Cholula Hot Sauce Recipe

We’ve made a lot of hot sauces, but this one right here-this is the real deal. We know what makes Cholula so special, and we’ve figured out how to get that same flavor at home. You’re in good hands with us.

This Cholula Hot Sauce recipe is a homemade version of the popular Mexican hot sauce. It combines arbol and piquin peppers with vinegar, garlic, and spices to create a tangy, medium-heat sauce with bold flavor and smooth texture for the Qdoba Hot and Sweet Chicken.

Wanna know the exact ingredients, step-by-step process, and the secret that makes it taste just like the real thing? Keep reading-we’re spilling everything.

What Does Cholula Hot Sauce Taste Like?

Cholula Hot Sauce has a bold, zesty flavor with just the right amount of heat. It’s not overpoweringly spicy-instead, it offers a smooth, balanced kick that warms your taste buds without setting them on fire.

The combination of pequin and arbol peppers gives it a smoky, earthy heat, while vinegar adds a tangy brightness. Garlic and paprika round things out with savory depth, making the flavor rich and complex.

It’s the kind of sauce that enhances food without masking it. Whether you’re drizzling it over eggs, tacos, Qdoba Sweet and Spicy Chicken or pizza, Cholula adds that perfect burst of spice and flavor you didn’t know you needed.

Ingredients Required for Cholula Hot Sauce Recipe

Here’s the list of Ingredients you’ll need to make this Cholula Hot Sauce

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 9 dried pequin peppers (seeded)
• 4 dried arbol peppers (seeded)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons ground paprika
• 1 tablespoon onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

Kitchen Utensil You’ll Need

1. Kitchen gloves
2. Medium saucepan and thermometer
3. Blender or food processor
4. Small bowl
5. Sterilized glass bottles or jars

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Copycat Cholula Hot Sauce Recipe

Simply follow the steps given below to make your Cholula Hot Sauce at home

Step 1: Start by seeding the dried pequin and arbol peppers. These little guys pack a punch, so it’s a good idea to wear kitchen gloves to protect your hands from the spicy oils.

Step 2: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, white vinegar, seeded peppers, minced garlic, ground paprika, onion flakes, and salt. Stir everything together and get ready to bring the heat.

Step 3: Place the saucepan over medium heat and monitor the temperature with a kitchen thermometer. Once the mixture hits 180°F (82°C), keep it at that temperature for 10 minutes to allow the peppers to soften and the flavors to blend beautifully.

Step 4: Carefully pour the hot mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until the texture is completely smooth. Then, let it cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Step 5: In a small bowl, stir together the cold water and xanthan gum until it’s fully dissolved. Add this to the cooled pepper mixture in the blender and blend for another 30 seconds to give your hot sauce that classic smooth and slightly thick texture.

Step 6: If you want an extra silky finish, strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Then, use a funnel to pour the sauce into clean, sterilized bottles or jars. Pop them in the fridge and your homemade Cholula-style hot sauce is ready to enjoy for up to 6 to 9 months.

Some Tasty Ways To Pair and Serve This Cholula Hot Sauce

1. On Breakfast Tacos (obviously!)
Okay, let’s just start with the classic-breakfast tacos. Scrambled eggs, a little cheese, maybe some avocado… and then boom, a drizzle of this sauce takes it to another level. We’ve tried it with bacon, chorizo, even veggie tacos-never disappoints.

2. Mixed Into Mayo for a Spicy Sandwich Spread
You haven’t lived until you’ve mixed a spoonful of this hot sauce into mayo and slathered it on a sandwich. Turkey, BLT, grilled cheese… it adds this smoky tangy kick that makes everything feel gourmet.

3. Drizzled on Avocado Toast
Simple but game-changing. Mash some avocado on toasted sourdough, add a little lemon juice, maybe an egg on top, and then finish it with a light swirl of Cholula. It gives you that wake-up heat in the best way.

4. In Bloody Marys
We started doing this on a whim and now it’s a must. Just a dash or two in a Bloody Mary gives it that bold, peppery depth. It’s like the missing ingredient we didn’t know we needed.

5. As a Marinade Booster
We’ve added it to marinades for chicken, tofu, shrimp-you name it. Mix it with olive oil, lime juice, and garlic, and let it soak in. The flavor seeps right into the meat (or plant-based alternative) and makes it taste like it came off a restaurant grill.

6. Over Roasted Veggies
Honestly, roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, or Brussels sprouts + this hot sauce = serious magic. It brings out the natural sweetness of the veggies and balances it with a little fire.

7. Swirled Into Soup
You know when soup feels like it’s missing something? We’ve added this sauce to lentil soup, black bean soup, and even chicken tortilla soup. A little heat makes it feel warm and rich and totally cozy.

8. On Popcorn
Sounds weird, tastes amazing. We’ve done this for movie night-just drizzle a bit of Cholula over fresh popcorn (after the butter, of course), shake it up with a little salt, and dig in. It’s spicy, salty, and totally addictive.

9. As a Pizza Finisher
Forget the red pepper flakes-just a few drops of this on a slice of pizza is everything. Especially good on pepperoni, veggie, or BBQ chicken. Trust us, once you try it, you’ll keep a bottle on hand for pizza nights.

10. On Eggs… Any Style
Scrambled, fried, poached, omelets-it honestly doesn’t matter. A few drops of this hot sauce make eggs way more exciting. We’ve even used it in deviled eggs and got compliments from people who “don’t usually like spicy food.”

Some Tips on This Cholula Hot Sauce Recipe

1. Always wear gloves when handling hot peppers
Trust me, I learned this the hard way! These little peppers are spicy, and if you touch your face after, it hurts. So I always wear gloves now. It makes everything way easier.

2. Don’t skip seeding the peppers
I used to leave the seeds in, thinking it would be fine… nope! It made the sauce way too hot for me. Taking out the seeds gives it the perfect balance of heat and flavor.

3. Use fresh garlic if you can
I tried this once with garlic powder because I was out of fresh cloves, but it didn’t taste the same. Fresh garlic really gives it that bold, rich flavor.

4. Keep a thermometer nearby
I used to guess the temperature, but when I finally used a kitchen thermometer, the sauce turned out so much better. Heating it to 180°F makes a big difference.

5. Let it sit at the right temperature
It’s tempting to rush, but letting it stay hot for 10 minutes really helps the peppers soften and all the flavors blend together. It’s worth the wait.

6. Blend it super smooth
At first, I didn’t blend long enough and it was a little chunky. Now I blend until it’s silky, and wow-it pours and tastes like a pro made it!

7. Let it cool before adding xanthan gum
One time I added the gum too soon and it clumped up. Now I wait for it to cool to room temp, and the texture turns out just right.

8. Mix the xanthan gum in cold water first
I tried dumping it straight into the blender once… big mistake. Mixing it with water first makes it dissolve better and keeps the sauce smooth.

9. Strain it if you like smooth sauce
I don’t always do this step, but when I want a silky-smooth sauce (like store-bought), straining it makes a big difference.

10. Use clean bottles and jars
This is super important! I always wash and sterilize my bottles before filling them. It keeps the sauce fresh for months in the fridge.

How to Store and Reheat Cholula Hot Sauce Properly

Once bottled, keep your hot sauce refrigerated. It stays fresh and tasty for 6 to 9 months. Just give it a little shake before each use to bring all those delicious flavors back together.

Common Queries on This Cholula Hot Sauce Recipe

Here, we’ve got you covered with some common questions about the Cholula Hot Sauce that people often ask.

1. How do they make Cholula Hot Sauce?

From our experience making it at home, Cholula Hot Sauce is all about layering flavor, not just heat. It starts with dried pequin and arbol peppers-those bring the signature kick. Then it’s balanced with vinegar, garlic, paprika, and onion. The secret is heating the mixture to the right temperature to release the oils, then blending it smooth and thickening it slightly with xanthan gum. It’s surprisingly simple once you’ve got the hang of it!

2. What makes hot sauce actually hot?

Great question! It’s the capsaicin in chili peppers that gives hot sauce its heat. In our recipe, the dried pequin and arbol peppers are the spicy stars. Pequin peppers are tiny but mighty, and arbol peppers bring a clean, sharp burn. Seed them if you want to tame the heat a bit.

3. What do you put Cholula Hot Sauce on?

Oh, honestly-almost everything! We love it on scrambled eggs, tacos, roasted veggies, grilled chicken, and even pizza. It’s also amazing stirred into soups, mixed into marinades, or drizzled over avocado toast. The flavor is so balanced it works with just about any savory dish.

4. Can I make this hot sauce less spicy?

Absolutely. If you’re not into a lot of heat, you can remove more of the seeds from the peppers, or reduce the number of peppers altogether. You can also increase the vinegar just a touch to mellow things out. The beauty of homemade is that you control the burn!

5. Do I need xanthan gum for this recipe?

Technically, no-you can skip it. But from our experience, xanthan gum helps give the sauce that perfect, slightly thick texture you expect from store-bought hot sauce. Without it, your sauce will still taste great-it’ll just be a bit thinner.

6. How long does homemade Cholula-style hot sauce last?

We’ve stored it in the fridge for up to 9 months with no problem at all. As long as your bottles are sterilized and you keep everything clean, it holds up really well. Just remember to give it a shake before using!

7. Why does my sauce separate in the fridge?

Totally normal! Even with xanthan gum, some separation can happen over time-especially if you skipped the straining step. Just give the bottle a good shake before using, and you’re good to go.

8. Can I use fresh peppers instead of dried?

You can, but it will taste different. We’ve tested both ways, and dried peppers give that classic deep, smoky heat that Cholula is known for. Fresh peppers tend to make the sauce a bit more watery and less concentrated in flavor.

9. What vinegar works best in this recipe?

White vinegar is our go-to for this one because it’s clean, sharp, and lets the pepper flavors shine. We’ve tried apple cider vinegar too-it adds a touch of sweetness, but it slightly changes the flavor profile. Stick with white for that traditional Cholula vibe.

10. Can I make a bigger batch and can it for shelf storage?

Yes, but we recommend sticking to refrigeration unless you’re comfortable with proper canning techniques. We usually make one or two bottles at a time and store them in the fridge-it’s safer and keeps the flavor fresh.

And that’s it! You just made a fiery, flavorful homemade Cholula Hot Sauce that’s bold enough to impress your taste buds and your friends. Whether you’re drizzling it on breakfast tacos, mixing it into marinades, or spicing up your favorite snacks, this sauce adds the perfect punch. Go ahead-level up your hot sauce game!

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