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Pouring blended kebab shop chilli sauce into a pan from a blender
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Kebab Shop Chilli Sauce

Course Condiment
Cuisine Levantine, Turkish
Keyword Chilli sauce, hot sauce, Kebab shop chilli sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 1 jar

Equipment

  • 1 Blender or food processor
  • 1 Saucepan
  • 1 Chopping board
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Clean jar
  • 1 Tbsp Measure
  • 1 Tsp Measure

Ingredients

  • 6 Chillies Jalapeños, CC Piri Piri, Ring of Fire or similar, adjust to heat preference
  • 400 g Chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Tomato purée
  • 6 cloves Garlic roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil optional but it adds creaminess
  • 1 tbsp White wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 2 tsp Paprika

Instructions

  • Roughly chop the chillies and garlic. You want texture here, not a fine purée. Keep it chunky for that authentic kebab-shop mouthfeel.
    Roughly chopped kebab shop sauce ingredients in a blender
  • Blend everything together. Add the chillies, garlic, tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, sugar, cumin and paprika to a blender. Pulse until you have a rough, chunky consistency, don’t go smooth.
  • Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 15 minutes. If you want a thicker sauce, just let it go a bit longer.
    Pouring blended kebab shop chilli sauce into a pan from a blender
  • Cool and jar it up. Let the sauce cool slightly, then decant into a clean jar. Keeps in the fridge for about a week.

Taste and Adjust

  • Once it’s had its 15-minute simmer, give it a proper taste. Every batch of chillies is different, and tinned tomatoes vary in sweetness and acidity. Here’s how to balance it:
  • Too sharp? Add a pinch more sugar.
  • Needs more brightness? Add a splash more vinegar, a little at a time.
  • Want it creamier? Increase the olive oil slightly.
  • Too spicy? Stir a spoonful of mayo or yoghurt through when serving.