Gather around the cauldron for an electrifyingly spooky treat this Halloween with Chef Tom’s Smoky Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce grilled up on a Yoder Smoker flat-top grill. Experience the thrill of its fiery kick with every bite! Enjoy a deliciously haunting Halloween!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Toasting the ghost peppers for just a few minutes, rather than fully charring them like the bell peppers, keeps their heat intact without overcooking such a small, thin-walled pepper
- Steaming the charred bell peppers in a zip-top bag loosens their blackened skins, making them much easier to peel than trying to scrape the char off directly
- Discarding the bell pepper skins and seeds while keeping the roughly chopped ghost pepper flesh whole balances a milder, smoky base against concentrated heat from the ghost peppers
- Blending everything in a high-powered blender turns roasted, chopped vegetables into a completely smooth sauce in one step, rather than needing to strain out fibrous bits afterward
Smoky Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.7 stars by 19 users
Category
Condiment
Cuisine
American
Servings
20
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Calories
22
Chef Tom gets spooky with this Smoky Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce roasted on the Yoder Smokers Flat-top Charcoal Grill. Add a fiery kick to your Halloween!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
- 2 small red bell peppers (8-10 oz total)
- 4 ghost peppers (1 oz total)
- 3 oz shallot, halved, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
-
2 tsp Colonial Chile Infused Oil
-
1/2 tsp Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Salt
Directions
- Fill a charcoal chimney starter with lump charcoal and light a fire starter cube underneath. When the charcoal is red-hot to the top of the chimney, dump into the Yoder Smokers Adjustable Charcoal Flat Top Grill. Slide the grate in place over the hot charcoal.
- Place your bell peppers, ghost peppers and shallots directly over the hot charcoal and close the lid.
- Toast the ghost peppers just until lightly charred and softened. It will only take a few minutes total.
- Cook the shallots until lightly charred on all sides and slightly softened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Completely char the bell peppers on all sides. Remove from the grill and transfer to a plastic zip top bag. Allow the peppers to steam in the bag for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the stems from the ghost peppers and shallots, then give them a rough chop.
- Remove the bell peppers from the bag and peel the blackened skins from the surface. Discard the skins and seeds. Rough chop the flesh of the peppers.
- Combine all ingredients in the pitcher of the Vitamix Blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth.
- Pour the Smoky Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why toast the ghost peppers for only a few minutes instead of fully charring them like the bell peppers?
Ghost peppers are thin-walled and cook quickly, so a light char is enough to soften them without overcooking. Charring them as thoroughly as the bell peppers would risk breaking them down too much.
Why steam the charred bell peppers in a zip-top bag before peeling them?
Letting them sit in the bag for 10 minutes loosens the blackened skin, making it much easier to peel away cleanly rather than scraping char directly off the pepper's surface.
Why discard the bell pepper skins and seeds but keep the ghost pepper flesh whole?
Removing the bell pepper's charred skin and seeds keeps the base of the sauce milder and smoky, while the ghost peppers stay in as the concentrated source of heat, balancing the two elements against each other.
Why blend everything in a high-powered blender instead of a food processor?
A high-powered blender turns the roasted, chopped vegetables into a completely smooth sauce in one pass, rather than leaving fibrous bits that would need to be strained out afterward.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — a broiler or hot cast iron skillet can char the peppers and shallots in place of live charcoal; the rest of the process happens entirely off the grill.
Recipe Highlights
Light ghost pepper char: Softens the peppers without overcooking their thin walls.
Bag-steamed bell peppers: Makes peeling the charred skin much easier.
Selective skin removal: Balances a mild base against concentrated ghost pepper heat.
Single-pass blending: Produces a smooth sauce without needing to strain.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 1.15 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 22
- Carbs
- 3 grams
- Protein
- grams
- Fat
- 1 grams
- Sodium
- 92 milligrams
