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The Best Hot Ones Sauces
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Chris Whitehair
- Last Updated: January 15, 2026
- 10 Comments
My Top 10 Hot Ones Sauces
Debuting on YouTube in March of 2015, Hot Ones from First We Feast has taken the pop culture world by storm.
A-list celebrities from all walks of the entertainment industry have toughed it out to see if they can make it to “The Last Dab”!
There has been no shortage of top-tier guests, from world-renowned celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay to former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal to singer-songwriter Billie Eilish.
What I believe is even more impressive than the list of celebrities that have appeared on the show is the actual hot sauces themselves.
Craft hot sauce makers whose sauces have made the cut and appeared on Hot Ones have seen their popularity skyrocket as a result.
Are you a fan of the show? Have you wondered which hot sauces are the best?
To date, there have been 29 seasons of the show.
I thought it would be fun to gather my favorite – the best Hot Ones sauces – and share them with the world.
Hot Ones Sauces Ranking Criteria
The following list outlines my guidelines for compiling the Top 10.
1. Flavor First. Bottom line. I can’t stress this enough. The Scoville Units are a selling point of the hot sauces and the show, especially with the later-round hot sauces, but I’m looking for which Hot Ones hot sauce tastes best overall.
2. Characteristics. I am looking for both uniqueness and versatility. For example, if the sauce has a popular flavor profile (such as a garlic hot sauce), I ask myself, “What makes this one better than other sauces of that profile”? If the sauce has a rare flavor profile similar to hot sauces, is it suitable for use on a variety of foods?
3. Brand/Season Limits. The number of times a brand can appear on the list if it has used different sauces in different seasons is unlimited, as is the number of sauces that can occur due to their seasonal variations.
4. Disclaimer. Since starting Flower City Flavor Company and becoming part of the hot sauce community, I have had the opportunity to get to know many makers, some of whom have become genuine friends. Some of these makers are on this list. My personal or business relationships with hot sauce companies, makers, or affiliates did not influence my selections. My sincere take ultimately comes down to my first criterion, flavor.
With all that said, it’s time to look at my favorites from “the show with hot questions and even hotter wings!”
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Scoville Units: 28,000
Season 3 (#6)
Have you ever had hot sauce on ice cream? If you think I’m nuts, give a generous pour of the second Bravado Spice Co. sauce to make our list over vanilla ice cream, and a warm fudge brownie, and I promise you will become a believer. I’ve also enjoyed this as a wing sauce and even as a salad vinaigrette.
Scoville Units: 5,000
Season 4 (#3)
This sauce is out of Portland, Oregon, but its popularity has spread nationwide. Iron Chef Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ in Cleveland uses Secret Aardvark as its table hot sauce. Jimmy Fallon name-dropped them in a Tonight Show interview with Cobie Smulders. This is a hot sauce anyone can enjoy, with a tolerable heat level and great flavor.
Scoville Units: 103,000
Season 19 (#7)
It’s no surprise Karma Sauce appears on this list! Cosmic Disco is the love child of Karma Sauce’s Cosmic Dumpling and Scorpion Disco (which also appeared on Hot Ones). It has all of the flavor of both, but unless you like it hot, use it sparingly (I learned this the hard way: for a #7 position, it feels more like a #9!). It is essential for any Asian-themed dish (dumplings, wontons, sushi, etc.).
Scoville Units: 116,000
Season 10 (#7)
I vividly remember the first time I tried this sauce. I went through a gauntlet of tasting different sauces for the first time with some fellow hot sauce fanatics, and Aka Miso is the one I still remember most from that day. The flavor (and then heat) just hit my tongue in harmony, and it was the only sauce I asked for a second taste of! Without this one, you can’t list the best Hot Ones sauces. It’s an absolute must-have on ramen.
Scoville Units: 56,000
Season 5 (#6)
The label has been updated since its Season 5 appearance, but the extreme heat and flavor remain. Replacing the habaneros from the Good and Bad versions with Ghost and Scorpion peppers, this sauce is a favorite among serious hot sauce enthusiasts who crave strong flavor alongside intense heat. It is as versatile as a hot sauce, with this level of heat.
Scoville Units: 24,000
Season 6 (#4)
Sweet, smoky, and sensational, this is a wing sauce, and if you were only to choose one, I think this is the best of the 10 on this list to use on wings. Chipotle, garlic, honey, ghost pepper, and habanero flavors are hard to go wrong with. The taste of the mandarin orange even comes through!
Scoville Units: 7,900
Season 7 (#3)
This is the best onion hot sauce available on the market, period. It is fantastic for onion lovers who don’t want the flavor of the onion to overpower their food, but rather have its subtle hints of sweetness and smokiness complement their dish. You get versatility with this hot sauce; however, fans of this gem say the absolute must-use for it is on your scrambled eggs.
Scoville Units: 9,000
Season 4 (#4)
Hot Ones Host Sean Evans himself has called Scotch Bonnet & Ginger his favorite all-time hot sauce, and who would know better than the legend himself!? This Jamaican jerk-style sauce pairs ginger and lemon masterfully, but it’s the slow burn of the scotch bonnets (and habaneros) that brings the heat, making this one of the best-tasting hot sauces to make the show.
Scoville Units: 12,400
Season 12 (#3)
This absolutely could’ve easily been #1. It was so close. I was familiar with it before its appearance on the show, so I was thrilled when it was announced (any of the Fresco Sauces are worthy, by the way). I love the orange color of this sauce. A garlicky blend of chipotle and orange habanero peppers with a hint of sweetness. It’s another everyday hot sauce you can use on everything. I have included this one on my list of the best hot sauces for pizza!
Scoville Units: 72,000
Season 15 (#6)
Here it is—#1 goes to High Desert! This epic hot sauce is LOADED with an incredible mix of ingredients. An all-star trio of Carolina Reaper, Ghost Pepper, and Anaheim pepper anchors this meal-changer with its fire-roasted tomato base, creamy coconut milk, garam masala spice (and so much more), making this one a must-have the next time you’re craving a curry—or any hot sauce, for that matter! Why High Desert hasn’t had another sauce on the show is a travesty.
The Best Hot Ones Sauces: In Conclusion
Wow, that was tough!
The margins to make the Top 10 were razor-thin, separating the dozen or so sauces that just missed this list.
I had more agony than I thought when I imagined putting this together.
One sauce I think all fans of the show (and celebrities) can agree on is that any best Hot Ones sauces list will never include Da Bomb.
My tastes are pretty evident in my choices: I generally like mild-heat and medium-heat sauces.
Another analysis I conducted is that, while I think the average quality of hot sauces in later seasons is better, my top favorites seem to be from the early to middle seasons.
Only the best make the show, and I’m glad I do not have to make those choices.
I started this blog in April 2020, and it took me seven months to feel comfortable publishing my original list. Since then, the list has changed several times, with the new seasons (and sauces) being added.
I’m very thankful that a show like Hot Ones exists. It has given many small craft hot sauce makers a chance to make a name for themselves.
What did I get wrong? Leave your best Hot Ones sauce list in the comments below.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget, for 15% off, use code: HOTONES15
10 comments
DW
Interesting list and some good picks on there. Has it changed at all with the 10 or so seasons since you originally did the list or are you constantly updating it along the way?
Chris WhitehairAuthor
Hey DW,
I’ve definitely updated the list along the way, and it gets harder and harder to narrow it down to the Top 10 when more and more seasons come out. I only recently given a #1-#10 ranking, before the list was always just alphabetically listed. I’ve had some Top Six Out hot sauces swap places with ones that were originally on the list too, as my love and appreciation for certain sauces changes over time. It certainly is a good problem to have making a list like this, only having amazing sauces to choose from, because (other than Da Bomb), Hot Ones rarely misses on picking stellar lineups.
Frank Bell
Glad I ordered all 10. Other than Smoked Onion not being #1, this list was spot-on. Great job putting together.
Chris WhitehairAuthor
Thanks Frank! Smoked Onion is my overall best seller from this list, so many people agree with you! I’ve traditionally never been a big onion flavor person, but BBVT hit it out of the park with this one, there’s no denying that!
Rick
Karma Sauce and Torchbearer for the win.
Chris WhitehairAuthor
Two of the absolute best makers in the business!
Tim
Love Hot Ones and have ordered almost every sauce from every season. Here’s my Top 5 from this list:
1. Exhorresco
2. Garlic Reaper
3. Cosmic Disco
4. Smoked Onion
5. Extreme Karma
All time favorite is not on this list – Widow Maker.
Also a big fan of all three Los Cal.
Chris WhitehairAuthor
Hey Tim – looks like you’re a big fan of heat, with 4 of your top 5 being very hot!
Kevin
Great list
Best sauce los calientes rojo
Aaron
I’m glad that the article writer, you and I all agree. Los calientes rojo is the best sauce hot ones has to offer. Perfect on any Mexican food. I’d argue the best hot sauce I’ve ever had on a taco. It’s hot but not too hot. Its taste is great. Think a gourmet version of Taco Bell’s fire sauce. I’ve tried 15 hot ones sauces, some very good. However I can go through a los calientes rojo bottle in a week if I’m not careful.