How to Thicken Hot Sauce (3 Ways)

I’m what you might call a hot sauce addict. I put it on everything – from hamburgers to eggs. But sometimes it can be watery and ruin a meal. Continue reading for my favorite ways on how to thicken hot sauce.

There are a handful of options when it comes to making thick, homemade hot sauce. You can include more veggies, simmer for longer, or add arrowroot.

Why is My Hot Sauce Watery?

It’s much easier to control the thickness when it’s made from scratch. Store bought hot sauce has a long list of ingredients and you don’t really know how it was made.

There’s not much you can do if you’ve run into this problem – other than finding a brand you enjoy better. But the main reason why your homemade hot sauce might be watery comes down to moisture.

Due to hot sauce being made up of vegetables that contain water, it’s no secret that some recipes can be watery. But there is one method you can follow to avoid this from happening (more on that below).

How to Thicken Hot Sauce

1. Simmer

One of the easiest ways to thicken hot sauce is to follow the reduction method. But if you’re new to cooking, you might be asking yourself the following question: what is reduction?

This is when you allow the hot sauce to simmer on low heat, until excess moisture has evaporated. This will not only make hot sauce super thick, but it can also bring out the flavor.

You should know that it’s critical to pay attention to the pot whenever following this process. If you don’t end up stirring the liquid, it can end up burning the hot sauce and ruin your recipe.

2. Include Vegetables

Adding vegetables to your homemade hot sauce is another way to thicken the texture. More veggies will absorb some of the water in the recipe and it will also add some flavor.

You can also try blending the vegetables to make the sauce thicker. Every recipe will be different, but once you have the vegetables blended you can then combine them to the sauce.

Adding fruit can also be a delicious addition to hot sauce. This can make the consistency thicker, but some people enjoy the combination of hot and sweet on their food.

3. Add Arrowroot

Arrowroot might not be a familiar ingredient if you’re new to cooking. But it’s a type of powder commonly used to thicken soups, gravies, stews, and hot sauces.

The good news about arrowroot is that it can thicken a recipe, without having an impact on the flavor. That means you can preserve the taste of your hot sauce recipe.

Some people prefer to use cornstarch in their sauce. After all, it’s twice as powerful – compared to using flour. However, even small amounts of cornstarch can alter the taste.

Factors to Consider

Keep in mind that thickening hot sauce is best done on homemade recipes. Following one of the methods above on store bought items might not produce the results you’re looking for.

After all, if you’re going to take the time to thicken hot sauce, you might as well make it from scratch. It doesn’t require that many ingredients and it will taste much better than the processed stuff.