Hot Hummus is a creamy, spicy chickpea dip made with Turkish hot pepper paste, tahini, garlic, and lemon. My hummus recipes use cooked dried chickpeas for the smoothest texture, but canned chickpeas are a good substitute.
My hot hummus recipe is all about mild heat, with Turkish hot pepper paste to give it a slightly smoky spice that balances perfectly with nutty tahini and fresh lemon juice.
I always make hummus with chickpeas that I’ve cooked from dried. My Instant Pot Chickpeas No Soak method gives you soft beans with skins that are easy to remove, resulting in smoother hummus.
Canned chickpeas work in a pinch, especially on a busy weeknight, but the texture will not be quite as silky.
If you love playing with hummus flavours like I do, you should also try my dill pickle hummus, lemon basil hummus, butternut squash hummus, avocado cilantro lime hummus, and roasted garlic and sweet potato hummus.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Chickpeas: I really prefer chickpeas cooked from dried. They’re softer and blend into a much smoother hummus. Plus, it’s easy to remove the skins just by swishing them around in cold water. If you’re using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them very well.
- Turkish hot pepper paste or sambal oelek: Turkish pepper paste has a deep, slightly smoky heat. Sambal is brighter and sharper. Both can work, or you can try Sriracha hot sauce. Start with 1 tablespoon and adjust. You can see a photo of the hot pepper paste I use above.
- Tahini: Use a smooth, runny tahini and stir it well before measuring.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice gives a bright flavour.
- Garlic: Raw garlic keeps the flavour bold. If you prefer a milder hummus, reduce to one clove or use roasted garlic.
- Ice cubes: This is my trick for ultra creamy hummus. The ice helps emulsify everything and makes the texture light and fluffy.
Tips for Making Super Smooth Hummus
- Blend longer than you think you need to. Two to three minutes at the end really makes a difference.
- Scrape the sides of the blender at least once.
- Taste and adjust the heat and seasoning after blending. Pepper pastes vary.
Instructions
Prep Tips
- In a high-powered blender, combine the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic, olive oil, and 1 – 2 tablespoons of Turkish hot pepper paste or sambal oelek. Blend well, scraping the sides down once. This will take 2-3 minutes.
- Add 4 to 5 ice cubes, one at a time, blending briefly in between.
- After the last ice cube has been added, scrape the sides of the blender and blend for 4 to 5 minutes until very smooth and creamy.
- Adjust heat and seasoning: Taste and add more pepper paste, lemon juice, or salt if needed. Blend again briefly to combine.
- To serve: Spoon into a bowl, pushing the spoon around the surface in a circle to make a little valley, and then drizzle with olive oil. You can garnish with olives, tomatoes, and freshly chopped parsley for a pretty presentation, or simply transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until needed.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
What to Serve With Hot Hummus
Hummus is great with crackers, warm pita, or pita chips, makes a great pasta sauce, and adds a lot of flavor when spread inside wraps and sandwiches.
FAQs
They cook softer than most canned chickpeas, which gives you a smoother texture.
It does help to peel the chickpeas. The good news is that when you cook chickpeas in the Instant Pot, they end up super soft, and the skins will float to the top. Simply swish them and rub them gently between your hands in cool water and then scoop the skins out.
You can, but the flavour will change significantly. Tahini gives hummus its classic taste and creaminess, and its reaction with the ice cubes is what helps achieve a super light and fluffy hummus.
Ice helps create a light, whipped texture because of a reaction with tahini, making the hummus extra smooth.
More Dip Recipes
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Hot Hummus Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpeas
- ¼ cup tahini
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Turkish hot pepper paste or sambal oelek
- 4 to 5 ice cubes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except ice cubes to a high-powered blender. Blend well, scraping the sides down once. This will take 2-3 minutes
- Add ice cubes one at a time, blending briefly in between. After the last ice cube has been added, scrape the sides of the blender and blend for 4 to 5 minutes until very smooth and creamy.
- Adjust seasoning and heat to taste.
- Spoon into a bowl, pushing the spoon around the surface in a circle to make a little valley, and then drizzle with olive oil. You can garnish with olives, tomatoes, and freshly chopped parsley for a pretty presentation, or simply transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until needed.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
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