Tangy & Spicy: The Best Homemade Dill Pickle Hot Sauce You'll Ever Make!
If you love dill pickles and hot sauce, this easy and quick recipe is for you! It combines the tangy, briny goodness of pickles with the fiery kick of jalapeños for a versatile sauce perfect on everything.
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Bottle or jar, for storage
- Funnel optional, for bottling
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped dill pickles Use your favorite kind!
- 0.5 cup pickle juice The liquid gold from the pickle jar.
- 2 fresh jalapeños 2-3, chopped. Adjust quantity for heat. Leave the seeds and membranes in for more heat, remove them for less.
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp honey Just a touch of sweetness balances the heat and tang.
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika Adds a subtle smoky depth.
- 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper optional, for extra heat
- Salt to taste. Pickles are salty, so you might not need much.
Instructions
- Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients. Gather everything you need. Chop your pickles and jalapeños, mince your garlic. If you're sensitive to spice, you might want to wear gloves when handling the jalapeños!
- Step 2: Combine Everything in a Blender. Toss the chopped pickles, pickle juice, chopped jalapeños, minced garlic, white vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper (if using) into your blender or food processor.
- Step 3: Blend Until Smooth (or not!). Secure the lid and blend until you reach your desired consistency. For a smooth hot sauce, blend for a minute or two until no chunks remain. If you prefer a slightly chunkier, more rustic sauce, just blend until everything is roughly combined but still has a little texture.
- Step 4: Taste and Adjust. Carefully open the blender (watch out for spicy fumes!) and give it a little taste with a clean spoon. This is your chance to make it perfect! Does it need a pinch more salt? A tiny bit more honey to balance the heat? More cayenne for extra fire? Adjust as needed and give it another quick pulse to combine.
- Step 5: Bottle It Up. Pour your glorious homemade Dill Pickle Hot Sauce into a clean bottle or jar. A small funnel can be super helpful here to avoid spills.
- Step 6: Let the Flavors Mingle. While you can use it right away, I find the flavors really deepen and meld after letting it sit in the fridge for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. It's worth the wait!
Notes
Giving the sauce time to sit in the fridge really does improve the flavor. Plan ahead if you can! Store the hot sauce in the refrigerator. The vinegar and low pH from the pickles help preserve it. It should keep well in the fridge for at least 2-3 months.