Homemade Fresh Chilli Sauce
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Do you like your hot food? A little chilli-lover are you? Well, this is the recipe for you. This Homemade Fresh Chilli Sauce is so easy to make, and so delicious, that it may just become a regular in your kitchen. Whip up this hot condiment in under an hour, and add some heat to any of your favourite dishes!
>> Jump straight to the recipe.
Fresh Cayenne Peppers
This summer we decided to grow our own chillis. What a great idea that was! We’ve had beautiful fresh chillis hanging out on our balcony for months, ready to spice up our meals.
These particular chillis that we grew are Cayenne Peppers which are usually moderately hot chilli peppers.
It took about 3 months before we harvested our first batch of red chillis. It was wonderful to watch them grow right in front of our eyes, on our little balcony. At first, the chillis were green, and later they turned red. They are milder when they are green, which works better for some. But when they are red, they are riper, with more flavour and spiciness. It’s your choice.
You could grow your own, or buy them at the store or fresh market. Whatever works for you. This is just to remind you that it isn’t difficult to grow chillis at home. Essentially, all you need is a pot, soil, seeds and water. They don’t ask for much, and they give a whole lot back in return!
I can’t handle a lot of heat, and I don’t find these cayenne red chillis too hot at all. They are spicy but still have a subtle sweetness to them which works perfectly in this homemade fresh chilli sauce. Note: When I picked a couple of these chillis and left them to dry, they were much much hotter!
Simple foods with Superpowers!
Cayenne peppers offer many health benefits, and as a Healthline article says “Many people consider cayenne peppers to be the king of medicinal herbs.” Their benefits range from boosting the metabolism, lowering blood pressure and promoting digestive health. If you want to read more about their health benefits check out this article.
Spices in general offer many health benefits, and we try to use a variety of them in our cooking. They are amazing because they offer so much value – they’re not generally expensive, they add so much flavour, and they offer incredible health benefits. It’s a win-win-win 🙂
As a side note, if you enjoy spices, below is a beautiful book you can check out. But don’t forget to return for the Chilli Sauce recipe below! 🙂
Simple Italian Cooking
So we had all these beautiful red chilli peppers, and I wanted to make something wonderful with them.
Being a lover of Italian cooking, I was inspired by a classic Italian chilli sauce condiment called Peperoncini Freschi Sott’Olio – Fresh Chilli in Olive Oil. This simple condiment typically only has 5 ingredients, and that includes salt!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Chillis, Garlic, White Wine Vinegar, and salt. That’s it.
It’s such a simple recipe. You’re basically just mixing up the garlic and chilli in a blender. Then lightly frying the chilli-garlic mix in a pan. And then adding the oil, to fry very lightly for 25 minutes. After that, you add the vinegar and salt, and it’s ready to bottle.
I love using fewer ingredients and letting them shine. This less-is-more approach to cooking that I experience in Italy so often is amazing. You really start to appreciate each ingredient and the flavours it brings. You use fewer ingredients and simply pair them better.
The combination of these 5 ingredients is yum. And it’s that chilli flavour that stands out as the hero.
Tips to make it just right
Use chillis you like. You can make a sweeter sauce with sweeter chillis. Or you can make an extra hot sauce with hotter chillis. It’s up to you to make your perfect blend. Have some fun and try out different chillis, and see what you prefer.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a blender. You will just need to finely chop your garlic and chilli yourself. It won’t take much time.
Don’t forget to wash your hands after handling your chilli. I often touch my face or rub my eyes after dealing with the chilli, and it stings for ages!
Adjust garlic to suit your preferences. I love garlic, and always happy to add a little more to my meals. If you don’t like garlic, you can add less or leave it out altogether. Remember, when you make this recipe you’re essentially flavouring the extra virgin olive oil with chilli and garlic. So you’ll need to find your perfect balance by trying it out.
Store it in the fridge in a sealed jar. It will keep for a long time, being in the olive oil. In the fridge, the liquid may harden slightly, but once out of the fridge, it’ll resume its normal liquid form.
Add it to many different foods. You can add this condiment to just about anything. Morning eggs, protein, stew, a wrap or sandwich, anything really.
Use the extra oil to cook with. Instead of leaving lots of extra olive oil in the chilli sauce jar, use it to cook with. The oil will be flavoured beautifully with chilli and garlic, perfect for cooking!
Homemade Fresh Chilli Sauce:
Below you’ll find this easy to make Homemade Fresh Chilli Sauce recipe. Enjoy!
If you do make it, let me know in the comments how it went and what your favourite way to eat it is. Take a photo and tag @livethewonderful.life on Instagram and hashtag #livethewondefullife. Looking forward to hearing from you!
ciao for now xoxo
If you're a chilli-lover, this easy fresh chilli sauce recipe is just for you. Whip it up in under an hour and add a delicious heat to your favourite dishes!
Wash the chillis properly and cut off the stems.
Loosely chop the garlic cloves.
Blend the chilli and garlic in a food processor. Blend lightly - do not let it become a pulp. If you don't have a processor, chop finely with a knife but wear gloves or remember to wash your hands properly before touching your face - chillis burn!
Lightly heat up the chilli and garlic in a pan without any oil. Stir constantly so they can dry out but not get stuck to the pan. After about 5 minutes, add the olive oil to the pan.
Fry the mix on a low temperature for about 25 minutes. Then set aside to cool down.
Once cool, add the vinegar. Add salt to taste. Pour into a glass jar and keep in the fridge. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the chillis properly and cut off the stems.
Loosely chop the garlic cloves.
Blend the chilli and garlic in a food processor. Blend lightly - do not let it become a pulp. If you don't have a processor, chop finely with a knife but wear gloves or remember to wash your hands properly before touching your face - chillis burn!
Lightly heat up the chilli and garlic in a pan without any oil. Stir constantly so they can dry out but not get stuck to the pan. After about 5 minutes, add the olive oil to the pan.
Fry the mix on a low temperature for about 25 minutes. Then set aside to cool down.
Once cool, add the vinegar. Add salt to taste. Pour into a glass jar and keep in the fridge. Enjoy!
Tom
May 17, 2020 at 8:59 amThis recipe worked great. Thank you
livethewonderful
May 18, 2020 at 3:25 pmHi Tom, I’m so glad to here that! What are you planning to enjoy it with? If possible, I’d love it if you share a photo with me via email (sian@livethewonderful.life) 🙂
Nat LI
June 7, 2020 at 5:27 amHi, You have oil in the recipe but I can’t see when you add it. Can you put that into your steps. I am going to guess when you have it all cool in a jar with the salt? Then refrigerate. Am looking forward to trying it.
livethewonderful
June 17, 2020 at 6:00 pmHello Nat, I’m so glad you like this recipe, it’s tasty and easy!
In STEP 4: First you lightly heat up just the chilli and garlic in a pan without any oil, stirring constantly so they can dry out but not get stuck to the pan. Then, after about 5 minutes, add the olive oil to the pan and stir. STEP 5: Fry the mix (chilli, garlic and oil) in the pan on a low temperature for about 25 minutes. Then, take it off the stove and set the pan aside to cool down. STEP 6: Once the oil mixture has cooled down, add the vinegar to the pan and stir. Add salt to taste. Then pour the whole complete mixture into a glass jar and keep in the fridge.
I hope this cleared any doubts up and looking forward to hearing how it goes. Send me a photo via email! 🙂
malcolm mambwe
June 21, 2020 at 7:16 amNice thanks we love it.
livethewonderful
June 22, 2020 at 2:41 pmSo glad you love it Malcolm! If you feel inspired, send me a photo of your homemade chilli sauce 🙂
Twaha Alli
July 4, 2020 at 1:27 amSunday is my birthday and also day of cooking since we only guys,so I’m going to try this sauce for dinner,can I use fresh green chilies because I love green chilies more than red?
Thank you
livethewonderful
July 4, 2020 at 11:50 amEarly birthday wishes for Sunday! Yes definitely, you can certainly use green chillis – it’s a simple recipe that gives you the freedom to adapt it to what you like – in terms of flavour and hotness – So choose chilli you like most. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Mary shoebridge
July 20, 2020 at 11:14 pmCan I make this with frozen chillies
livethewonderful
August 11, 2020 at 1:39 pmHi Mary, I would let the chillis defrost before starting the recipe 🙂
myls aparente
August 4, 2020 at 4:56 amhi, can i use canola oil instead of olive oil?
livethewonderful
August 11, 2020 at 1:39 pmHi there 🙂 Yes sure, you can use any oil that works for you. I choose Extra Virgin Olive Oil as it is healthier than Canola OIl – Canola seed processing often involves synthetic chemicals that help extract the oil – But that’s not to say Canola Oil is terrible, and I do understand that it can be more convenient.
Rhulani
August 4, 2020 at 6:58 amThis sounds great but Can I use this chillies in fries?
livethewonderful
August 11, 2020 at 1:35 pmHi Rhulani – When it comes to how you use them, I’d say do what feels good to you – the sauce is versatile so it can work on anything really – Once it’s made you can just spoon it onto anything – like sandwiches, stir-fries or stews – You could try to dip your fries into it and see how it tastes. I have never tried this but I would love to know!
Marilyn Angelic Cabebe
August 21, 2020 at 11:43 amFinally a fresh chili recipe!
What can I substitute for white wine vinegar?
livethewonderful
August 26, 2020 at 8:06 amHi Marilyn, yay, glad you’re excited to try it!
Out of interest, is there a specific reason you want to substitute the vinegar? Is it because you don’t have any or because you don’t want to use it? Let me know and we can find a solution! 🙂
Karen Adams
November 24, 2020 at 11:56 pmThank you! Inspired by your recipe, I made it the same but added a small chopped shallot, half a teaspoon of cumin and same of paprika. Tastes great 👍.
(I’ve tried to upload a photo, but there’s no facility to do so 🤔)
livethewonderful
January 24, 2021 at 5:33 pmHi Karen, ooohhh those extra ingredients sound lovely, especially the spices – I love cumin and paprika! I’d love it if you sent me a photo at sian@livethewonderful.life 🙂
Susan
December 18, 2020 at 8:07 amCan’t wait to make this…
Is that 1 tablespoon or 1 teaspoon of salt please?
livethewonderful
January 24, 2021 at 5:30 pmHi Susan, I’m so glad you’re going to try this recipe! For the salt, I didn’t put in a specific amount as it depends on your taste preference – I don’t add much at all. Once it has cooled down, I would add a sprinkle/pinch and taste it, then add more if you like. Rather add less to start, as you don’t want to add too much and ruin the recipe. And you can always add more at a later stage if you like 🙂
Colleen McDonald
January 2, 2021 at 7:27 amHow long does it last in the fridge once made?
livethewonderful
January 24, 2021 at 5:25 pmHi Colleen! As there are no preservatives in it, I’d say 2 weeks. We always make one jar at a time, and end up finishing it before 2 weeks is up 🙂
Gary
January 22, 2021 at 4:23 amHi Sian
I have so many chillies growing in my garden on the Gold Coast I am trying your recipe and have bought some 300ml jars from Kmart, I hope to bottle a few and give to my friends, how long do you think it will last in the fridge?
Thx Gary
livethewonderful
January 24, 2021 at 5:25 pmHi Gary, that is lovely to hear! Well, we always finish ours so quickly haha But I would say, kept in a sealed glass jar in the fridge, about 2 weeks. That is why, if you have lots and lots of chillis, you can also keep the chillis and let them dry, and then make fresh batches when you need. I’d LOVE you to let me know how the recipe works out for you – perhaps you could email me and let me know? 🙂