I Tried 9 Popular Hot Sauces & the Best Was Smoky and Citrusy

Scary to some but a dietary necessity for others, hot sauce is one condiment category that sparks a great deal of controversy–likely because of its diversity, as well as its wide-ranging effects. The hot sauce market, especially here in the United States, is a melting pot of various ingredients, preparation methods, and sundry levels of spice.

Luckily, though, this vast piquancy range means that even those who can't take the heat don't have to get out of the kitchen entirely. There are offerings that are still zippy without being smoke-coming-out-of-your-ears hot, and many of these are wildly popular.

Earlier this year, online grocery giant Instacart revealed its best-selling hot sauce brands, based on purchase data collected from over 80,000 partnering stores nationwide. The top performers included many familiar names, including Tabasco, Frank's RedHot, and Huy Fong Sriracha—brands that rank from low to medium on the Scoville scale, measuring heat levels of peppers and other spicy products.

I wanted to find out which of America's most beloved hot sauces delivered the most flavorful and enjoyable kick, so I rounded up as many popular brands as I could find and compared them all based not purely on heat, but overall taste. I tried each hot sauce with scrambled eggs, a classic combination.

Here's how these nine hot sauces fared, ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the absolute best flavor.

Louisiana Hot Sauce

One of America's most venerable brands, Louisiana Hot Sauce is also one of the nation's best sellers, according to Instacart. The nearly century-old recipe boils down to just peppers, distilled vinegar, and salt. But, despite this simplified recipe, the brand promises it's anything but basic. This is because it uses only the best and highest quality peppers and allows all three ingredients to ferment during the aging process–the not-so-secret, secret sauce. The company has stuck to its guns since its inception in 1928 and has continued to proudly represent the Pelican State and everything it stands for.

I grabbed a 6-ounce bottle of the brand's tried and true flavor for $1.69. But, if you're ever feeling more adventurous, the company also offers wing sauce, taco sauce, a diverse range of Louisiana Gold pepper sauces, and jars of just the peppers themselves.

The look: Despite my initial preconceived notions, all of these hot sauces each have their own subtle cosmetic differences that make them stand out from the pool of others. The Louisiana sauce, for example, is defined by its reddish-orange color, runny consistency, and frequent red flecks.

The taste: This hot sauce lands pleasantly in the middle of hot and mild–though it does take a minute to ramp up to its full potential. The bad part, however, is that it also aligns itself smack dab in the middle of forgettable and disagreeable. In some samples, nothing but a light prickle of vinegar grazed my palette and in others, a stale tang trumped all else–a flavor that reminded me of veggies or other produce past its prime. That may be how Louisianians like to turn up the heat, but for me, this sauce is just a turn-off.

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El Yucateco Red Habanero Hot Sauce

Pronounced with a long U sound rather than like the work "yuck" (an important distinction), El Yucateco is a Mexican hot sauce brand that's been around since 1968. What sets it apart from other red-colored hot sauces in this survey is that it's the only one to specifically call out its use of habanero peppers in its recipe. This, along with the addition of tomato, makes the sauce a bit of a wildcard. While El Yucateco makes other fiery flavors, ranging from a modest Jalapeño Sauce to a face-melting Ghost Habanero, the regular red sauce is one of the company's most prominent. I picked up a bottle for $2.79.

The look: Not quite as thick as something like Huy Fong Sriracha, but definitely one of the clumpiest options. There's also a purple-like hue hiding beneath the muted red.

The taste: Relentless. Beware, this sauce has one of the sneakiest, come-in-the-backdoor kinds of spices I've ever experienced. It didn't have much flavor in the beginning as I let it settle on my tongue. In fact, I was about to make a note that all I could detect was a juicy sourness with no signs of trouble or other flavors. Then, as it began to marinate at the back of my mouth, multiple alarm bells sounded.

That's when I realized, the sauce sits at between 7,600 to 9,500 on the Scoville scale. That's about twice as hot as Tabasco or about 16 times as hot as Frank's. Yowza! If you're one of those people with a high pain tolerance who is seeking out a burn-your-mouth kind of sauce, this brand is for you. But, if you're looking for more depth and flavor, I'd keep looking.

Hot Ones Original The Classic Hot Sauce

If you've never seen the heated YouTube talk show "Hot Ones," I would recommend giving it a watch. The premise is this: mouth-of-steel host Sean Evans interviews various celebrity guests as they both eat wings covered in hotter and hotter sauces. It's both entertaining and painful to watch at the same time. But, one of the coolest parts is that we can all now get in on the spicy action with the Hot Ones line of retail hot sauces. There are plenty to choose from with spice levels all over the board and all the way up to what is known as The Last Dab made with Pepper X—named the hottest pepper in the world in 2023.

Knowing I would likely never recover from that kind of firepower, I stuck with the brand's Original The Classic Hot Sauce instead with a posted heat score of just two out of ten (much more manageable). According to the label, this hot sauce is made with chile de árbol peppers from renowned purveyor Smokin' Ed Currie's farm in South Carolina. The 5-ounce bottle cost me $8.99—a rate that almost made me choke compared to the low price point of the remaining sauces.

The look: Even from the confines of its bottle, I could tell this sauce was one of the thinnest on the menu. After pouring it out, my assumptions were confirmed and it also sloshed out looking more like a waterlogged chili sauce with clear shreds of the chili de árbol red peppers.

The taste: With a very approachable, beginner-level heat, it's certainly nothing to be scared of. My problem is that it's almost trying too hard to be different and to separate itself from hot sauce norms. Organic vinegar and apple cider vinegar incorporated into the pepper mash team up here to give you a mouth-puckering effect from the jump. Then, a taste similar to bell peppers takes over. Finally, you're brought back down to earth with unexpected notes of turmeric and garlic. All things considered, it's simply too wild of a flavor ride that I probably wouldn't buy a ticket for again.

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Texas Pete Original Hot Sauce

Texas Pete is one of those brand's masquerading as a Lone Star State frontman—just like the steak chain Texas Roadhouse. But, in reality, this cowboy was born in Winston-Salem, N.C., dreamed up to be the most piquant and American-sounding of hot sauces. Pete spurred to life in 1929 at the start of the Great Depression but has somehow stood the test of time, corralling more and more tastes to his product list along the way including BBQ sauces, wing sauce, salsa, and dry seasoning. Personally, this was my first time saying howdy to the legendary buckaroo and I lassoed a 6-ounce bottle of his sauce for $2.49.

The look: The brightest hot sauce west of the Mississippi in an almost neon orange hue–not the most natural of colors, I would say. It does have opacity on its side, however.

The taste: The packaging reveals that Pete's touches down halfway between mild and hot on the spice-o-meter. But, I would knock your expectations down a few pegs, well into the mild region. As for the flavoring, the sauce is surprisingly creamy and smooth much like a Buffalo sauce although the label reveals no signs of butter—the classic hot wing sauce's main defining ingredient. Low on heat and easy on the palette, I would classify this as the perfect gateway hot sauce, ready to ease you into the unforgiving world of spice.

Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

You may be surprised to see Huy Fong on the list for two separate reasons. First, because it sticks out like a spicy sore thumb from the rest of the bunch. Sriracha-style chili sauces are known for their thicker texture and supplementary ingredients that make it different than other hot sauces. But, since the Hoy Fung brand ranks as one of the top-selling hot sauces in the country, it only makes sense to include it.

The second reason has to do with its elusiveness over the past few years. The company has struggled to keep its products on shelves due to climate-related events and supply issues. However, it seems that production may be on the rise since I was able to recently acquire one of the plastic bottles at my local Giant Eagle market—a place where I've had to settle for off-brand during countless other grocery hauls. The 17-ounce bottle cost me $5.79.

The look: Dark red and gloopy similar to a tomato-based pasta sauce. I also appreciate the plastic container so you can squeeze the substance from the green cap rather than pouring or shaking it–two far more inconsistent and dangerous methods.

The taste: Sugar, peppers, and garlic are the three integral components vying for attention within this Sriracha. And honestly, I think they each play their part splendidly. The sweetness and garlic swirl together first before the smoky taste of chilis kicks in. It's bold and certainly ends off with a bang–though a small one, so probably more of a thud or tap. There's no denying it's a tasty sauce and one that clearly has a hold on many consumers. But, I think there is a specific time and place for it—such as mixed into a ramen dish or baked onto sticky wings—and when it comes down to it, other top sauces are better equipped in the versatility department.

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Tabasco

Tabasco is one of the great celebrities of spice. Blazing a trail since 1868, it now stands as one of the world's most popular spicy sauces as well as the number one hot sauce asked for by name, according to the brand itself. Just speaking the name Tabasco out loud almost leaves you with a sharpness on your tongue.

As a classic red hot sauce, it's made with a straightforward three-part combination of red peppers, distilled vinegar, and salt. Tabasco also doesn't tip the scale in terms of intensity, measuring in at between 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville heat units. The small-scale 2-ounce bottle rang up at $2.39.

The look: Tabasco's product was originally stored in cologne-shaped bottles with a sprinkler fitment so the substance could be sprinkled rather than poured. Today, the bottle has gone through some changes. However, it still stands at less than half the size of other hot sauces, and the substance inside remains as watery as ever–almost like H2O with just a drop of red food dye.

The taste: This hot sauce is known for its pungent smell that singes your nose hairs and almost knocks you off your seat the second you unscrew it. Afterwards, its tangy, vinegar-driven flavor is once again unmistakable. As for the heat, it comes at you fast and aggressive–an advertised spice strength of three out of five flames–then bids adieu just as quickly. It's truly a one-of-a-kind sauce and I think the reason it's so admired is because it has that adaptability that other sauces lack. Eggs and Tabasco are the perfect pair. Bloody Mary's wouldn't be the same without a few shots of the sauce. Need to spice up some oysters? Tabasco. The list goes on and on.

Tapatio Salsa Picante Hot Sauce

Like El Yucateco, Tapatio is another Mexican-inspired hot sauce brand—a point emphasized by the sombrero-wearing figurehead on the front of the bottle. Jose-Luis Saavedra, Sr. started the company in 1971. Every decade since, it has grown in every sense of the word, expanding into larger factory spaces, wider markets, bigger bottles, and even into new product areas. Now, spice seekers can find ramen, seasonings, flavored nuts, and even ketchup under the Tapatio name. But, the classic Salsa Picante Hot Sauce remains at the center of attention. I purchased a bottle for just $1.79.

The look: Deeper in color and far more viscous than most other hot sauces—with the exception of Sriracha, of course. It also appears to be dotted with multicolored spices.

The taste: I respect the body and complex flavor palette Tapatio brings to the table. It has a touch of garlicky sweetness that offsets the earthiness and boldness that radiates from the red peppers. Like most of the sauces, the spice here isn't overwhelming. It flies under the radar but does pop up every now and again to make its presence known and to send a tiny bit of extra fluid to your eyeballs. Altogether, it's a solidly spiced sauce and one that probably doesn't get enough credit for the diverse range of tastes it so flawlessly marries together.

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Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

At any given time, I can typically find a bottle of Frank's tucked away in my cupboard—and, it seems like I'm not the only one who keeps the product on hand. According to Instacart, the brand stands as the top-purchased hot sauce nationwide in 2023. Residents in the Midwest and Northeast regions specifically seem to have a hankering for it, and as an Ohioan, I would definitely say that rings true. Frank's is an OG spicy sauce that dates back to 1920. And, one of its largest claims to fame–beyond being a wildly successful 100-year-old brand—is that it was used in the original Buffalo wings recipe, created in Buffalo, N.Y., circa 1964.

Rather than dipping back into my ol' pantry bottle, which has probably been left stewing for a bit too long, I grabbed a fresh bottle of Frank's to compare against the rest of the piquant pack. The 5-ounce serving cost $2.19.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: Not quite as vibrant as Texas Pete's, but in that same realm both color and thickness-wise. When poured out on a plate though, it looks significantly more washed out along the edges of the drop.

The taste: I have to agree with Frank's spokesperson Ethel, the infamous character behind the tagline "I put that $#!t on everything." This sauce shares a similar flavor as Pete's, in addition to appearance, but Frank's does it better. It's classic and rich following that Buffalo-sauce style and veers away from the sharp zestiness that other brands like Tabasco thrive on. It's certainly not the spiciest bottle on the shelf. However, it's not a dud either, still delivering some welcome mouth stings and tingles.

There's no limit to what you can enliven with Frank's sauce. However, in my opinion, there's no better buddy for it than chicken, and buffalo chicken dip—a recipe that's plastered on the bottle—is one of its best uses of all time. Yet, as good as Frank's is, there's still another hot sauce that I liked even better.

Cholula Original Hot Sauce

In terms of fiery fame, Cholula is right up there with Frank's RedHot and Tabasco—actually landing right in between the two, according to Instacart's survey. The self-proclaimed "Mother of Sauce" stands for Mexican cuisine, heritage, and culture, while also promising to bring flavor to every dish from breakfasts and dinners to beverages and even desserts. The 100-year-old original family recipe is made from a blend of arbol & piquin peppers in addition to apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and other spices. The classic bottle, identified by its signature rounded and wooden cap, cost me $4.49.

The look: A burnt orange shade with hardly any signs of red at all. Its consistency straddles the fence between thick and thin.

The taste: This is the first sauce I tasted where I noticed citrusy notes coupled with the vinegar rush at the front end. From what I read, this is thanks to the small but mighty pequin peppers. These initial sensations are balanced out with a smokiness that gives the entire sauce a Mexican flair—the same kind you would usually get from a taco sauce or even a well-made salsa. A swift kick comes at the end but it's never intolerable unless you really pile it on thick.

Since piquant preferences can be all over the board, I know some people will disagree but for me, Cholula is the true sovereign of spice and hero of heat. It satisfies every time, never steering me wrong no matter what I splash it on. And, I will leave you with one more controversial opinion: it's hands-down the best match for a hearty Chipotle burrito or bowl—even the fast-food chain's own Chipotle Tabasco will forever take a backseat to Cholula in my household.