Scorching Habanero Hot Sauce (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)
Updated: Mar 6
Get ready to light your tastebuds on fire, literally!! This hot sauce boasts of roasted picante habanero peppers, lots of sweet-tart lime juice and a little sweetness from a whole carrot are all you need for the best hot sauce ever! This fiery habanero hot sauce is not playing around when it comes to spice and flavor, it really is the perfect hot sauce with the beautiful pairing of lime and habaneros, it packs in so much flavor compared to vinegar based hot sauces which can overwhelm the pepper. Made with all whole food ingredients, this Paleo and Whole30 habanero sauce is what all your dishes from eggs to tacos have been missing.
Growing up, nothing was every spicy enough for me, ever. I'm pretty sure I get this from my Korean grandfather (hal-abeoji), once when he was visiting when I was 17 or so, I remember him taking a serrano pepper and whole cloves of garlic and dipping them into the jar of gochujang sauce (Korean pepper paste) and just loving every second of it. I don't do that, however, I do love a flavorful and super spicy hot sauce, and this habanero hot sauce checks all the boxes:
Spicy
Fresh
Whole Food
Tangy
Flavorful
Good with Everything!
I love this sauce and in my house it doesn't last very long since my fiery redheaded daughter loves her spicy food too! We love to eat this on almost everything, here are a few of our favorites:
Eggs
Burritos
Nachos
Fish
Chicken
Steak
In a Mackerel or sardine salad
Mixed into Soup
Over Salads
In a Sandwich
Pretty much anything you want to add a nice level of heat with some tangy flavor, use this awesome hot sauce!
Why Habaneros are So Good For You!
Habanero's are and extremely spicy hot pepper that originated in the Amazon region of South America despite the popularity in Mexican and Central American dishes. Habanero peppers are a great addition to many dishes from salsas to curries when you are searching for an extremely spicy flavor. Capsaicin is the compound found in the pepper and in the membrane of the seeds of spicy peppers that give it its heat, the more capsaicin, the spicier the pepper.
Hot peppers are rated based on the level of capsaicin in the pepper to determine its Scoville Heat Units (SHU's) which is then placed on the Scoville Scale to compare. Our little habanero is number 10 on the Scoville scale with a whopping 100,000-350,000 SHU [1]. For years, habanero peppers were considered the hottest peppers, however, that title now goes to the Carolina Reaper. To learn more about the Scoville scale click HERE. Fun fact: If you grow your own peppers, did you know that you can make them spicer by aggravating the plant? Yep, if you pluck a few leaves or even peppers off the plant, it will produce more capsaicin to protect itself yielding a hotter pepper!
Vitamins
Vitamin A (beta-carotene): A fat soluble vitamin that is a powerful antioxidant supporting healthy vision, immune function, cell growth, and brain function.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): A powerful antioxidant that supports healthy immune function, and the absorption of non-heme iron.
Minerals
Iron: An essential mineral that your body needs and in plants we find non-heme iron. Nature has a way of helping us out since non-heme iron is more difficult for our bodies to absorb [1], pairing it with vitamin C, also found in habanero peppers, increases the absorption of the non-heme iron in our diets.
Calcium: The most abundant mineral in the body and is essential in maintaining health teeth and bones as well as heart, muscle and nerve function [4].
Potassium: An essential electrolyte necessary in nervous system function, metabolism, hydration, and in regulating your heartbeat [5].
There is more to the tiny habanero pepper than you think. There are many health benefits to including hot peppers, like habaneros, to your diet [2].
Supports the GI tract
Lowers Cholesterol
Has Anti-inflammatory Properties
Supports the Immune System
May aid in Weight Loss
So grab some habanero peppers and let's get cooking!
The Spiciest Habanero Hot Sauce Ingredients
Makes approximately 12-16 ounces
4-6 Fresh Habanero Peppers
1 large Carrot, washed and cut into large pieces
½ Onion, cut into large pieces
3-5 Cloves of Garlic, unpeeled
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp EVOO or Avocado Oil
¼ cup Fresh Lime Juice
1/2-1 cup Cool Filtered Water
1 Tbsp Fresh Lime Zest
1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt or Pink Salt (opt)
How to Make The Spiciest Habanero Hot Sauce
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place the peppers and onion onto a small baking dish and add the cloves of garlic to a small piece of foil or parchment paper.
3. Drizzle the peppers and onion with about 1 Tablespoon of EVOO or avocado oil and the garlic with 1 tsp.
4. Wrap the garlic and place onto the baking sheet with the peppers and onion and roast in the oven for 15-minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and transfer to a blender (be sure to remove the pepper stems and garlic skins before adding.)
6. Wash and cut the carrot into a few large pieces and add to the blender with the fresh lime juice, zest, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup of filtered water.
7. Blend on high until puréed adding more water to thin to your desired consistency (I like a thick hot sauce to it sticks to my food.)
8. Transfer to a glass container and keep refrigerated.
Enjoy!
Watch the Video HERE:
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Like this Video? Subscribe to my YouTube cooking channel for healthy, whole food recipes! Want to be notified when I post a new video? Click on the bell icon and you'll get a notification when new recipes are uploaded! Happy Healthy Eating!!
FAQs
Q: Do you have to roast the habanero peppers before making hot sauce?
A: No, this is a preference, however, I do love the smokiness the roasted peppers bring to the sauce.
Q: How long will habanero hot sauce last in the refrigerator?
A: Habanero hot sauce stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator should last about 2-weeks, if you don't eat it all first!
Q: How do I keep the flavor of habanero hot sauce but make it less spicy?
A: There are a few things you can do to make habanero hot sauce less spicy: 1. Add more lime juice and omit 1-2 of the peppers, acid neutralizes heat so this will help temper the fire of this sauce. 2. Add a small amount of pure honey or pure maple syrup (just a little at a time), until a more desired spiciness level is reached.
I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does. - Amy
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