This easy hot sauce gets smoky-spicy flavors from dried guajillo chiles, chipotles in adobo sauce, habanero chiles, and pungent mustard seeds. Use it to top cheeseburgers, or stir it into ketchup for dipping your french fries.

Game plan: The hot sauce is ready to be served after 1 day, but the flavors will meld and the heat from the chiles will mellow after 2 to 3 days. Refrigerate in a container with a tightfitting lid for up to 2 weeks.

This recipe was featured as part of our photo gallery of 6 Face-Melting Hot Sauce Recipes.

  • Yield: About 1 quart
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 50 mins, plus 24 hrs aging time

Ingredients (11)

  • 20 dried guajillo chiles (about 3 ounces), seeds and stems removed
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, plus more for soaking the guajillos
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 5 medium lemons)
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 7 medium limes)
  • 3 chipotles in adobo sauce (reserve 1 tablespoon of sauce from the can)
  • 2 habanero chiles, seeds and stems removed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Place the guajillo chiles in a large bowl, add enough water to cover them, and let sit until softened, about 30 minutes.
  2. When the chiles are ready, drain them in a colander and transfer to a blender. Add the remaining measured ingredients including the reserved adobo sauce and blend about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the pitcher with a rubber spatula, then continue to blend until smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Transfer the hot sauce to a container with a tightfitting lid and refrigerate at least 1 day before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.