peppers (bhut jolokia) simmered with onion, carrot, garlic and tomato in plenty of vinegar, then blended until silky. One drop on my eggs is plenty.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Wear gloves, keep the kitchen ventilated and store the finished sauce in the fridge. It is not shelf-stable.
The carrot and tomato add body and a little sweetness, so you taste the fruity side of the pepper before the heat arrives, and the vinegar keeps it tangy and acidic. Ghost peppers are among the hottest chilies there are, so this page covers how to handle them safely, how to store the sauce in the fridge and how to make a fermented version.
Why You'll Love This Hot Sauce
- Serious heat with real flavor, thanks to fruity ghost peppers balanced by tomato, carrot and garlic.
- Smooth and pourable, blended until silky and thinned with vinegar to bottle consistency.
- Simple pantry ingredients plus a handful of fresh ghost peppers, ready in about an hour.
What Is a Ghost Pepper?
The ghost pepper, also known as bhut jolokia, is a chili from Northeast India. In 2007 it was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's hottest chili, at more than 1,000,000 Scoville heat units. Hotter peppers such as the Carolina Reaper have since taken the title, but ghost peppers are still around 100 times hotter than a jalapeño.
Under the heat, ghost peppers have a fruity, slightly smoky flavor, which is why they make such a good hot sauce. The heat also builds slowly: it often takes 30 seconds or so to peak, so wait before you add a second drop.
How to Handle Ghost Peppers Safely
Ghost peppers are hot enough to cause real discomfort if you handle them carelessly. A few simple precautions make the job easy.
- Wear disposable gloves from the moment you pick up the peppers until everything is washed up. Nitrile gloves work well.
- Never touch your face, eyes or contact lenses while working, even with gloves on. Remove gloves before touching your phone or door handles.
- Ventilate: open a window and run the range hood while you sauté and blend. The fumes can make you cough and sneeze.
- Use a separate cutting board if you can, and wash the board, knife, pan and blender in hot soapy water straight away.
- Keep kids and pets away from the peppers and the finished sauce, and label the bottle clearly so nobody mistakes it for a mild sauce.
- If you get a burn on your skin, wash with dish soap and cool water, or rub with a little vegetable oil and then wash. For eyes, flush with plenty of cool water.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Gloves, every time. Capsaicin oil soaks into skin and keeps burning for hours, and soap doesn't fully remove it from bare hands. Use disposable gloves, keep your hands away from your face and eyes, and wash the board, knife and blender well afterwards.
- Ventilate the kitchen. Sautéing and blending hot chilies releases fumes that make you cough and sting your eyes. Open a window, run the range hood and don't lean over the pan or blender. Keep kids and pets out of the kitchen while you cook.
- Don't skimp on the vinegar. The 3/4 cup of 5% vinegar is what keeps this sauce tangy and acidic. Cutting it back makes a flatter sauce that keeps for less time.
- Use a non-reactive pan. Stainless steel or enameled cast iron. Aluminum and bare cast iron react with the vinegar and tomatoes and can give the sauce a metallic taste.
- Control the heat. Removing the seeds and ribs takes the edge off a little. For a milder sauce, swap 2 or 3 of the ghost peppers for red jalapeños or a red bell pepper. That’s my move when friends ask for “hot, not painful.”
- Taste with care. Taste a single drop from a spoon, not a mouthful. If you overdo it, dairy such as milk or yogurt helps more than water.
Homemade Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
40
servings (1 tbsp)15
minutes30
minutes8
kcal1
hourA smooth, fiery ghost pepper hot sauce made with fresh ghost peppers, onion, carrot, garlic and tomato, simmered in vinegar and blended until silky. Wear gloves and run the vent while you cook, and keep the finished sauce in the fridge.
Ingredients
- For the Hot Sauce
6 fresh ghost peppers (bhut jolokia), stemmed (about 1 oz / 30 g)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced (about 3/4 cup)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups / 250 g)
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon sugar (optional, to round out the heat)
Directions
- Prep the Peppers Safely
- Put on disposable gloves and open a window or turn on the range hood before you start. Pull the stems off the ghost peppers and roughly chop them on a separate cutting board. For a little less heat, scrape out the seeds and pale ribs. Do not touch your face or eyes, and wash the board, knife and gloves with hot soapy water when you are done.
- Cook the Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a medium stainless steel or enameled saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the chopped ghost peppers and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, keeping your face away from the pan, since the fumes sting. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, until they start to break down.
- Pour in the vinegar and water, then add the salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the carrot is very tender.
- Blend and Bottle
- Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer it to a blender, hold the lid down with a folded towel and blend, starting on low, for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth. Don’t lean over the blender when you open it. Add a splash more vinegar if it is too thick, then taste a single drop and adjust the salt.
- For a thinner, bottle-style sauce, press it through a fine-mesh sieve. Using a funnel, pour the sauce into clean glass bottles or jars, let it cool, then seal and refrigerate right away. Use within 1 month and always pour with a clean utensil.
Notes
- Please note that if you plan on preparing it yourself, the fumes from the chili peppers may get into the air and you may want to wear a mask and goggles. If you decide to try this sauce, do so with caution.Â
- You can store this in jars for later
- If needed blend again for a smooth sauce
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How to Store Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
This is a fresh, refrigerated hot sauce, not a shelf-stable one. Bottle it in clean glass, let it cool, seal it and put it in the fridge right away. Use it within 1 month, always pour or spoon it with clean utensils and throw it out if you see mold, fizzing or a bulging lid, or if it smells off.
Acidity is what makes vinegar-based hot sauce keep well. This recipe uses 3/4 cup of vinegar with at least 5% acidity, so don't reduce it or swap in a weaker homemade vinegar. If you own pH strips or a pH meter, the cooled sauce should read 4.0 or lower; if it doesn't, blend in more vinegar a tablespoon at a time. Even then, keep it refrigerated. Water-bath canning hot sauce for the pantry needs a tested canning recipe, which this is not.
For longer storage, freeze the sauce in an ice cube tray, then move the cubes to a freezer bag for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge and shake or stir before using.
Fermented Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
Fermenting the vegetables before blending gives a deeper, tangier, more complex sauce. It takes longer but follows the same safety basics: gloves, ventilation, clean equipment, enough acid and the fridge at the end.
- Make a brine: dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons (25 g) of non-iodized salt in 4 cups (1 liter) of water, which is about a 2.5% brine.
- Pack the jar: put the stemmed ghost peppers, garlic, raw onion and carrot (skip the tomatoes) in a clean quart jar and cover them completely with brine. Weigh the vegetables down so nothing sticks up above the liquid.
- Ferment: cover with an airlock lid or a loosely set lid and leave at cool room temperature, out of direct sun, for 7 to 14 days. Bubbles and a cloudy brine are normal. Throw it out if you see fuzzy mold or it smells rotten.
- Blend and acidify: drain, keeping some brine. Blend the vegetables with 1/2 cup of 5% vinegar and enough brine to thin it to a pourable sauce. Aim for a pH of 4.0 or lower.
- Refrigerate: bottle, seal and keep the fermented sauce in the fridge, and use it within 2 to 3 months.
How to Use Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
A few drops go a long way. Stir it into chili, soups and stews, shake it over eggs, tacos and pizza, or mix a little into mayonnaise or ranch for a fiery dip. It is also a good way to add heat to wings: try a few drops in a Nashville hot sauce, or mix it into fry sauce or campfire sauce for a hotter version. For milder dips, see our Raising Cane's dipping sauce and Arby's horsey sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hot is ghost pepper hot sauce?
Very hot. Ghost peppers measure roughly 800,000 to over 1,000,000 Scoville heat units, compared with about 2,500 to 8,000 for a jalapeño. The vegetables and vinegar in this sauce dilute it somewhat, but start with a drop or two.
Do I need to wear gloves to handle ghost peppers?
Yes. Capsaicin oil from ghost peppers can burn skin for hours and is very painful if it reaches your eyes. Wear disposable gloves, use a separate cutting board, ventilate the kitchen and wash all tools in hot soapy water afterwards.
How long does homemade ghost pepper hot sauce last?
Kept in a clean, sealed bottle or jar in the fridge, this cooked vinegar sauce is best used within 1 month. Always use a clean utensil, and throw it out if you see mold, bubbling or an off smell. Do not store it at room temperature.
Is it necessary to ferment hot sauce?
No, and I make this quick cooked version far more often. It gets its tang from vinegar. Fermenting the peppers first, for about 1 to 2 weeks in a salt brine, adds a deeper, funkier flavor. A fermented sauce still needs vinegar for acidity and must be kept in the fridge.
Can I use dried ghost peppers?
Yes. Use 3 to 4 dried ghost peppers in place of the 6 fresh ones. Wear gloves, stem them, then soak them in hot water for 20 minutes before adding them with the garlic. Grinding dried ghost peppers puts fine, very irritating dust in the air, so soak rather than grind.
