Trader Joe’s Hot Sauce Recipe

This homemade Hot Sauce Recipe is a spicy and flavorful recipe, which is made with fresh chiles and garlic. It’s a straightforward recipe, ready in about 15 minutes, plus fermentation time.

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Hot Sauce Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb. Fresh Chiles, Such As Jalapeno, Serrano, Fresno, Poblano, Habanero, Or A Mix
• 1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
• 1/2 cup Diced Onion
• 2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Distilled White Vinegar

How To Make Hot Sauce Recipe

1. Create the mash: In a food processor, pulse the chiles, garlic, onions, and kosher salt until you have a rough puree or “mash.”
2. First fermentation: Transfer the mash to a 1-quart glass jar, cover it loosely (do not seal it tightly), and let it stand at room temperature overnight.
3. Second fermentation: The next day, add the vinegar to the jar, stir, and loosely cover it again. Let it stand at room temperature for 1 to 7 days. The longer it stands, the more the flavor will develop and deepen.
4. Blend and store: Pour the entire mixture into a food processor or blender and purée until completely smooth. Transfer the finished hot sauce to a bottle or jar and store it in the refrigerator.

Recipe Tips

• What kind of chiles should I use? This is the fun part! You can completely customize the heat and flavor. For a milder sauce, use jalapeños or poblanos. For a medium heat, use serranos or Fresnos. For a very hot sauce, use habaneros. A mix of different chiles will create the most complex flavor.
• Why do I need to ferment the hot sauce? Fermentation is a key step that develops the flavor of the hot sauce from a simple, raw heat into something more complex, tangy, and delicious. It also acts as a natural preservative.
• Is it safe to leave it at room temperature? Yes. The combination of salt and the acidic vinegar creates an environment where harmful bacteria cannot grow, allowing the beneficial lacto-fermentation process to happen safely.
• How can I make a thinner or thicker sauce? For a thinner sauce, you can add a little more vinegar when blending. For a thicker sauce, you can strain the final blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove some of the liquid.

What To Serve With Hot Sauce

This versatile, homemade hot sauce is a fantastic condiment for countless dishes.

• Drizzled over eggs, tacos, or burritos
• Mixed into chili, soup, or stews for a kick of heat
• As a condiment for grilled chicken, fish, or burgers
• Stirred into mayonnaise or sour cream for a spicy dip

How To Store Hot Sauce

• Refrigerate: Store the finished hot sauce in a sealed bottle or jar in the refrigerator. Due to the fermentation and vinegar, it is well-preserved and will last for up to 4 months. The sauce may separate over time, which is normal; just give it a good shake before using.

Hot Sauce Nutrition Facts

• Serving: 1 teaspoon
• Calories: 5 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 1g
• Protein: 0g
• Fat: 0g
• Sodium: 250mg
• Sugar: 0g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Trader Joe’s Pizza Sauce Recipe
• Trader Joe’s Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
• Trader Joe’s Mushroom Soup Recipe