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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes » Sauces and Salad Dressings

    How to make hot sauce from dried peppers

    Last Modified: Mar 31, 2020 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Print
    Why wait for summer to make hot sauce? Here's how to make hot sauce from dried peppers, so you can make it year-round.
    jar of fried pepper hot sauce with a spoon in it

    Why wait for summer to make hot sauce? Here's how to make hot sauce from dried peppers, so you can make it year-round.

    jar of dried pepper hot sauce with a spoon in it

    Sure, making hot sauce is easy in summer, when peppers are in season. But with dried peppers, you can make local hot sauce from scratch year round!

    Got fresh peppers instead? No problem! Learn how to make raw hot sauce from any pepper! Or, if you have jalapeños, whip up some green sriracha sauce.

    Last week, I shared how to make hot sauce without turning on the stove, and one reader asked if the recipe would work with dried peppers instead of fresh. What a great question!

    Since I happened to have a small bag of dried, Thai chilies on hand, I gave this a go, and it turned out really well. I've made it many times since, with different peppers and great results.

    Here's how to make hot sauce from dried peppers.

    Jump To:
    • The process
    • How to choose your dried peppers
    • How to make hot sauce from dried peppers
    dried peppers, weighted down with spoons, soaking in a cup with garlic cloves scattered on the table

    The process

    The trick with using dried peppers instead of fresh is that you have to reconstitute them. Reconstituting dried peppers (like any dried fruit) is easy -- just soak in hot water to plump them back up.

    Since you're not going to cook this hot sauce, you want to be certain that your peppers plump up pretty well. I did a double soaking method that worked out nicely. First, soak in hot water, then drain and soak again with your garlic in the vinegar you're using to make the hot sauce.

    pouring vinegar into the jar of hot sauce ingredients
    Soaking Dried Peppers and Garlic in Apple Cider Vinegar

    Once your peppers are soaked, just toss them into the blender with the vinegar and garlic, add a touch of brown sugar, and you're good to go.

    hand turning on a blender to puree the sauce

    You can certainly leave the sugar out of this recipe, but I'd recommend leaving it in, if you can. A little bit of sweetness is so nice with peppery heat and that punch from the vinegar. If your sauce turns out too hot, you can even add a bit more sugar to offset the intensity.

    How to choose your dried peppers

    You can really use any dried peppers you like for this recipe. I've made this sauce using Thai chilis, and the batch in the photos uses dried japones peppers.

    grocery store sign for Dried Japones Peppers

    This recipe also works great with chipotle chilis, ancho peppers, habaneros, or any other hot pepper you like, so use what you have. Or special order some fancy peppers you've been wanting to try. Get into it!

    Got your peppers picked out? Let's heat up some water and get soaking! Here's how to make hot sauce from dried peppers.

    hand spooning hot sauce out of a jar

    How to make hot sauce from dried peppers

    Why wait for summer to make hot sauce? Here's how to make hot sauce from dried peppers, so you can make it year-round with this small-batch recipe.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Sauces and Dressings
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: dried peppers, hot sauce
    Prep Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 24
    Calories: 43kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup dried chili peppers - NOT a packed cup
    • boiling water - to cover
    • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1 head garlic - peeled
    • ¼ cup brown sugar - or to taste

    Instructions

    • Cut the tops off of your chili peppers, then place them in a small bowl. Heat your water to boiling, then pour it over the peppers. You may need to use a spoon or two to anchor those suckers so that they stay submerged. Let your peppers soak in the water for about 30 minutes, then drain them. 
    • Add the peppers to the bowl with the garlic cloves, then pour enough vinegar over them to cover. Use your spoons again to keep the peppers from floating, and soak for 30 minutes more. 
    • Pour the peppers, garlic, and vinegar into a food processor and add the sugar. Blend until smooth.

    Equipment

    • Blender

    Notes

    1 serving = 1 tablespoon

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    How to make hot sauce from dried peppers
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    43
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    0.1
    g
    1
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    0.3
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    0.1
    g
    Sodium
     
    10
    mg
    0
    %
    Potassium
     
    195
    mg
    6
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    9
    g
    3
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    12
    %
    Sugar
     
    6
    g
    7
    %
    Protein
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    2611
    IU
    52
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    3
    mg
    4
    %
    Calcium
     
    7
    mg
    1
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

    More Vegan sauces and salad dressings

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    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Audrey

      October 25, 2021 at 11:12 pm

      Can I add fruit to sweeten instead of sugar?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        October 26, 2021 at 6:12 am

        Sure! You will need to experiment with how much fruit to use and what kind. I'd go with dates or dried apricots. Start with 1, blend, and add more as needed until you get to your desired flavor.

        Reply
        • Phil Ellis

          March 16, 2022 at 2:10 am

          5 stars
          Pepper sauce from dried pepper sources is often overlooked. I think they are great. Thank you for posting this recipe.

          Reply
          • Becky Striepe

            March 16, 2022 at 8:40 am

            I'm glad you enjoyed it, Phil!

            Reply
    2. Ryan

      October 03, 2020 at 10:49 am

      I am just about to try this recipe, if I add chopped onions and a few chopped fresh Habaneros, how long will this last in the refrigerator?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        October 05, 2020 at 8:43 am

        It should keep for two to three weeks, because of the acidity from the vinegar.

        Reply
    3. nunu

      May 24, 2020 at 10:25 pm

      5 stars
      Good, easy recipe especially the part about no cooking.

      Reply
    4. John

      April 26, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      I had been dying to have my homemade hot sauce that I make all summer long. Saw this recipe and knew we had a bag of dried cayennes in the kitchen and made a batch. Wow it came out great. I added some shallots to the recipe and less sugar and it was right to my liking. Great recipe and thank you for sharing. I am stocking up on dried peppers this Fall.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 27, 2020 at 8:10 am

        I'm glad to hear this hit the spot, John! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating and comment, and happy cooking!

        Reply
    5. Chilli bean

      March 03, 2020 at 9:49 am

      Just tried this recipe. Really tasty! Thanks for sharing this quick and easy way to make hot sauce.
      It's not crazy spicy but that's because I have no idea what the chilli were that I used just a bunch of generic red long ones a neighbour gifted me from his bumper crop. I'd dried them in the summer. Great way to use them up. Yummy!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        March 03, 2020 at 12:23 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it and hope you get to make it again soon!

        Reply
        • Leanna

          July 09, 2020 at 6:22 pm

          If using very hot peppers ( we have some dried ghost that were adding with some Serranos) is using a plastic blender bad? If i wash right away will my protein shakes not be spicy?

          Reply
          • Becky Striepe

            July 10, 2020 at 9:36 am

            Oh that is a good question! I use a plastic blender and haven't had an issue with it retaining the flavor, but I know every blender is a bit different. Maybe let it soak in warm, soapy water? I'd be most concerned about cleaning under the blades, where things can get lodged during blending.

            Reply
    6. Austin

      December 11, 2019 at 1:04 pm

      5 stars
      I been looking for a simple way to do raw with my dehydrated peppers. Thank you.

      Austin

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        December 11, 2019 at 1:24 pm

        I'm glad I could help! Happy hot sauce-making!

        Reply
    7. Milagros Llauger

      September 22, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      Would this recipe work using very tiny peppers. They are the size of Pinky nail and very hot. I picked them from my son’s tree. At this time I am drying them. Recipe sounds great, please advise.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 23, 2019 at 10:24 am

        It should work fine. You can always add sugar or another sweetener to offset the heat, if it turns out too spicy for your liking.

        Reply
    8. james

      September 19, 2019 at 6:06 am

      what if i don't use apple cider vinegar , what other kind of vinegar can i use? can i not use vinegar?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 19, 2019 at 1:43 pm

        I'm not sure if you can make this without vinegar. You may want to look for a different recipe.

        Reply
    9. Brett Denison

      April 27, 2019 at 9:23 am

      I made it using Carolina Reapers and its delicious and fire. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 27, 2019 at 2:52 pm

        You are so welcome, Brett!

        Reply
      • Nick

        June 20, 2019 at 4:44 pm

        Did you use the full cup of reapers?

        Reply
    10. Nicolette

      November 27, 2018 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness. Just made this and it's so good. First time making my own hot sauce. I used China chili peppers (from penzey spices), 1/8 tsp of salt and an 1/8 cup of coconut sugar. Delicious. This might be a silly questjon but this should be refrigerated right?? Store bought never needs to be, but I'm assuming this should. Thanks so much! This is going to be my go to recipe.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        November 28, 2018 at 10:52 am

        Oh, that sounds like a lovely combo! Yes, I'd definitely refrigerate, just to be on the safe side.

        Reply
    11. Tim

      October 24, 2018 at 10:19 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe thanks! Using the hot sauce making kit I received as a present the recipes weren’t turning out that great. Using all ghost reapers and habaneros this is a legit hot sauce!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        October 28, 2018 at 9:17 am

        I'm so glad you're digging it!

        Reply
    12. Jason

      May 11, 2017 at 12:02 am

      How long can you expect this hot sauce to last for?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 11, 2017 at 6:09 am

        It lasts for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

        Reply
      • ron

        October 22, 2017 at 7:48 pm

        if you add olive oil can last for months. olive oil a great preservative. prevents fermentation

        Reply
        • Joe

          April 13, 2018 at 4:20 pm

          How much oil?

          Reply
        • Keith

          July 28, 2018 at 6:34 pm

          Olive oil is only a preservative when food is submerged in the oil, isolating it from the air. A few drops in a sauce isn't going to do anything to prevent spoilage.

          It also promotes fermentation in the absence of oxygen, someone at the new belgium brewery did their doctoral thesis on just that.

          Reply
    13. Tom

      March 28, 2017 at 8:59 am

      Hi I have been using 8 dried ghosts and 8 dried reaper peppers and my sauce is not near as hot as o would like any ideas

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        June 20, 2018 at 8:23 pm

        Maybe replace some of the garlic cloves with more peppers, and see if you can reach the atomic heat you're after!

        Reply
        • Kendra

          August 07, 2018 at 3:31 pm

          I'd also suggest skipping the water and heating the vinegar when you reconstitute the peppers. A lot of the heat is going to get purged out when you soak them in water and then toss the water.

          Reply
    14. jonathan forgash

      March 22, 2017 at 3:17 pm

      after adding vinegar and sugar do I let sit on counter to batch rest for a while or do I put it into small bottles and into fridge?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        March 22, 2017 at 3:49 pm

        Good question! Let them cool a bit, so they don't break from the shock of the cold fridge.

        Reply
    15. Caroline

      March 10, 2016 at 2:42 am

      Interesting! I might try this with Trinidad Moruga Scorpions soon! Any other ingredients you'd recommend including? Also, what's the benefit of creating the hot sauce without using the stove/cooking it at all? I wonder how the flavors will be different.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        March 10, 2016 at 7:33 am

        Enjoy it! The main benefit of not cooking is that it's faster, but with most peppers, it also yields a hotter hot sauce.

        Reply
    16. Eddie Fontenot

      June 14, 2015 at 11:18 pm

      trying this out with carolina reapers

      Reply
      • Eddie Fontenot

        June 15, 2015 at 1:18 am

        UPDATE: my homemade carolina reaper death sauce turned out amazing :)

        Reply
        • Becky Striepe

          June 15, 2015 at 7:27 am

          Woo woo! I'm so glad that you reported back, Eddie!

          Reply
    17. Mike Lieberman

      July 06, 2011 at 11:36 am

      I love it. Been looking for an alternative to the store bought stuff. Thanks!

      Reply

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    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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