Copycat Franks Red Hot Sauce

Submitted by Jessi Leigh

"Recreate the flavor of Americas favorite red hot cayenne pepper sauce in your very own kitchen!"

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 5
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 18 fresh cayenne peppers (ends & stems removed)
• 1 1⁄2 cups white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

directions

1. USING FRESH CAYENNE PEPPERS.
2. There are two different ways to prepare this sauce. You can use fresh cayenne peppers, or you can use cayenne peppers from your garden that you have canned.
3. If you're using fresh cayenne peppers, simply remove the ends and measure all of the ingredients into a small saucepan.
4. Heat over medium heat until boiling.
5. Reduce the heat slightly, but so the mixture continues to boil.
6. Simmer about 20-25 minutes.
7. Remove the mixture from heat, carefully pour it into a blender & puree until thick and smooth.
8. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and simmer another 15 minutes.
9. USING CANNED CAYENNE PEPPERS.
10. If you're using canned cayenne peppers, which is what we used in this particular recipe --.
11. In a blender add 18 peppers, 1 cup of vinegar (we used the juice from our home-canned peppers), garlic, salt, and garlic powder.
12. Cover and puree until smooth.
13. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
14. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
15. The sauce is much better if you allow the flavors to marry overnight in the fridge, but if you don't have enough time to let it marinate overnight it will still turn out great wings!

Reviews

[Sabrina M.]

This has become my go-to hot sauce recipe - I even started growing cayennes because of it (note: cayennes can be frozen for use throughout the winter)! It resembles Frank's to a degree, but is much hotter, and has been a big hit with everyone I've served/given it to, including hot sauce fanatics. A few words of info/advice: 1. I strain the solids through cheesecloth after whizzing it in the food processor (which I use because I don't own a blender). That's not mentioned but it's essential. 2. While chopping the cayennes and when straining the sauce I wear gloves. I cannot stress how important this is if you want to be able to touch any part of your body with a mucous membrane within 24 hours (hello contact lens wearers!), regardless of how many times you wash your hands with dish soap. 3. Generally the sauce is plenty thick after being pureed (occasionally too thick!) so I skip the final step of boiling again. The only time I've ever had to do the second boil was when I made a double batch. 4. It makes a reasonable amount and it last for a really long time, although the taste starts to deteriorate after six months or so. 5. It will also smell up your house, which may or may not be a good thing! Overall, it's a great hot sauce that I use on pretty much everything!

 

[Christina C.]

This is our new favorite sauce! We are a low sodium family and don't add the salt. And it is still delicious!

 

[ehlke97]

This is an excellent base recipe. I always strain after blending and simmer again only to reach my desired consistency/viscosity. I’ve used it for all kinds of peppers and they’ve been total hits with people.

 

[Dave F.]

This is not a legitimate copy cat Frank's redhot sauce recipe. Frank's along with tobasco and Louisiana hotsauce ferments and ages their peppers in oak barrels for somewhere around 24 months then they emulsify them for 1 month after adding vinegar. You will never get the true flavor your looking for unless you atleast ferment them by making a pepper mash with atleast 2.5% salt ratio for atleast 2 weeks

 

[cathygian]

I think this is a pretty close recipe to the original. I grew cayenne peppers this year and had more than I could handle. This was a great way to use and preserve them. We’ll be having wings all winter!