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The Spruce Eats / Lecia Landis
Like many condiments, hot sauce brands have attracted cult followings, with die-hard fans prepared to fight for what they believe to be the best recipe. Popular in Mexican, Central and South American, and Caribbean cuisine, there are many different types of hot sauce, also called chili sauce or pepper sauce, but they all contain chili peppers. The variety of pepper used influences the spice level of the sauce, with ghost pepper and habanero peppers on the hotter side.
And there's a reason so many people love it—the side effect of eating it referred to as a "hot sauce high". "It may sound made-up, but chili peppers literally get your blood pumping, tricking your brain into thinking that your tongue is on fire. So when you eat hot sauce, you experience an adrenaline rush along with whatever tasty ingredients are included," says Noah Chaimberg, the Founder and CEO of HEATONIST.
The list of ways to use hot sauce and experience this feeling is seemingly endless: Put it on everything from eggs to tacos, or add it to soups, marinades, stir-fry dishes, and sauces (including the popular Buffalo wing sauce). Whether you want to buy bottles in bulk or try your hand at making your own with the help of a handy kit, here are the best hot sauces on the market.
Best Overall
Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce
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Amazon
The secret is out: Secret Aardvark’s Habanero Hot Sauce is downright tasty. While its price tag may be higher than many big-name brands, the item has garnered nearly universal praise, with hundreds of hot-sauce lovers awarding it five stars. A combination of habanero peppers and roasted tomatoes infuses the sauce with a one-of-a-kind zest, inspired by Caribbean and Tex-Mex flavors. The sauce is on the spicier end, clocking in at 5,000 Scoville units, but customers say it’s versatile and balanced enough to pair with a variety of meals. Secret Aardvark even offers a number of recipes that incorporate the sauce on its website, ranging from marinades to, yes, cocktails.
Price at time of publish: $9
Size: 8 fluid ounces | Sodium: 40 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Medium
"A good rule of thumb when looking for a hot sauce is to a) ask yourself how spicy you’d like it to be b) check the ingredients. If you’re new to spice and looking for something milder to get you started, go for a hot sauce with milder peppers like jalapeño, serrano or Cayenne peppers." — Noah Chaimberg, Founder & CEO, HEATONIST
Runner-Up, Best Overall
Tapatio Hot Sauce
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Amazon
With glowing customer reviews, an affordable price, and an unbeatable taste, Tapatío’s is the perfect mealtime kick. This authentic Mexican hot sauce is crafted from red peppers and a blend of rich spices, delicious on everything from tacos and burritos to eggs, fish, and more. Tapatío’s is easy to find both in-store and online, and you can purchase the condiment in a variety of sizes, including 5, 10, and 32-ounce bottles, as well as a whopping 1-gallon option. Most importantly, Tapatío’s lands smack-dab in the middle on the spiciness scale. Expect it to be slightly milder than popular brands like Tabasco and Cholula but hotter than Sriracha and Frank’s Red Hot.
Price at time of publish: $3
Size: 10 fluid ounces | Sodium: 110 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Mild to medium
Best Louisiana
SLAP YA MAMA All Natural Louisiana Style Hot Sauce
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Amazon
Do you remember when jalapeños used to be considered very hot peppers? Now, compared to the hotter varieties of peppers, jalapeños are pretty tame, but they’ve still got a little bit of a kick along with great flavor. While this is a Louisiana-style sauce, you don’t have to stick to Cajun recipes when you use it. Feel free to drizzle it on all your favorite foods, from tacos to jambalaya to your grilled chicken, smoked ribs, or oven-roasted meats. It’s also great in your red beans and rice or your black bean soup.
Price at time of publish: $7
Size: 5 fluid ounces | Sodium: 200 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Medium
Best for Eggs
Red Clay Original Hot Sauce
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Amazon
This South Carolina-born hot sauce strikes the perfect balance of flavor and heat, which makes it the perfect accompaniment to a wide range of foods, including more delicate items like eggs. Since it's made from just five raw, cold-pressed and sustainably-sourced ingredients, the sweet, mild Fresno chili peppers shine. No breakfast of scrambled eggs or an egg sandwich is complete without a dash—or five—but you’ll also love the medium heat sauce on things like oysters, crab cakes, and even in Bloody Marys. This is gluten-free and vegan and comes in a 5-ounce bottle that will look good in the kitchen and on the table—meaning it’s also great for gifting. (For the ultimate gift, grab the brand’s multipack.)
Price at time of publish: $6
Size: 5 fluid ounces | Sodium: 75 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Mild
Best for Pizza
Melinda’s Pizza Hot Sauce
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Amazon
Add some spice to your slice with a hot sauce by famed Melinda’s made just for pizza. The mild but undeniably tasty sauce is made with a blend of sweet red peppers, spicy red cayenne peppers, garlic, and tomato that comes together to mimic the taste of the ever-popular crushed red pepper flakes. The draw: no seeds! While the zippy sauce is the perfect accouterment for pizza, you’ll want to stock it as an addition to all of your Italian favorites, from calzones and chicken Parmesan to baked ziti and meatballs.
Price at time of publish: $6
Size: 12 fluid ounces | Sodium: 140 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Mild
Best Mexican
Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce
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Walmart
Founded and produced in Mexico, Valentina’s hot sauce perfectly captures the savoriness and zest that has come to define the condiment—and it's been doing it for over 60 years. The simple recipe of chili peppers, vinegar, salt, and spices has changed little over that time, and for good reason. Customers say the sauce is mild, as far as spice goes, yet packed with flavor. Valentina’s is available in two varieties: hot, which measures 900 Scoville units, and extra hot, which comes in at 2,100 SVU. The bottles are easy to find online and come in two sizes, 12.5 ounces, and 34 ounces.
Price at time of publish: $3
Size: 12.5 fluid ounces | Sodium: 64 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Medium
Best Mild
Heartbeat Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce
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Amazon
For those who want to still get all the flavor of a hot sauce without the kick, the Heartbeat Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce is a good option. It's made with an IPA beer from a brewery in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada to bring out a fruity and savory flavor with a slight smokiness far less pronounced than others on this list.
Other ingredients include yellow bell pepper, salt, garlic, organic cane sugar, lime, onion, and vinegar, making it perfect for anything you would normally put hot sauce on like eggs, meat, avocado toast, pizza, nachos, tacos, and more.
Price at time of publish: $12
Size: 6 fluid ounces | Sodium: 35 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 1 gram | Sugar: 1 gram | Heat Rating: Mild
"Hot sauce makes every meal an adventure, whether by adding more flavor or surprising you with spice. I’ve been in the hot sauce business for ten years now, and it’s also exciting to see the innovation in terms of flavors and styles. There are more quality options than ever before - you’re not stuck with the same-old sauces anymore!" — Noah Chaimberg, Founder & CEO, HEATONIST
Best Super Hot
Hot Ones Hot Sauce The Last Dab XXX
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Amazon
Any hot sauce fan is most likely familiar with the popular YouTube talk show called Hot Ones, where host Sean Evans interviews celebrities while they eat chicken wings that feature hot sauces that gradually get hotter and hotter in flavor. The hottest sauce used is The Last Dab, and anyone who wants to go a step higher should try out the XXX version, made with three different extremely fiery chili peppers—Pepper X, Chocolate Pepper X, and Peach Pepper X.
Other ingredients include distilled vinegar, ginger root, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and dry mustard, none of which are on the mild side either but create a nice balance. It comes in a small bottle, but when we say a little goes a long way, we mean it! Just a few drops on things like eggs, a breakfast burrito, chili, avocado toast, tacos, salmon, and other foods are enough to give off a flavorful, intense heat.
Price at time of publish: $20
Size: 5 fluid ounces | Sodium: 0 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Super hot
Best Sriracha
Bushwick Kitchen Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha Hot Sauce
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Amazon
This sriracha sauce and gochujang sauce from Bushwick Kitchen has a delicious and unique taste that lends itself to a variety of dishes. Customers praise the subtle sweetness, the fermented flavor, and the kick from the peppers. However, this isn't the hottest sauce on our list, which means you can add more to get the flavor you crave on eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, stews, marinades, and more. The only complaint people seem to have is that they wish it came in a larger bottle—it comes in a 10.5-ounce bottle—because it gets used up so fast!
Price at time of publish: $12
Size: 10.5 fluid ounces | Sodium: 65 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 2 grams | Sugar: 2 grams | Heat Rating: Mild to medium
Best for Tacos
Cholula Original Hot Sauce
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Amazon
You’re likely to find Cholula hot sauce on the table of your favorite Mexican restaurant, ready to be added to your tacos, drizzled on your burritos, or sprinkled on your carne asada. Cholula is made in Mexico and includes both arbol and piquin peppers, along with vinegar and spices for great heat and complex flavor. Not just a table condiment, you can add it to your rice dishes, soups, stews, and more, or even use it to help a salt rim adhere to your cocktail glass.
This favorite comes in 12-ounce bottles, but if you like taking it on the go, it is also available in a box of 200 individual 0.25-ounce packets perfect for drizzling onto tacos at a restaurant, picnic, friend's house, etc. While it is advertised to restaurant and takeout owners, we think this makes a great gift for the taco lover in your life!
Price at time of publish: $3
Size: 12 fluid ounces | Sodium: 110 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Hot
Best for Wings
Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
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Walmart
Some people argue that the only proper hot sauce for wings is Frank's Original sauce. The company has been making the sauce since the 1960s, so it is a tried and true recipe that it claims ultimately was used in the first Buffalo Wings made in Buffalo, NY.
Inside each bottle is only five ingredients—aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, and garlic powder. It gets its tartness from the vinegar and a little bite from the cayenne peppers, making it perfect for spicy wings or in Buffalo sauce slathered on wings, too. This hot sauce is not just great on Buffalo wings, though. It can add just the right flavor to spicy meatballs, deviled eggs, or even baked beans.
Price at time of publish: $3
Size: 12 fluid ounces | Sodium: 190 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 grams | Sugar: 0 grams | Heat Rating: Mild
Best for Bloody Marys
Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce
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Amazon
Hot sauce is very versatile, so it's no surprise that over 100 years ago a bartender added it to tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, vodka, salt, and pepper to satisfy the craving for a savory breakfast cocktail. If you're making one at home, we recommend using Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce. It's made from a blend of three types of peppers, vinegar, and water to create a not-too-spicy flavor that brings out the tang in the drink. If you're the type of person to put hot sauce on anything, then this is a great kitchen addition—make a Bloody Mary then put some on eggs, hash browns, or avocado toast.
Price at time of publish: $3
Size: 12 fluid ounces | Sodium: 90 milligrams | Total Carbohydrates: 0 gram | Sugar: 0 gram | Heat Rating: Medium
Best Kit
The Chili Lab Homemade Hot Sauce Kit
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Williams Sonoma
If you love hot sauce, why not make your own? This handy kit includes two different spice blends that will let you make two different 4-ounce bottles of hot sauce. One spice mix is fruity and smoky, while the other has citrus and herbal notes. It only takes a few minutes to prep the hot sauce mix, and then it needs to age for three days—so you’ll have your own hot sauce blend in no time. The bottles with corks are included, along with a fine-mesh strainer and a stainless steel funnel, so you can continue experimenting with your own spice mixes after you’ve made and used your first batches.
Price at time of publish: $50
Size: 4 fluid ounces | Sugar: Not indicated | Heat rating: Medium
If the kit gets you inspired to make your own hot sauce, your possibilities are endless. Trevor Sullivan, owner of Pingala Cafe and Broccoli Bar—two vegan hotspots in Vermont—often uses hot sauce to heat up his dishes. He recommends making this tropical hot sauce:
Heat coconut oil in a pan and throw in a fistful of coriander seed. Just as the coriander finishes toasting, add carrot, onion, garlic, and fresh ginger and allow to sweat. After some caramelization on the onion, add a 2:1 ratio of water to white vinegar. Bring to a simmer. After the carrot is cooked through, transfer ingredients to a high-powered blender (or use an immersion blender) and add in fresh habanero peppers—seeds and all. Season with salt to taste. Should be the viscosity of Sriracha.
If you're looking for a middle-of-the-road hot sauce in terms of spiciness—and one that will add the perfect flavor to a variety of meals—you can't go wrong with Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce. Looking for something more gourmet to treat yourself or to gift a foodie? We suggest trying Red Clay Original Hot Sauce and the brand’s suite of other delicious options.
What to Look for in Hot Sauce
Spice Level
Since hot brings the heat, it’s important to narrow it down to the spice level you can handle. Some hot sauces are practically flaming, while others give a barely-there bite that really just elevates the flavor of the dish. Most hot sauces will have some indication on the label, maybe fire or pepper icons, to let you know how hot they are. Make sure you’re paying attention to this, and choosing one that’s appropriate for your taste level.
Taste
While all hot sauces are made with a pepper base (albeit those peppers can vary), the added ingredients and length of fermentation give them very distinct tastes. This may take some trial and error and experimentation, but when choosing a hot sauce, consider what you’ll be using it for most often. For example, the Valentina Hot Sauce lends really well to Mexican food, while Slap Ya Mama is designed for Cuban food. You certainly don’t have to box yourself in—you can add any hot sauce to whatever dish you’d like—but keep in mind that they all taste very different.
Ingredients
Quality of ingredients is another important player in the hot sauce game. Regardless of which sauce you choose, you’ll likely see peppers are the first ingredient, but pay attention to the additional ingredients, too. Some hot sauces are made with all organic ingredients, while others have added sugar. There’s no right or wrong here, but if you’re on a specialized diet, it’s important to look at the label carefully.
FAQs
Does hot sauce go bad?
While hot sauce may eventually go bad, it has a long shelf life. The USDA states that it can be stored for six months in the pantry and longer if refrigerated.
Does hot sauce need to be refrigerated?
You don’t have to refrigerate hot sauce if you plan to use it up within six months. However, if you want to extend the shelf life of your hot sauce, it can last in the refrigerator for up to a year and maybe more.
Is hot sauce keto?
Some hot sauces contain added sugar that adds 1 to 2 grams of carbohydrates to each serving. The ketogenic diet allows for a little sugar, as long as it's under the daily carb limit. This means that many types of hot sauce will be okay in moderation as long as you pay attention to the servings and keep the carb count low the remainder of the day. Make sure you’re reading ingredients lists and nutrition labels.
Is hot sauce vegan?
Most hot sauces are vegan and will state this on the label, but double-check the ingredient list to make sure.
Is hot sauce gluten-free?
Not all sauces are gluten-free. Some contain wheat flour or wheat-containing ingredients that are used as thickeners. Most labels will specify if the hot sauce is gluten-free but always double-check the ingredients to make sure.
How many calories are in hot sauce?
Many hot sauces have no calories, but some may have around 10 to 20 calories per teaspoon. If you’re monitoring your calorie intake, check the nutrition labels of your hot sauce, so you have accurate information.
What is fermented hot sauce?
Technically, all hot sauce is fermented. Hot sauce is made by combining chilies (and other ingredients) with vinegar and letting them sit for a period of time—anywhere from 5 to 7 days to 3 months. This fermentation process breaks the chilies down and helps make the flavors rich and complex.
How can you thicken hot sauce?
There are two ways to thicken hot sauce. You can bring it to a slow boil over medium heat, uncovered, and let any excess water evaporate. Once the hot sauce cools down, it will be slightly thicker.
The other option is to add a thickener, like cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch or arrowroot with 2 teaspoons of water for each cup of hot sauce and then stir into the sauce over medium heat. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool—the sauce will thicken even more once it cools.
How We Researched
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best hot sauces on the market, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, heat level, or price—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
Donna Currie is a writer and product tester for The Spruce Eats. She specializes in product reviews and recipes, has written her own cookbook, and knows what to reach for when she wants to add a spicy kick to everything from eggs to tacos to marinades.
Lindsay Boyers, who updated this piece, is a functional nutritionist specializing in gut health and mood disorders. She's written more than a dozen books and cookbooks and created over 1,000 original recipes, using the highest-quality and tastiest ingredients she can find.
Another update was completed by Amanda McDonald, an editor at The Spruce Eats who has over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing about all things food — from what new products are at the grocery store to chef-approved hacks that keep tricky leftovers fresh for days.
Sources
- Noah Chaimberg, Founder & CEO, HEATONIST
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