
Ever since I got back to Southern California I’ve been on a hot sauce kick. It’s so much cheaper to buy awesome peppers here than in Europe. The best part is, making your own hot sauce is so much easier than people think. Once you learn how to make your own, you probably won’t buy from the store again (because you will have so many jars in your house due to your addiction). This recipe is for my Morita pepper hot sauce, made using dried Chipotle peppers.
This hot sauce goes well in so many dishes. I like adding it to classic Mexican dishes like fried fish tacos, or even just adding some to spice up a homemade pico de gallo!
What Is A Morita Chili Pepper?

Morita is actually a variety of chipotle, which is the name for ripened and smoked jalapenos. In fact, it is typical that the dried version of a chili has a different name. I can see how this confuses some people. For example the ancho chili is just the name for a dried poblano chili pepper. I purchased these dried chiles from Ole Rico.
Making hot sauce with any chili pepper is not just a good way to save money, but also to get creative and invent new flavors. And while most people assume it takes a long time, you can make a bottle in less than an hour!
Making Hot Sauce Using Dried Chilies

Making hot sauce with dried chilies is similar to making hot sauce with fresh chilies, except you have one extra step. To soften the peppers and bring out some more of their fruity flavor, you want to soak them in water until they plump back up. I recommend boiling water for a half hour, or room temperature/cold water for 2 hours. For about 4oz of dried chilies I suggest two cups of water.

Hot sauces can be made in plenty of ways. From thick and chunky, to thin and drippy like Tabasco. One thing many hot sauces have in common is acid. With Tabasco brand for example, their acid is just white vinegar. For my morita pepper hot sauce recipe I use a mix of white vinegar and grapefruit juice. This makes it extra excellent in a Michelada!
Making Morita Pepper Hot Sauce

After soaking your dried chilies until plump, you can get started on making the actual sauce. Here’s what I put in my Morita-Grapefruit hot sauce:
- 100 grams Morita Chili Peppers (4oz)
- 250 ml Grapefruit Juice, freshly squeezed. (1 cup)
- 1 small Tomato
- 1 large Shallot
- 7 tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 125 ml Morita Soaking Liquid (when you remove the peppers don’t throw this liquid away, 1/2 cup)
- 125 ml Water (1/2 cup)

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until you just can’t blend anymore. Remember, since we are making a thin hot sauce you want it as liquefied as possible. I use a Blendtec which are absolutely fantastic machines – although they can be a bit pricey.

Now, this morita pepper hot sauce looks pretty good, and you can stop here if you want. This consistency is perfect if you want to use it in a salsa or a marinade. But as we are going for a thin hot sauce in the Louisiana style, we have one more step.

I use a very fine mesh strainer (can also use a strainer bag) to remove absolutely anything not liquid. My hot sauce bottles are 5oz so I let it drip until I get that amount. Then I simple fill the bottles and seal them.

I always find the best test for a new hot sauce is how well it pairs with some simple sunny side up eggs! In this case it was a big success. I also use hot sauce on my NY Scramble which is a fantastic brunch recipe I make often for guests.
You can also mix hot sauce with a little mayonnaise for a delicious dip for things like onion rings or fries!

Morita Pepper Hot Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 Fine Mesh Strainer optional
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 100 grams Morita Chili Peppers 4oz
- 250 ml Grapefruit Juice freshly squeezed. (1 cup)
- 1 small Tomato
- 1 large Shallot
- 7 tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 125 ml Morita Soaking Liquid when you remove the peppers don’t throw this liquid away, 1/2 cup
- 125 ml Water 1/2 cup
Instructions
- In a bowl add the dried morita peppers. Pour over 2 cups (500 ml) of hot/boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Remove the peppers but save 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the soaking liquid.
- In a blender add all of the ingredients and blend until extremely liquefied.
- Pour contents through a fine mesh strainer to remove all non-liquid particulate. Or bottle as is and use as a chunky hot sauce.
Notes
