Dive deep into hot sauces with our ever-growing list…
Each month we review a handful of hand-picked fiery hot sauces – some mainstream staples, others craft blends. Our hot sauce list pulls together all of our hot sauce scores and review toplines in one easy-to-search location. Use it to discover new flavors, collectibles, and daily-drivers to spice up your meals.
Click on the hot sauce name to see our full review (including our Sizzle Reel video review of the hot sauce). OR click on the row to open up a quick info card on the sauce which includes heat level, Scoville range (if known), crafter location, and more. Also use the HEAT filter to limit the sauces to your preferred spiciness level.
The Hot Sauce List
| Hot Sauce | Image | Topline | FINAL SCORE | Flavor | Balance | Usability | Collectibility | X-Factor | Heat | Scoville Heat Range | Crafter City | Crafter State/Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dat’l Hook Ya Datil Pepper Sauce |  | Dat’l Hook Ya – a non-sweet datil sauce – pairs big earthy flavor with bold spices and a very eatable heat. It’s very versatile (you can use it as a ketchup replacement) and it shines with seafood in particular. | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Medium | 10,000 - 20,000 | St. Augustine | Florida | https://www.pepperscale.com/datl-hook-ya-datil-pepper-sauce/ |
| Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce |  | Secret Aardvark is a true table sauce – very versatile and well balanced. The heat is moderate (fresh jalapeño-like) making it very eatable for most, even though habaneros are the star pepper here. | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | Medium | ND | Portland | Oregon | https://www.pepperscale.com/secret-aardvark-habanero-hot-sauce/ |
| Gindo's Hot Sauce - Original Fresh and Spicy |  | Gindo’s Hot Sauce – Original Fresh and Spicy is a delicious gourmet experience. There’s lots of depth here, plus it’s very versatile for uses. | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Medium | ND | Batavia | Illinois | https://www.pepperscale.com/gindos-hot-sauce-original-fresh-and-spicy/ |
| Professor Phardtpounder’s Colon Cleaner Hot Sauce |  | Professor Phardtpounder’s Colon Cleaner is a flavorful, mustard-based hot sauce with nicely balanced heat. It’s very collectible and makes a statement on the table. Mustard-based hot sauces, though, are not for everyone. | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Extra-Hot | ND | Riviera Beach | Florida | https://www.pepperscale.com/colon-cleaner-hot-sauce/ |
| Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce |  | Slap Ya Mama Cajun Pepper Sauce is a well-balanced Louisiana-style hot sauce, with more heat and flavor than a lot of competitors. The spiciness is still very eatable and the sauce very versatile. Those watching their sodium intake should look elsewhere a | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Ville Platte | Louisiana | https://www.pepperscale.com/slap-ya-mama-cajun-pepper-sauce/ |
| Torchbearer Garlic Reaper Sauce |  | If you’re both a fan of garlic and an extreme eater, Torchbearer Garlic Reaper Sauce is your new go-to. It’s bold heat, but with a bold flavor to match. | 4.4 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Extra-Hot | 116,000 | Mechanicsburg | Pennsylvania | https://www.pepperscale.com/torchbearer-garlic-reaper-sauce/ |
| Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce |  | Sriracha is arguably the most versatile hot sauce on the planet. It’s sweet, garlicky flavor works on everything from steak to ice cream. And it’s a heat that most everyone can enjoy. | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | Mild | 1,000 - 2,500 | Irwindale | California | https://www.pepperscale.com/sriracha-hot-chili-sauce/ |
| Lingham's Hot Sauce |  | Lingham’ is a delicious multi-use chili sauce with a mild heat. The sweetness is the star here and makes Lingham's an excellent everyday condiment (and condiment enhancer). | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Mild | ND | Semenyih | Malaysia | https://www.pepperscale.com/linghams-hot-sauce/ |
| Tabasco Scorpion Pepper Sauce |  | Take Tabasco Original and multiply the heat by 20, then add a little sweetness and a little less vinegary tang. That’s Tabasco Scorpion. It’s a fun addition to the Tabasco line, providing needed sting! | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Extra-Hot | 50,000 | Avery Island | Louisiana | https://www.pepperscale.com/tabasco-scorpion-pepper-sauce/ |
| Dr. Assburn’s Fire Roasted Habanero Pepper Sauce |  | If you like smoky hot sauces but want something more than chipotle pepper heat, Dr. Assburn’s is a winner. Its heat builds over time, and its well-balanced with the sweet-smoky flavor. Plus, the label design is just plain fun. | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | Extra-Hot | 25,000 - 50,000 | Riviera Beach | Florida | https://www.pepperscale.com/dr-assburns-fire-roasted-habanero-pepper-sauce/ |
| Dawson’s Original Hot Sauce |  | Dawson’s Original Hot Sauce is a delicious sauce with a heat that lives up to the habaneros used inside, but with a delayed kick that really lets the flavor pop. | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Extra-Hot | 82,500 | Hamilton | Canada | https://www.pepperscale.com/dawsons-original-hot-sauce/ |
| Sauce Bae Skinny Habanero Hot Sauce |  | Sauce Bae Skinny Habanero Hot Sauce is a delicious mix of pineapple and exotic spices with a very eatable heat. Vegan, all natural, gluten-free, and low-sodium. | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Medium | 2,500 | Hoboken | New Jersey | https://www.pepperscale.com/sauce-bae-skinny-habanero-hot-sauce/ |
| Angry Goat Purple Hippo Hot Sauce |  | Purple Hippo is a uniquely sweet and surprisingly spicy concoction. Heat seekers will enjoy the bold spiciness. And the sweetness from prickly pear works for one memorable hot sauce. | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Extra-Hot | White River Junction | Vermont | https://www.pepperscale.com/angry-goat-purple-hippo-hot-sauce/ | |
| Dirty Dick's Hot Sauce |  | Dirty Dick’s is a very well-balanced tropical hot sauce. The banana in the sauce adds a nice twist to the eating experience. The mix of sweet and heat works very well here – neither overwhelms the other. | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Medium | Norwell | Massachusetts | https://www.pepperscale.com/dirty-dicks-hot-sauce/ | |
| Mendez Hot Sauce |  | Mendez Hot Sauce is unique in look and flavor, but it’s more usable than you may think! The company’s altruistic mission is admirable and makes this sauce a terrific buy. | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | Medium | ND | Goiás | Brazil | https://www.pepperscale.com/mendez-hot-sauce/ |
| Blair's Mega Death Sauce |  | Blair’s Mega Death Sauce is not one for the timid. It’s a big super-hot spiciness, but there’s sneaky flavor here when used with care. A few drops will do for most use cases. The packaging and design are fun and super-collectible. | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | Super-Hot | 550,000 | Highlands | New Jersey | https://www.pepperscale.com/blairs-mega-death-sauce/ |
| Matouk's Hot Pepper Sauce |  | Matouk's is a well-balanced scotch bonnet hot sauce with a delicious mustardy and vinegary tang. It’s surprisingly versatile. | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | Medium | ND | Arima | Trinidad and Tobago | https://www.pepperscale.com/matouks-hot-pepper-sauce-salsa-picante/ |
| Dave's Insanity Hot Sauce |  | A super-hot sauce, Dave's Insanity still brings a nice bit of flavor to the table. Though this is still a sauce you'll want to use in drops, if you're not an extreme eater. The label design is fun and ironic. | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Super-Hot | 180,000 | San Rafael | California | https://www.pepperscale.com/daves-insanity-hot-sauce/ |
| Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce |  | Trader Joe’s Green Dragon is a surprisingly complex hot sauce - a lot of flavor backed by some surprising ingredients. This is a mild sauce great for everyday use. Those looking for big heat, though, may want to look elsewhere. | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 4.5 | Medium | ND | Monrovia | California | https://www.pepperscale.com/trader-joes-green-dragon-hot-sauce/ |
| Truff Hot Sauce |  | Truff Hot Sauce is a well-balanced, medium heat hot sauce featuring a delicious truffle flavor. It’s sweet and earthy, but not overwhelming on the truffle side. Beautiful packaging and a lot of use cases. Those who don't like sweeter hot sauces may want t | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Huntington Beach | California | https://www.pepperscale.com/truff-hot-sauce/ |
| Fire Fruits Hot Sauce - Fiery Orange |  | Fire Fruits Hot Sauce – Fiery Orange is well-balanced, flavorful, and fresh-tasting. There are some big-heat peppers in the ingredient list, but the spiciness pairs well with the depth of the flavor. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Medium | ND | Orlando | Florida | https://www.pepperscale.com/fire-fruits-hot-sauce-fiery-orange/ |
| Huichol Hot Sauce |  | Huichol Hot Sauce is a deliciously earthy, flavor-forward sauce with a mild to low-medium heat. Very versatile. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | Medium | ND | Nayarit | Mexico | https://www.pepperscale.com/huichol-hot-sauce/ |
| Fairhope Favorite’s Original Moonshine Hot Sauce |  | Fairhope Favorite’s Moonshine Hot Sauce is a good everyday hot sauce if you want the sauce to get out of the way of the food's natural flavor. Cool label, pour-friendly spout (careful!). The plastic bottle takes some away from collectibility. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Fairhope | Alabama | https://www.pepperscale.com/fairhope-favorites-original-moonshine-hot-sauce/ |
| Tabasco Original Red Sauce |  | There’s no surprise why Tabasco Original Red Sauce is a staple condiment. It’s as versatile as a hot sauce comes, with a delicious vinegar tang and very eatable heat. Hot sauce newbies and aficionados alike can enjoy it. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 4.0 | Medium | 3,750 | Avery Island | Louisiana | https://www.pepperscale.com/tabasco-original-red-sauce/ |
| Trader Joe's Habanero Pepper Sauce |  | Habaneros really star in Trader Joe’s Habanero Hot Sauce. It’s a classic mix that makes an excellent table sauce. | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 4.0 | Medium | Monrovia | California | https://www.pepperscale.com/trader-joes-habanero-hot-sauce/ | |
| Satan's Blood Hot Sauce |  | Satan’s Blood is one extreme hot sauce with a ton of collectibility due to its one of a kind vial. The overwhelming heat is the experience, so use sparingly. Those looking for a balance of flavor and spiciness should look elsewhere. | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Super-Hot | 800,000 | Riviera Beach | Florida | https://www.pepperscale.com/satans-blood-hot-sauce/ |
| Dave's Cool Cayenne Hot Sauce |  | Dave’s Cool Cayenne is a surprising offering in a Dave’s line well-known for big heat. It’s warmth grows to a very eatable simmer with a tasty peppery flavor and vinegary tang. This is a daily-driver hot sauce that can be used on near everythi | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | Medium | 5,000 | San Rafael | California | https://www.pepperscale.com/daves-cool-cayenne-hot-sauce/ |
| Da Bomb Beyond Insanity Hot Sauce |  | Very collectible packaging meets big heat that tends to linger. Careful - too much will overtake your meal. Smoky and sweet - but use a drop or two at a time! | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Super-Hot | 135,600 | Kansas City | Kansas | https://www.pepperscale.com/da-bomb-beyond-insanity-hot-sauce/ |
| Queen Majesty Scotch Bonnet & Ginger Hot Sauce |  | This ginger-forward sauce doesn't pack big heat as you'd expect with scotch bonnet on the label, but the fruity sweetness of the pepper pairs well with ginger. Unique exotic flavor and label. Use cases can be limited, but when it works it works very well. | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Queens | New York | https://www.pepperscale.com/queen-majesty-scotch-bonnet-ginger-hot-sauce/ |
| Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha Hot Sauce |  | This gochujang sriracha is a little weak in the heat department, but just as versatile as the popular Sriracha. It’s a decent daily driver hot sauce - solid, but doesn’t excel outside its usability. | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Washington | DC | https://www.pepperscale.com/weak-knees-gochujang-sriracha-hot-sauce/ |
| Mike's Hot Honey |  | Mike's Hot Honey is an excellent alternative to everyday honey. It's deliciously sweet and very mild in spiciness. Its overall mildness though may be too little for spicy food fans. | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 | Mild | ND | Brooklyn | New York | https://www.pepperscale.com/mikes-hot-honey/ |
| Heartbeat Hot Sauce - Blueberry Habanero |  | A surprisingly light blueberry taste and mild heat (for a marketed habanero-based sauce), but very tasty nonetheless. It’s also more usable than you may think for a sauce that’s berry-based. | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Thunder Bay | Canada | https://www.pepperscale.com/heartbeat-hot-sauce-blueberry-habanero/ |
| Mad Dog 357 Hot Sauce |  | If you want an extreme heat statement from your hot sauce, Mad Dog 357 delivers that in spades. This is big-time heat, but with that comes tradeoffs in flavor and usability. The branding is fun and fits the experience. Very collectible. | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | Super-Hot | 357,000 | Sudbury | Massachusetts | https://www.pepperscale.com/mad-dog-357-hot-sauce/ |
| Kumana Avocado Sauce Be Mango |  | If you’re looking for a healthier sauce alternative to hot sauce, Kumana Avocado Sauce - Be Mango is a reasonable choice. It’s very usable, with a good (not great) overall flavor. Jalapeño may be in the ingredients list, but you won’t taste it here. | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 4.0 | Mild | ND | Santa Monica | California | https://www.pepperscale.com/kumana-avocado-sauce-be-mango/ |
| Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce |  | Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce is mild and filled with flavor – tangy and bright. It’s a definite win for those who prefer green sauces over red and a must with Mexican food. | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 4.5 | Mild | 600 - 1200 | Avery Island | Louisiana | |
| Inner Beauty Hot Sauce |  | Inner Beauty Hot Sauce – a Caribbean-style sauce – focuses on spice and flavor first. It’s a mustard-based sauce, so its usability is slightly limited. But its style and flavor add to its cool factor in a collection. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | Medium | N/D | Bangor | Maine | |
| Devilfish Kitchen Pirate Panic Hot Sauce |  | Devilish Kitchen’s Pirate Panic Hot Sauce pairs big citrus flavor with a star-studded list of extra/super-hot peppers. The end result is more balanced than you may think and very flavorful! | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Extra-Hot | N/D | Gorham | Maine | |
| Gringo Bandito Original Hot Sauce |  | Gringo Bandito Original Hot Sauce doesn’t pack a big punch in the heat department, but with flavor like this it doesn’t have to. This is a delicious Mexican-style hot sauce that works well-beyond traditional Tex-Mex. | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Mild | 820 | Huntington Beach | California | |
| Try Me Original Tiger Sauce |  | If you love sweet and tangy sauces like General Tso’s sauce, then Tiger Sauce is a slam dunk. We expected something spicier (and the balance could be better there), but this a sauce that everyone can enjoy. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Mild | N/D | New Orleans | Louisiana | |
| Burn After Eating Hot Sauce |  | Be ready to buckle up for a strong burn. Burn After Eating Hot Sauce pairs a murderer’s row of super-hot peppers with bold spices. It’s surprisingly tasty, but with 669,000 Scoville heat units, it’s not for the timid. The little amount that most users will use won’t showcase how delicious the sauce is. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | Super-Hot | 669,000 | Rochester | New York | |
| Tabasco Habanero Sauce |  | Tabasco Habanero Sauce packs a bigger punch that the Original Red, with a delicious tropical fiery-sweet flavor. If you’re looking for a Jamaican-style sauce as a daily-driver, you can’t go wrong here. | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | Medium | 7,000 | Avery Island | Louisiana | |
| Angry Goat Hippy Dippy Sauce |  | Angry Goat Hippy Dippy Hot Sauce is a delicious twist on verde sauce. Kiwi, agave, and avocado provide a fruity and earthy twist to the tomatillo tang. It also packs a very eatable heat, making it an easy hot sauce to grab for everyday use. | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | Medium | 2,300 | White River Junction | Vermont | |
| Pirate’s Lantern Pepper Sauce |  | Pirate’s Lantern Pepper Sauce is a tasty mustard-based, Bajan-style sauce with the unique addition of rum to the flavor list. It’s tangy, well-spiced, and a bit sweet. It’s mild — but perhaps to a fault. It feels like the heat could just be a little more to balance out the flavor. | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Medium | N/D | Brooklyn | New York | |
| Tapatio Hot Sauce |  | Tapatio is the kind of hot sauce that you want to put on everything and take just about everywhere. While it relies on simple, typical hot sauce ingredients, it doesn’t overpower you with heat and provides plenty of fresh peppery flavor. | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Medium | 3,000 | Vernon | California | |
| Ring of Fire Habanero Hot Sauce |  | Ring of Fire Habanero Hot Sauce provides a ton of fresh flavor with an eatable fiery zing. That taste/heat combo makes this a total usability winner. You’ll find yourself reaching for this sauce often. | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Medium | N/D | El Cajon | California | |
| Grinders Death Nectar |  | Grinders Death Nectar is a quality hot sauce for the true extreme eaters out there. It’s big time heat at 337,000 Scoville heat units. Flavor-wise, there’s a hint of citrus behind the heat, but truly the spiciness is the star. Use with caution. | 3.9 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Super-Hot | 337,000 | Kansas City | Missouri | |
| Gator Hammock Gator Sauce |  | Gator Hammock Gator Sauce is a delicious, amped up Louisiana-style hot sauce. It’s incredibly versatile in the kitchen, and it has a fun hand-drawn label style that pops in any collection. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Medium | Estimated 2,500 to 10,000 | Felda | Florida | |
| The Bronx Greenmarket Hot Sauce |  | The Bronx Greenmarket Hot Sauce is a delicious mix of earthy, sweet, and tangy with a low-medium heat. It’s a sauce by Small Axe Peppers that supports (via their sauces) urban gardeners throughout the USA — so great purpose here! | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Medium | 5,500 | New York City | New York | |
| Yellowbird Habanero Hot Sauce |  | Yellowbird Habanero Hot Sauce uses carrots to great effect in its blend — providing an earthy sweetness with a touch of citrus tang. The heat range listed of this sauce is broad, so your heat balance may vary from bottle to bottle. | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | Extra-Hot | 15,580 to 54,535 | Austin | Texas | |
| Palo Alto Firefighters Pepper Sauce |  | Palo Alto Firefighters Pepper Sauce delivers delicious, fresh flavor — sweet and peppery — with a mild to medium heat and no sodium at all. 100% of its profits go to charity, so it’s a hot sauce purchase with meaning beyond the plate! | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | Mild | 100 to 1,000 | Palo Alto | California | |
| The Pepper Plant Hot Sauce |  | The Pepper Plant Hot Sauce (Original California Style) packs a delicious salty, smoky punch. It’s the sort of hot sauce that acts more like an entire seasoning blend, bringing life to even the blandest dish. But take care not to overdo it with additional salt and spices! Not needed in this case. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Mild | ND | Gilroy | California | |
| Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce |  | Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce has everything you’re looking for in a classic, vinegar-forward Louisiana-style red hot sauce. It’s to the point, delicious, and unpretentious. The balance between the aged peppers and the vinegar is spot on. | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | Mild | 340 - 740 | Winston - Salem | North Carolina | |
| African Dream Foods Ghost Peri-Peri Sauce |  | African Dream Foods Ghost Peri-Peri Sauce is a deliciously well-balanced sweet and tangy hot sauce with a bold, but eatable medium-heat. Plus, the brand’s sustainable business supports both local South African farmers and wildlife conservation. | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | Medium | ND | Vancouver | Washington | |
| Secret Aardvark Serrabanero Hot Sauce |  | Secret Aardvark Serrabanero Hot Sauce pairs two popular chili peppers — serranos and habaneros into a smooth, tasty green-tomato based sauce. Though, the spiciness may be too mild for some looking for bigger heat. | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Portland | Oregon | |
| Howler Monkey Original Hot Sauce |  | Howler Monkey Original Hot Sauce is a Panamanian-style sauce that pairs delicious tang with mustard and fresh spices. If you wish your Louisiana-style hot sauce had a bit more flavor, this is a hot sauce you’ll want to try! | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Jacksonville Beach | Florida | |
| Goya Hot Sauce |  | Goya Hot Sauce is a mainstay in supermarkets on the US West and East Coasts. This Louisiana-style hot sauce features both the expected vinegar tang and a healthy dose of saltiness. It’s tasty with a mild spiciness anyone can enjoy, but we can’t help wanting just a bit more heat. Those watching their sodium intake may want to look elsewhere. | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | Mild | ND | Pedricktown | New Jersey | |
| Aka Miso Ghost-Reaper Hot Sauce |  | Few hot sauces nail the flavor and heat combo as well as Aka Miso Ghost-Reaper. As Bravado Spice Company rightly claims, it’s an “umami bomb” — full of bold flavors and a heat that stacks up well against it. | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | Super-Hot | 116,000 (estimated) | Houston | Texas | |
| Melinda’s Green Sauce |  | If you love herbaceous, vegetal “green” flavors and plenty of tang in your hot sauce, you’ll enjoy Melinda’s Green Sauce. It packs at most a low-medium heat, making it plenty eatable, too, for most. It can be used more like a spicy table sauce than a dash-at-a-time hot sauce. | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | Medium | ND | Irving | Texas | |
| Hell Fire Detroit Habanero Hot Sauce |  | Hell Fire Detroit Habanero Hot Sauce rocks the natural flavor of fire-roasted habaneros in all the right ways. This is a bold sauce: high heat and a delicious natural earthy sweetness. | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | Super-Hot | 100,000 - 300,000 | Royal Oak | Michigan | |
| Purple Haze Hot Sauce |  | Purple Haze gives you a sweet ride with its mix of pineapple, apple cider vinegar, red cabbage, habanero peppers, and more. It’s a unique flavor that pairs with a surprising color. This one’s totally fun to talk about (and taste) at the table. | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Medium | N/D | Woodstock | New York | |
| Hot Ones “The Classic” Hot Sauce |  | Hot Ones The Classic Hot Sauce delivers on flavor (tangy, nutty, earthy, and a touch smoky) with a very eatable heat. It’s extremely versatile and totally fun to eat! 100% a classic and a must-have for any hot sauce collection. | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Medium | 1,800 | Fort Mill | South Carolina | |
| Pain 100% Hot Sauce |  | Pain 100% Hot Sauce is a surprisingly well-balanced hot sauce for all the claims of total torture on the label. It’s an extra-hot heat, mixed with a tangy, smoky flavor. Expect some sweat and tears, but there’s still good flavor here. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | Extra-Hot | 40,600 | Kansas City | Kansas | |
| Kentuxican Bourbon Hot Sauce |  | Kentuxican Bourbon Hot Sauce is a unique blending of Mexican and Bluegrass flavors. It’s earthy sweet, smoky, and fiery in all the right ways, well-balanced and delicious. If you love bourbon BBQ sauces or chipotle hot sauces, this sauce is a must to try. | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | Medium | N/D | Louisville | Kentucky | |
| Zatarain’s Cajun Hot Sauce |  | Zatarain’s Cajun Hot Sauce leans into a delicious mix of aged red peppers, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Lots of salt. It’s as versatile as you’d expect from Cajun/Lousiana-style hot sauces, but those watching your sodium intake, take care in the amount you use. | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | Medium | N/D | New Orleans | Louisiana | |
| Trappey’s Louisiana Hot Sauce |  | Trappey’s Louisiana Hot Sauce is like an amped up Cajun sauce, big on vinegary flavor and salt, but light on heat. That lower heat, though, makes it very usable. | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | Mild | N/D | New Orleans | Louisiana | |
| Torchbearer Honey Badger Hot Sauce |  | Torchbearer’s Honey Badger Hot sauce pairs big extra-hot spiciness with tangy and sweet honey mustard taste. The heat and flavor are well-balanced and Torchbearer’s packaging is always a blast. Take care: this one is hotter than you’d expect! | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Extra-Hot | 99,000 SHU | Mechanicsburg | Pennsylvania | |
| Old Bay Hot Sauce |  | There’s a reason the original limited run of Old Bay Hot Sauce sold out in hours. It’s all that makes Old Bay Seasoning great, but with added fieriness and a Louisiana-style hot sauce tang. While the heat may be a little too timid for a perfect balance, it’s still incredibly tasty and very versatile in the kitchen. A must for Old Bay fans. | 4.4 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Mild | N/D | Hunt Valley | Maryland | |
| Torchbearer Zombie Apocalypse Hot Sauce |  | Torchbearer sauces over and over prove their worth, and Zombie Apocalypse Hot Sauce is no exception. It’s a big heat, but it’s done with natural peppers (ghost pepper and habanero) so it’s packed with natural fiery sweetness. Overall, it’s well-balanced between flavor and spiciness and the cartoon label style makes it a total collectible. | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | Extra-Hot | 100,000 SHU | Mechanicsburg | Pennsylvania | |
| Crystal Hot Sauce |  | Crystal Hot Sauce is a perfect every day “driver” for your table. Its low-medium heat is very eatable, and the flavor is well-balanced between peppery bite and vinegar tang. | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | Medium | 2,000 to 4,000 SHU | Metairie | Louisiana | |
| Poirier’s Louisiana-Style Hot Sauce |  | Poirier’s Louisiana-Style Hot Sauce brings some delicious depth to its vinegar-forward sauce with the inclusion of celery in the mix. It’s tasty, well-balanced, and very usable. Though the inclusion of red habaneros (and Dustin Poirier’s MMA background) leave us wanting just a bit more kick! | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 | Medium | Thunder Bay | Ontario | ||
| Cholula Original Hot Sauce |  | Cholula Original Hot Sauce has a complex chili pepper profile that raises the bar on flavor among mass-market hot sauces. It’s a delicious mix of smoky, nutty, tangy, and every-so-lightly spicy that’s incredibly versatile. | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 5.0 | Medium | 1,000 to 2,000 SHU | Chapala, Jalisco | Mexico |
A breakdown of our scores:
Scores are based on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).
- Overall Flavor: How tasty is this hot sauce? How much flavor depth is there?
- Heat Balance: Does the overall heat balance with the flavor? This is not a score on how spicy a hot sauce is – rather do the flavor and heat mesh well. Look to the heat range column to consider pure spiciness.
- Usability: How usable is the hot sauce? Is it something that can be used every day or is the flavor something more specialized?
- Collectibility: How collectible is the packaging? Is it memorable? Fun? Unique? Gift-worthy?
- X-Factor: This is our subjective “does it have it” score. Think of it like our reviewer’s gut score.
The final score is calculated by averaging the above scores. We automatically filter by it, or if you prefer to filter specifically on flavor, heat balance, or any of the other columns just click on the column head. That’s very helpful if you’re purely interested in flavor or heat balance, but less concerned on collectibility. Filter by usability if you’re looking for your next daily driver to always have at the table. Or collectibility if you’re looking for a fun hot sauce gift. The choice is yours.
Can hardly wait to try all of the flavors
Conimex Sambal Oelek ,is a great pepper paste,although they seem to have changed peppers of late. Pepper,salt and limited acetic acid.