National Hot Sauce Day
January maybe a cold month, but we got something to warm you up – today is National Hot Sauce Day and we decided to rank 40 of the best hot sauces. Here at Moron Reviews, we can take the heat so we won’t get out the kitchen… or your unlocked home for that matter.
Let’s get something straight here. There are two types of hot sauces: novelty sauces that are dangerously hot and hot sauces that are actually enjoyable to ingest. Hot sauce is an acquired taste and much like crack – it is something you get addicted to. Just like any proper addiction – it takes time to develop so you can abuse it. Have you ever met any child that liked spicy food? Probably not. The reason is that they have to become addicted to it in order to like it.
Hot Sauce Ingredients
I’d like to see an after school special where a parent finds a bottle of hot sauce, hidden in their son’s bedroom and breaks out into hysterics. “Where’d you get this shit, Stevie? Who got you hooked on this?! Give me their name! Now!”
It makes sense because capsaicin actually has pain-killer effects. Capsaicin (the chemical in peppers that causes heat) triggers the body to release endorphins—chemicals that bind to the same receptors in the brain as opiates such as heroin and morphine. Several medical studies have been conducted on capsaicin, confirming its effectiveness for arthritis, shingles, neuropathy, and other painful conditions.
Capsaicin also speeds up metabolism and works as a digestive aid. Here’s a gross fact: capsaicin cannot fully be broken down by the human digestive system, it can only be “passed” through the human digestive system. So if it’s hot coming in, it’s coming out the same way. I’m not going to act like I passed 8th grade chemistry so if you don’t believe me, you can read about it here. Capsaicin has also been recently found (in small amounts) in tomatoes, according to a Korean study.
The Effects of Hot Sauce
The chemical reaction or “burn” humans experience when they eat a hot pepper is actually the plants defense mechanism. Capsaicin binds to our TRPV1 receptors and gives us a false alarm which the brain and spinal cord process as pain. Predators that do not grind up the seeds of a pepper, when eating them, do not experience a “burn”. Hence why birds, who do not chew up the seeds of a pepper, can eat them without detecting any of the heat.
Researchers also noted that when birds ate chili peppers, many seeds germinated, but there was no germination after mice had eaten the chili seeds. This is because seeds pass through a birds’ digestive systems without being broken down, whereas in mice, rats and other mammals (humans), the seeds don’t make it out in one piece as they are broken down by the acidic juices during digestion.
Much like caffeine is a defense mechanism to insects to prevent them from eating coffee beans, chili plants have evolved to produce capsaicin as a repellent for animals, which will ensure their future survival, whilst still allowing birds to eat their seeds. If capsaicin extract is the main chemical in pepper spray, couldn’t criminals build up an immunity to pepper spray by ingesting hot sauce on a daily basis? Or would a criminal repeatedly pepper spray himself to build up an immunity?
Let’s discuss peppers that contain high amounts of capsaicin. The Carolina Reaper was the hottest pepper in the world until a new discovery that came in 2017 – Dragon’s Breath. This pepper is so hot it is not safe for human consumption. But, if you really hate someone – feel free to drop some Dragon’s Breath peppers into their Subway $5 footlong during lunch.
Dragon’s Breath was “born out of a trial of new plant food developed by Nottingham Trent University which aims to increase the quality and resistance of plants,” according to the BBC. Oils from the pepper are so potent it can be used as an anesthetic. The intended usage for Dragon’s Breath will actually be medical. And by “medical” we mean some hillbilly will eventually put it on his wings on a dare at a Quaker Stake & Lube somewhere in the midwest.
I will say this: though no study has stated any correlation, I believe hot sauce can make you more irritated and/or more aggressive. In the month I conducted this study, I consumed hot sauce on a daily basis and was quite irritable and pissed off to say the least. “Sure, blame it on the hot sauce” you’re saying, but I tell you – it is no lie.
If you feel like you’re taking too much crap in this world and want to “toughen-up” start consuming hot sauce on a daily basis and you’ll be bustin’ heads in no time.
Here is a clip of the classically trained thespian, John Witherspoon in one of his most captivating performances portraying Mr. Jones in Next Friday. Peppers are rated by their heat by measuring the SHU, Scoville heat units. Pure capsaicin being 15,000,000.
Now, onto the list. Some of the aspects we included when rating the hot sauce was how much sodium each sauce contained. Obviously, a hot sauce with 200 mg of sodium in one table-spoon is going to pack flavor, but is that really flavor? No. We also decided the list should encompass every type of hot sauce. From Sriracha to creamy sauces to flavored sauces, mild to hot – we tried them all.
We started our experiment by visiting a well renowned hot sauce shop in the midwest. But because he refused to give me any type of discount on the hot sauce in return for plugging his store in my article – we are omitting the name of his store from this article entirely.
The hot sauce store owner had a strong lisp which we asked if it was due to all of the hot sauce he’s consumed in his life. “I’d like to say that my lisp is not from the mass amounts of hot sauce I’ve consumed, ” he candidly stated. “But my doctor would tell you otherwise.” All I can say is – if you buy your hot sauce from a man who does not have some type of hot sauce related speech impediment – you’re buying from the wrong guy.
44. Mad Dog 357 It’s one thing to call a hot sauce Mad Dog and it’s another to call it “357”, but to combine them into the same name is just over the top. Therefor, this hot sauce is crazy and brutal. If Mad Dog 357 hot sauce was to be personified into a person – it would show up at your house, demand all your money, beat you up, destroy your most prized possessions and then as your laying in the hallway of your own house defenseless, it would shoot you in the crotch and walk out, leaving you to bleed to death, alone.
5.0/10 overall.
11/10 on heat scale.
The original Mad Dog 357, named because it has 357,000 Scoville Heat Units.
Heat Level: Extremely Hot
Ingredients: Vinegar, Chile Extract, Evaporated Cane Juice, Habanero Peppers, 160,000 Scoville Cayenne Peppers, Spices, and Xanthan Gum.
43. Ass Reaper
5.1/10
The name says it all, folks. With a name like Ass Reaper and a bottle designed to look like the Grim Reaper – you’re definitely in for a world of hurt with this hot sauce. 9.5 on heat scale.
Like a fool, I took a full tablespoon of this straight. I’ve never feared for my life like this ever before. To put this hot sauce into perspective for you: it contains capsaicin extract – meaning straight, unflavored, concentrated heat. It is the same ingredient found in pepper spray. Let that sink in. It is how hot sauces can reach Scoville ratings of 100,000 +. So by ingesting Ass Reaper we essentially swallowed a small amount of pepper spray.
Heat Level: Extremely Hot
42.Taco Bell Diablo
5.2/10
F*cking sick… and I don’t mean that in the hip way kids call cool things “sick”. I mean “sick” as in it made me actually sick. My first thought was “Is there cinnamon in this?” Slight detection of cumin. Flavor wise, Diablo actually tastes kind of watered down compared to the other Taco Bell sauces. Has a smokey lingering heat due to the chipotle and aji panca peppers.
Heat Level: Medium
41.Taco Bell Mild
5.3 /10
Pretty much just cumin, tomato purée sauce with chili pepper flavor.
Heat Level: Extremely Mild
2/10 on the heat scale.
40.Taco Bell Fire
5.6/10
Strong notes of cumin and vinegar.
Heat Level: Medium
6.5 on heat scale
39. SoCal Avocado Hot Sauce
8.0/10
Thought this would be promising, but I was let down by the flavor. The heat really doesn’t correspond well with the avocado. The guacamole tastes weird with the vinegar.
6.5/10 on the heat scale.
Heat Level: Mild
Ingredients: Water, Vinegar, Avocado, Jalapeno Peppers, Tomatillo, Onion, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Spices, Garlic, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate To Preserve Freshness.
Awards: 2017 Golden Chiles, 1st Place Verde Category.
38. Culley’s No 1
8.2/10
Has little bits of pepper within the sauce and has somewhat of a sweet, molasses flavor to it. Starts off with a sweet vinegar taste then followed by a bitter boldness. More sweat than heat.
Heat Level: Medium
6.5/10 on the heat scale.
Ingredients: Red Capsicum, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, Bhut Jolokia chiles, Scotch Bonnet, Orange Habañero, onion, garlic, ginger, castor sugar, palm sugar, salt, and white pepper.
37. Blue Top Buffalo Cayenne Creamy Hot Sauce
8.3/10
A few of our contestants did not care of this flavor as they said it would be better on fish. Blue Top Brands has some great creamy hot sauces though if you are looking for something more suitable as sandwich condiment as opposed to just a hot sauce.
3/10 on the heat scale.
36. Franks Red Hot Extra Spicy
8.3/10
Obviously more heat than Frank’s Original and overall more powerful, but has a stronger taste of vinegar as well. The spicy flavor lingers longer than it’s predecessor. Frank’s Original has no lingering heat, but still is more well-balanced than Frank’s Red Hot Xtra Hot.
Heat Level: Medium
7/10 on heat scale
35. Tapatio
8.3/10
Straight up chili peppers. Tastes like the sauce that comes straight out of a chili bean can.
Heat Level: Medium
6.8/10 heat scale
34. El Yuceteco Habanero Sauce (Green)
8.4/10
No sweetness or vinegar to it unlike most of the other sauces we tested. Tastes like straight unfiltered crushed up pepper. Has traces of vinegar which accounts for its “raw pepper” taste. This is just straight up habanero sauce. My nose did start running.
Heat Level: Hot
8.2 /10 on the heat scale.
33. El Yucateco Habanero Sauce (Red)
8.4/10
Quite similar to its green counterpart, which has the exact name. The red version seems to have a little bit more flavor due to the tomato as compared to flavorless green version.
Once the tomato flavor dissipates it is followed by the same heat.
Heat Level: Hot
8.2/10 on the heat scale.
32. Tabasco Original
8.4/10
Vinegary and much hotter than Tabasco’s Chipotle and Garlic flavors. The lack of others ingredients makes the vinegar and heat stand out which actually hurts it. Of all the Tabasco sauces we tried, the original surprisingly scored the lowest.
Heat Level: Medium
6.8/10 on heat scale.
31. Pikapeppa
8.4/10
We detected a strong pickle-like taste with no heat at all. Sweet like an A1 sauce.
Heat Level: Extremely Mild
1/10 on the heat scale.
30. Valentina
8.4/10
Valentina’s is not that hot, but it is one of the most flavorful of all the hot sauces we tested. The problem is that the flavor is very similar to the sauce chili beans are canned in with a dash of cumin. While good for tacos, this is not a hot sauce that is very versatile. Even more chili like to me and sweeter than Tapatio.
Heat Level: Medium
6/10 on the heat scale
29. Frank’s Red Hot Original
8.4 /10
Good, but too vinegary and too much sodium. Valentina’s hot sauce had a chili sauce like comparison. Our contestants were mixed on this one as some liked it and others noted it is just straight vinegar and not a “true” hot sauce. While it packs a ton of sodium – it also has great flavor, the problem is that the flavor is primarily from the vinegar and seasonings – not the actual flavor. Why? Because it’s cheaper to make a great tasting hot sauce by using vinegar for the flavor instead of quality peppers. Franks is too “artificial” to be in the top 20.
Heat Level: Mild
5.5/10 on heat scale
28. Dave’s Roasted Red Pepper
8.5/10
More smokiness than heat, but this hot sauce doesn’t feel like you ate a piece of charcoal either. Bits of roasted pepper in it give it a less processed consistency. Very bold and robust like a chipotle pepper.
Heat Level: Mild
4/10 on heat scale.
27. Sweet Baby Rays
8.5/10
Of all the sauces we tested this is the only one to have a buffalo wing style flavor to it. Strong cayenne pepper taste as well. Hotter than Frank’s Original. Moderate flavor, not too much sodium. Pretty good.
Heat Level: Mild
7/10 on heat scale
26. Louisiana Style Hot Sauce
8.5/10
If you lost your job and you like Frank’s Red but couldn’t afford it – this hot sauce is for you. So cheap I couldn’t even find a picture of it on the internet, but I bought it in a Walmart so it is out there. Too vinegary for my liking, but I give it the win over Frank’s cause it’s a tad sweeter than Frank’s Red Hot Original sauce.
Heat Level: Mild
4.5/10 on heat.
25. Trappey’s Red Devil
8.5/10
Another sauce that I would label in as a “vinegar style” meaning most of the flavor comes from vinegar as opposed to the peppers. Cheaper hot sauces typically list vinegar as the first ingredient, being that is the main ingredient. Super vinegary, straight up stung my nasal passages. Tastes of cayenne pepper.
Heat Level: Mild
5 /10 on the heat scale.
24. CaJohn’s Tiki Bar
8.6/10
Like sweet a bourbon bbq maple sauce. Zero heat which isn’t a bad thing, but more of a wing sauce.
Heat Level: Extremely Mild
2/10 on the heat scale.
23. Pure Louisiana
8.6/10
Not too vinegary, sharp, but savory. It’s a little bit more of darker chipotle style of pepper. This hot sauce is not smoky, but has more of a darker, red pepper taste to it. Heat somewhat lingers. Maybe a tad of cumin and chili pepper sauce. Has a dark, richer taste to it that I don’t really prefer. Very similar to Valentina’s salsa picante hot sauce in that it has the chili sauce/cumin taste to it, but not as strong as Valentina’s.
Heat Level: Mild
7/10 on heat scale.
22. Tabasco Habanero
8.6/10
More enjoyable than El Yucatecos which also utilizes the habanero primarily. Sweeter with more flavor than El Yucatecos, but not as hot either. This hot sauce loses the Tabasco signature flavor as the vinegar is muted and the heat is more pronounced.
Heat Level: Hot
7.3/10 on heat scale.
21. Blue Top Lime Jalapeno
8.6/10
Better than Blue Top’s Buffalo Cayenne this hot sauce is tasty and creamy. More of a sandwich condiment as opposed to a straight up hot sauce. Everyone we tested liked this one better than the Buffalo Cayenne.
Heat Level: Extremely Mild
3/10 on heat scale.
20. Huy Fong’s Sriracha
8.6/10
Like a creamy cocktail sauce where the heat comes afterwards and lingers.
Heat Level: Medium
7/10 on the heat scale.
Best On: Hot Dogs, Pizza
19. Zatarains Cajun
8.7/10
Cajun flavored hot sauce that contains aged red peppers. Super sweet and super vinegary, but with a unique cajun twist to it unlike most of the hot sauces we tested. It was also one of the sweetest hot sauces that we tested.
Heat Level: Medium
6/10 on heat scale.
18. Yellowbird Habanero
8.7/10
Yellowbird offers the freshest tasting hot sauces you will find. They are more reminiscent to a salsa than a hot sauce which gives it a more fresh flavor compared to the more processed hot sauces that are primarily composed of vinegar and peppers.
8.4/10 on the heat scale
Heat Level: Hot
Ingredients: Organic Carrots, Onions, Habanero Peppers, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Garlic, Organic Cane Sugar, Tangerine Juice Concentrate, Salt, Lime Juice Concentrate.
17. Tabasco Green Pepper
8.7/10
Am I the only one who grew up stealing these little bottles of Tabasco sauce from Chiptole? Is it really stealing or is it just an unspoken rule that you are allowed to take them as long as you bought something? It tastes like a sweet green pepper with the heat of a jalapeno. More vinegar flavor to it than the Tabasco Garlic flavor.
Heat Level: Medium
5.5/10 on the heat scale.
16.Tabasco Garlic
8.7/10
Sweet flavorful but not hot. One of the best Tabasco hot sauces on the market. Like the chipotle version, but with garlic and less smokiness.
Heat Level: Mild
3/10 on the heat scale.
15.Giant Eagle Market Garden
8.7/10
Sweeter and better than Huy Fong’s Sriracha and also has more of a ginger like flavor to it. The flavor is sweeter than Huy Fong’s but the heat is immediate with bits of sweetness that tantalize your tongue. More salt and sugar than original Sriracha which accounts for the better flavor.
Heat Level: Medium
7/10 on the heat scale.
Best On: Hot Dogs, Pizza
14. Chili’s Fire Pit Red Dawn
8.7/10
Delicious. The perfect balance of sweetness and heat. Almost like a Kansas City style barbecue sauce.
Heat Level: Mild
5/10 on the heat scale.
13.Tabasco Chipotle
8.7/10
The best of all the Tabasco flavors. Smoky and salty. A chipotle pepper is just a smoked jalapeno, but it has more Scovilles than a jalapeno due to the smoking process so it is also hotter. Very flavorful. I liked this better than I remembered. This sauce is a little too dark and on the robust side. If they lightened the smokiness I think this sauce would be more enjoyable. It is just too chiptoley.
Heat Level: Mild
3/10 on the heat scale.
12. Sweet Heat Candied Jalapeno
8.7/10
Super sweet with a jalapeno afterburn and smell. Heat lingers in lightly after the sweetness fades. Delicious. You really could drink the whole bottle without getting sick… and we dare you to.
Also known as “candied jalapeno” hot pepper sauce, Dashelito’s Sweat Heat Hot Sauce starts out sweet and lingers at the end with a smoky spice that’s just right. Mix with bar-b-que sauce for that added little zing that most sauces lack or spread it on a sandwich for an extra little kick!
Heat Level: Mild
4/10 on the heat scale.
11. Dave’s Hurtin’ Habanero
8.7/10
It’s another chili flavored hot sauce which isn’t a bad thing. Not as “chili sauce like” as Valentina’s. Not as sweet as the flavored Tabasco sauces. I don’t detect any vinegar flavor so it allows the natural flavors of the peppers to hit your taste buds as a good hot sauce should.
Heat Level: Medium
6.25/10 on the heat scale.
10. Melinda’s Xxxtra
8.8/10
Not super sweet or vinegary, but middle of the road flavor wise. This is the most well-balanced hot sauce we have tried especially for one of a higher heat level.
Heat Level: Hot
7.5/10 on the heat scale.
The label reads: The Habanero (Capsicum chinense) is the hottest chile pepper in the world, measuring between 200,000 and 300,000 Scoville Units (the hottest jalapeno measures only 5000 S.U.) Pepper connoisseurs the world over consider it to be the finest variety known to man. Using only the highest quality ingredients, Melinda’s blends fresh carrots, onions, garlic, and a hint of lime juice with the Habanero. The result is a pepper sauce that harmonizes heat and flavor without the overpowering pungency found in traditional vinegar-based hot sauces. Melinda’s vegetable base allows you to spice your food without drowning out the original flavor.
Naturally hot, vegetable base
5 FL OZ. (148 ML)
Ingredients:
Choice red habanero peppers, fresh carrots, onions, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt
Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 5g, Servings: 28, Amount per serving: Calories 0, Total Fat 0g (0% DV), Sodium 55mg (2% DV), Total carb 0g (0% DV), Sugars 0g, Protein 0g, Vitamin A (6% DV), Vitamin C (4% DV).
Percent Daily Value (DV) are based on 2000 calorie diet.
9. Crystals
9.0/10
Comprised of aged cayenne peppers, this hot sauce has the best flavor while only packing 60 mg of sodium per teaspoon. Another great thing about this hot sauce is that it’s not some gourmet small batch that you can only order online. You can find this at any discount grocery store.
Heat Level: Mild
5 /10 on the heat scale.
8. Cholula Original
8.8/10
Little bit of sweetness right off the bat with some saltiness following right after. Tastes more of salt than vinegar. Not too hot. Cholula has the perfect amount of heat and flavor, doesn’t go overboard on the sodium like Frank’s Red Hot.
Heat Rating: Mild
5/10 on the heat scale.
Scoville Unit Rating: About 500 – 1000 SHU
Ingredients: Water, Peppers (Arbol and Piquin), Salt, Vinegar, Spices and Xanthan Gum.
7. Marie Sharp’s Habanero Pepper Sauce
8.8/10
If you love distinct habanero taste this is the hot sauce for you. Not too vinegary and the heat isn’t too powerful. Well balanced, but not much sweetness to it as opposed to other hot sauces in the top 10.
Heat Level: Medium
7.5/10 on the heat scale.
6. Yellowbird Jalapeno
8.9/10
More Flavorful and less heat than its habanero counterpart. This hot sauce is one of the freshest tasting sauces you will ever find. It has carrots in it as well which seems to add a sweeter flavor to overall mix of this sauce.
Heat Level: Medium
7.5/10 on the heat scale.
Ingredients: Jalapeño Peppers, Organic Carrots, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Onions, Garlic, Organic Cane Sugar, Salt, Lime Juice Concentrate
5.Cholula Green Pepper
8.9/10
Sweet, tart and you don’t detect the vinegar or heat until afterwards. A little bit on the salty side, but it is still delicious. Considering it consists of pablano peppers, which are only 2,000 Scovilles it scores on the lighter side of the heat scale. The only downfall of this hot sauce is that it’s a little bit on the salty side as it’s loaded with 170 mg of sodium per serving.
Heat Rating: Mild
4.5 on the heat scale.
Scoville Unit Rating: About 450 – 900 SHU
Ingredients: Jalapeno Pepper, Water, Sugar, Salt, Poblano Pepper, Acetic Acid, Garlic Powder, Jalapeno Powder, Xanthan Gum, Poblano Pepper Flavor, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative) and Sodium Metabisulfite (Preservative).
4. Born To Hula Harvest Pumpkin
9.1/10 The most original hot sauce we tried out of all 44. All sweet and no heat.
Heat Rating: Mild
2/10 on the heat scale.
Enjoy this Fall Season with Fall flavors!
Made with pumpkin, Apple Juice, Brown Sugar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Caribbean Red Peppers, Lemon, Cinnamon, Ginger and Nutmeg.
This year’s peppers “Caribbean Red” were harvested by Smoking J’s Fiery Foods, Candler, North Carolina.
2016 Best Seasonal Product “Lenny Awards”
2017 1st Place Hot Sauce/Specialty Category “Chile Pepper Awards”
Suggested on: Brownies, Chili, Ice Cream, Sweet Potatoes, Chicken, Coffee & much more!
3. Gringo Bandito Extra Hot
9.2/10
Sweet heat lingers afterwards and you do not detect any vinegar at all. It actually gets hotter as time goes on. One of the most unique flavors I have found in a hot sauce and all six contestants liked it. Composed of scorpion and jolioka (Ghost) pepper this hot sauce actually didn’t seem that hot to me considering it’s components. Delicious robust almost roasted flavor to it. Truly unique. You might recognize the man on the front of the label as he is the lead singer of The Offspring and the creator of Gringo Bandito.
Heat Level: Hot
9 on heat scale.
Peppers: Scorpion, Joloika Ghost Peppers
2. Yellowbird Serrano
9.3/10
The best of all the Yellowbird series. More flavor than all three of the Yellowbird hot sauces we tried and the least amount of heat. This hot sauce will surely appeal to those who love salsa verde as this a green pepper sauce.
Heat Level: Medium
6.8/10 on the heat scale.
Ingredients: Serrano Peppers, Cucumbers, Organic Carrots, Onions, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Garlic, Organic Cane Sugar, Salt, Lime Juice Concentrate
Peppers: Serrano
1. Secret Aardvark Habanero Sauce
9.4/10
Read many lists that raved about this hot sauce and had to order if off Amazon in order to get it. I really didn’t think it would live up to the hype, but this hot sauce is the perfect amount of flavor, heat and freshness all balanced equally. Tastes more like a fresh salsa than just a hot sauce. The heat is not overpowering and lingers for just the right amount of time after tasting it, but doesn’t over stay its welcome.
Origin: Portland, OR
Heat Level: Medium
Ingredients: Tomatoes (Tomatoes and Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride), White Wine Vinegar, Carrots, Water, Yellow Onion, Habanero Chile Pepper (Habanero Chile Peppers, Water, Salt, Citric Acid), Mustard (Distilled Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seed, Salt Turmeric, Spices), Organic Cane Sugar, Salt, Modified Food Starch, Garlic, Sunflower Oil, Herbs and Spices.
Peppers: Habanero
There you have it, folks: 44 of the world’s most famous hot sauces. In our findings, we concluded that everyone acted tougher than they really were and pretended that they were unfazed by the heat.
Cheers.