This roasted habanero hot sauce recipe is fiery, smoky, and full of flavor. It is made with habaneros and carrot for a touch of sweetness, along with garlic, onion, and vinegar. Serve this vibrant habanero sauce with a carne asada quesadilla, grilled meats, eggs, and anything that could use a spicy kick!
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You may have noticed that I recently shared a roasted habanero salsa recipe, and now I'm sharing a habanero hot sauce recipe. If you're wondering what's with all of these habanero recipes, I can explain! I bought a beautiful batch of habaneros from a local friend who grows and sells them, and I've been coming up with ways to use them before they go bad.
I kept this habanero sauce simple and let the habaneros do the talking. Habaneros range from 100,000-350,000 Scoville units, so I added a few tiny carrots from the garden for body and a touch of sweetness. You'll need one medium carrot. This recipe makes approximately 1 ¾ cups of habanero sauce. I'm storing mine in these adorable 4-ounce flip-top bottles!
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Habaneros: 12 medium-sized habanero peppers.
- Carrots: Don't let the ingredients picture fool you; we're not adding a bunch of carrots. The carrots pictured were just 3 ounces, equivalent to 1 medium carrot.
- Garlic: I used 3 hardneck garlic cloves, so they were huge. If using regular garlic, double the amount.
- Onion: ½ of a small white or yellow onion (3 ounces). Shallots would be an excellent substitute.
- Other Peppers: I added 2 Sugar Rush Peach peppers, which are about as hot as a jalapeño. You can also substitute with 1-2 sweet mini orange peppers.
- Vinegar: I used distilled white vinegar, but you can substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Salt: Use sea salt, kosher salt, or plain salt.
- Herbs: I decided not to add any dried herbs to my habanero sauce. However, 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano would be a solid addition!
🌶 How to Make Habanero Hot Sauce
Step 1: Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast peppers, onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, and peeled carrot on a foil-lined baking tray. Flip peppers after 5 minutes, then remove after another 5 minutes, for a total of 10 minutes.
Step 2: Roast the garlic and onion for another 5 minutes, for a total of 15 minutes. Continue roasting the carrots for 20 minutes total, or until tender and lightly browned.
Step 3: Remove the stems from the roasted habaneros by gently pulling them off. Transfer the peppers and remaining roasted vegetables to a blender. Add the salt, vinegar, and water, then blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
Step 4: Pour into flip-top bottles (or squeeze bottles) and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Discard if the sauce develops an unusual odor, visible mold, bubbling, or other unexpected changes.
🍽 What to Serve with Habanero Sauce
This roasted habanero hot sauce recipe is perfect for anyone who loves a little extra heat with their favorite Mexican dishes. Drizzle a few drops over birria tacos, beef tamales, or a Mexican breakfast burrito. It's also delicious with carne asada, fish burritos, and chilaquiles verde.
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Is a Habanero Hotter Than Jalapeño?
Yes, habanero peppers are significantly hotter than jalapeños. Habaneros typically measure 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), while jalapeños range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. That means habaneros can be dozens of times hotter than jalapeños! If you're sensitive to heat, start with just a few drops of this roasted habanero hot sauce and add more to taste.
Does Habanero Sauce Have to Be Roasted?
No, roasting the vegetables is optional, but it adds a rich, slightly smoky flavor and brings out their natural sweetness. Roasting also helps reduce bacteria on the surfaces of the peppers, carrots, onion, and garlic. If you skip this step, your sauce will have a fresher pepper flavor with less smokiness.
How Can I Make Habanero Hot Sauce Thinner?
If your habanero hot sauce is thicker than you'd like, blend in a little water at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency. You can also strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve for a smoother, thinner texture. Add water gradually so you don't dilute the flavor too much.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Always wear gloves when handling spicy peppers.
- Don't over-roast the vegetables. Light charring adds a smoky flavor, but heavily blackened garlic and peppers can make the habanero sauce bitter.
- Keep the seeds for maximum heat. For a slightly milder sauce, remove some seeds and membranes before roasting.
- For a thinner, pourable habanero sauce, add water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Keep habanero sauce refrigerated and use within 1 month. Freeze any extra portions for longer storage.
🍅 More Condiment Recipes
If you love this habanero hot sauce recipe, here are some other condiments you may love!
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📖 Recipe
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Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast peppers, onion, unpeeled garlic cloves, and peeled carrot on a foil-lined baking tray. Flip peppers after 5 minutes, then remove after another 5 minutes, for a total of 10 minutes.
- Roast the garlic and onion for another 5 minutes, for a total of 15 minutes. Continue roasting the carrots for 20 minutes total, or until tender and lightly browned.
- Remove the stems from the roasted habaneros by gently pulling them off. Transfer the peppers and remaining roasted vegetables to a blender. Add the salt, vinegar, and water, then blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Pour into flip-top bottles (or squeeze bottles) and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Discard if the sauce develops an unusual odor, visible mold, bubbling, or other unexpected changes.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Always wear gloves when handling spicy peppers.
- Don't over-roast the vegetables. Light charring adds a smoky flavor, but heavily blackened garlic and peppers can make the sauce bitter.
- Keep the seeds for maximum heat. For a slightly milder sauce, remove some seeds and membranes before roasting.
- For a thinner, pourable sauce, add water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Keep refrigerated, and use within 1 month. Freeze any extra portions for longer storage.
Nena Sterner says
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Hilda Sterner says
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