How to Cook Habaneros

Habanero peppers pack a huge punch when it comes to spice level! They’re commonly used in hot sauces and Mexican cuisine, and they’re great to add to all kinds of dishes. From roasting to grilling to pureeing into a sauce or oil, there’s really no end to how you can use this tasty, spicy pepper. Soon, you'll be able to drizzle some habanero hot sauce over your eggs in the morning or add roasted habaneros to your next batch of chili.

Ingredients

Habanero Hot Sauce

12 habanero chiles, fresh or dried
6 peeled cloves of garlic
2 peeled and halved onions
2 chopped large carrots (optional)
2 quartered tomatoes (optional)
Olive oil
Salt
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 cup (240 mL) of white wine vinegar

Makes about 4 cups (950 mL) of hot sauce

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Ways to Cook Habaneros

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1
Use a gas stovetop to roast peppers quickly. This also gives the peppers a delicious smoky char. Turn a burner on high and place a pepper right on the flames. Occasionally turn the pepper with a pair of tongs until its entire exterior is black, which will take a few minutes. Repeat with as many peppers as you need. Place the roasted peppers in a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap or a lid. Once the peppers have cooled down, peel their skins away by hand.^{[1]XResearch source}
- This method is great when you need to prep just a few peppers for a dish.
- You can use roasted habanero peppers in salsas and hot sauces. You could also add a small amount to pasta or pizza, or toss a few strips onto a sandwich for a spicy addition.
- Keep roasted peppers in your fridge for 5 days or pop them into the freezer for 2 months.
2
Roast habanero peppers on the grill for a charred flavor. Set your grill to high and place your habanero peppers directly over the flames. Let the peppers roast for about 10 minutes, turning them every 2-3 minutes. To remove the skins, let the peppers steam in a covered bowl until they cool down, then peel the skins away.^{[2]XResearch source}
- This method works great if you don’t have a gas stovetop or if you need to prep a whole batch of habaneros at once.
- These peppers will last for about 5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.
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3
Soften habanero peppers by sautéing them over medium-high heat. Heat some oil on the skillet, then add de-seeded and sliced habanero peppers. Cook the peppers for about 3-5 minutes, or until they start to soften visibly. Add seasonings, like chile powder, cumin, or paprika if you want to.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Sautéed habaneros go great in fajitas, tacos, or quesadillas. You could also add them to chili, soup, or other dishes that need some spice.
4
Make a hot chile oil to drizzle on dishes for extra spice. Remove the stems from 8 habanero peppers. Broil the peppers on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for 4-6 minutes, turning the peppers every 2 minutes until the skins are blackened. Pop the peppers into a blender along with ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of olive oil and blend until they reach a smooth consistency.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Keep the oil covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Habanero Hot Sauce

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1
Toast and soak 12 dried habanero peppers to bring out their flavor. If you’re using fresh habaneros, you can skip this step. Toss the dried habanero peppers in a dry skillet for a few minutes, until you smell their aroma. Then, rehydrate the peppers by soaking them in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes.
- The consistency of dried peppers wouldn’t work well in a pureed hot sauce, which is why it’s important to soak them before adding them to your recipe.
It’ll take your oven a few minutes to warm up, which is perfect. You can use that time to prep the rest of your ingredients.^{[5]XResearch source}
3
De-seed your 12 habanero peppers to cut down on the heat. Do this for both dried and fresh peppers. Most of the habanero’s heat is in the white pith and seeds, so removing them makes your peppers much more palatable (don’t worry—they’ll still be plenty hot!). Slice the peppers open and use a sharp knife to cut away the white membranes and seeds.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Always wear gloves when working with habanero peppers. Otherwise, you might get hot oil on your hands or face, which would be super painful.
4
Prep 6 garlic cloves, 2 onions, 2 tomatoes, and 2 large carrots. Peel the garlic and onions, discard the skins, and then chop the onions in half with a sharp knife. If you’re using tomatoes and carrots to add a little more sweetness to your hot sauce, go ahead and quarter the tomatoes and chop the carrots into smaller pieces.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Even though everything will end up going through the food processor at the end, the garlic and onion skins wouldn’t puree well and would mess up the hot sauce’s texture.
5
Drizzle the garlic, onions, and fresh habaneros with olive oil. If you’re using dried habanero peppers, leave them out of this step. Spread the veggies out on a baking sheet. Give them a quick drizzle of olive oil.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Rehydrated habanero peppers can go straight into the food processor because they’re already softened. Fresh habaneros need time in the oven, so their flesh starts to break down, making them easier to puree.
Pop the baking sheet into the oven and set a timer. Use the time to clean up the kitchen or cook your carrots and tomatoes, if you’re using them.^{[9]XResearch source}
7
Sauté the carrots and tomatoes to add a sweeter element to your sauce. While the other vegetables are roasting, finish preparing the carrots and tomatoes if you’re using them. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the 2 quartered tomatoes and 2 chopped carrots, and cook them for 5 minutes. Transfer them to the food processor when they’re done.^{[10]XResearch source}
- The freshness of these veggies adds a nice depth to your recipe, but you can totally skip this part if you want to.
8
Puree the vegetables and 1 large bunch of cilantro in a food processor. Carefully transfer the roasted peppers, onions, and garlic to a food processor. Add the carrots and tomatoes, if you're using them. Toss a bunch of cilantro in, put on the lid, and start pureeing. Keep going until the mixture is perfectly smooth.^{[11]XResearch source}
- You could also add a pinch of cumin or some lime juice for a varied flavor.
- A lot of habanero hot sauces have a little grapefruit juice or orange juice mixed in. Don’t be afraid to get creative and mix brighter and sweeter acids with the heat of the habanero.^{[12]XResearch source}
9
Stir in 1 cup (240 mL) of white wine vinegar and season to taste. Now you’re to the fun part! After pouring in the vinegar and giving your hot sauce a few stirs, start tasting it. Add salt if it needs it, then taste again. Continue mixing, testing, and adjusting, until the hot sauce is to your liking.^{[13]XResearch source}
- In addition to adjusting the salt level, you could also add lime juice, more vinegar, or other spices to the mix.
10
Add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of water at a time to the hot sauce if it’s too thick. Hot sauce should drizzle off a spoon, thinner than a creamed soup but thicker than broth. If your hot sauce wouldn’t easily pour out of a jar, add water until it gets to the right consistency.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Wait and do this step last since your sauce should thin out from the addition of the white wine vinegar.
11
Refrigerate your hot sauce in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Put the sauce into a clean container and secure the lid tightly. Place it in the fridge and label it with the “date made.” Try to use it within a few months for the best taste.^{[15]XResearch source}
- Get rid of your hot sauce if you see any mold or if it starts to smell strange.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Prep, Safety, and Storage

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1
Wear gloves to protect your hands from burns and irritation. It doesn’t matter how much you love hot peppers, chances are they’re not going to love you back. Keep the pain-causing oils off your hands by wearing gloves, and never touch your face until after you’ve removed the gloves and thoroughly washed your hands.^{[16]XResearch source}
- Hot peppers, like habaneros, have a lot of capsaicin. Capsaicin is what makes the peppers hot, but it can also get on your hands, in the air, and anywhere you touch.^{[17]XResearch source}
2
Remove the seeds and white membranes to reduce the heat level. Peppers hold their heat in the seeds and the white membranes you see when you cut them open. In general, it’s a smart idea to remove these parts whenever you cook with habaneros.^{[18]XResearch source}
- The white membrane is also referred to as the pith. It’s what holds all those hot little seeds in place.
3
Use a small amount of habanero and add more if needed. Remember, you can always add more heat, but it’s tough to take it away. Test your dish and add more habanero if you can stand a little more heat.^{[19]XResearch source}
- If you cut up more habaneros than you end up using, pop the leftovers into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. Use them within a week.^{[20]XResearch source}
4
Cool habanero burns with milk. You can drink milk or even put it on your skin to reduce pain from any kind of hot pepper, including habaneros. Since the heat from the habanero comes from oil, drinking water will just spread the heat around. Milk will actually break it down.^{[21]XResearch source}
- You could also use lemon juice for burns on your skin.^{[22]XResearch source}
5
Keep fresh habanero peppers in the fridge for up to 1 week. Help them last as long as possible by putting them into a paper bag and storing them in the crisper section of your fridge.^{[23]XResearch source}
- Label the date or put a reminder in your phone, so you use them or transfer them to the freezer in time.
6
Slice and freeze habanero peppers for up to 12 months. Slice and de-seed any peppers you can’t use before they start to go bad. Put the peppers into a freezer-safe container or bag, and pop them into the freezer.^{[24]XResearch source}
- The peppers will still be safe to use after 1 year; they’ll just taste the best the sooner you use them.
7
Store dried habaneros in an airtight container for 3-6 months. The peppers will last longer than that, but they’ll taste the best if you use them within 6 months of putting them into storage. Put the airtight container either into the fridge or the freezer, whichever you prefer.^{[25]XResearch source}
- Dried habaneros are a great option to keep around if you don’t always have access to fresh hot peppers.

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Tips

Find dried chiles at your local Mexican or Latin American markets.^{[26]XResearch source}
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Deal with habanero fumes by opening windows, using your oven hood, or turning on a fan.^{[27]XResearch source}
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Warnings

Never touch your face (especially your eyes) while working with habaneros! The oil can be really irritating and could even burn your skin.^{[28]XResearch source}
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Discard any habanero peppers that smell funny or have soft, discolored sections.^{[29]XResearch source}
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