Pepperoncini Hot Sauce Recipe

Pepperoncini hot sauce is a mild fermented pepper sauce made with fresh pepperoncini peppers, onion, garlic, salt, water, and apple cider vinegar. This homemade fermented sauce creates a mild tangy flavor with gentle pepper warmth, savory garlic notes, and deeper sour complexity developed during fermentation. Pepperoncini peppers typically range from 100 to 500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making this sauce much milder than jalapeño or cayenne-based hot sauces. The recipe requires about 15 minutes of active preparation followed by 7–14 days of fermentation. One batch produces approximately 1 quart (950 ml), or around 32 servings of 2 tablespoons (30 ml) each. Serve it with grilled chicken, fried eggs, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, roasted vegetables, rice, noodles, and other dishes that pair well with mild fermented pepper flavor.

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Slice and layer the peppers: Cut fresh pepperoncini peppers in half lengthwise. Remove some pale inner tissue for a milder sauce or keep it intact for more heat. Layer the peppers, sliced onion, and whole garlic cloves into a clean 1-quart Mason jar.

Step 2

Build the brine: Add 2 tablespoons salt to the jar, then pour filtered water over the vegetables until they are completely submerged. Stir or shake until the salt dissolves throughout the brine.

Step 3

Weigh down and cover: Place a fermentation weight over the vegetables to keep them below the brine surface. Cover the jar with a clean cloth, cheesecloth, fermentation lid, or airlock system that allows fermentation gases to escape.

Step 4

Ferment for 7–14 days: Place the jar in a dark area at room temperature. Check daily that the vegetables remain submerged. Taste after 7 days and continue fermenting longer for a stronger fermented flavor.

Step 5

Blend the sauce: Strain the fermented pepperoncini, onion, and garlic while reserving the brine. Add the fermented vegetables into a blender with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) raw apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth, then add reserved brine gradually until the preferred consistency is reached.

Step 6

Store the sauce: Transfer the finished sauce into a clean jar, glass bottle, or squeeze bottle. Refrigerate immediately after blending to slow further fermentation.

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