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Opinion
The Best Hot Ones Sauces
15
Nov
Nov
Last Updated on May 24, 2023 by Chris Whitehair
Our Top 20 Best Tasting Sauces from Hot Ones
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”!
Everyone from world-renowned celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay to former NBA superstar Shaq and musician Billie Eilish.
Even more impressive than the list of celebrities that have appeared on the show are the actual hot sauces themselves.
Craft hot sauce makers whose sauces have made the cut have seen their popularities skyrocket thanks to their inclusions.
Throughout the 20 seasons of the show, I thought it would be fun to gather my top 20 best Hot Ones sauces to share to the world.
MY RANKING CRITERIA
1. FLAVOR FIRST. I can’t stress this enough. Yes, heat level is a selling point of the show with the later-round hot sauces, but I’m looking for what tastes best overall.
2. Characteristics. Is the sauce unique? How versatile is it? If it’s a sauce that with a popular flavor profile (such as a garlic hot sauce), what makes this one better than other sauces of that nature?
3. We are not considering the Hot Ones branded sauces (The Classic, Los Calientes, or The Last Dab) or the “grocery store brands”. Those particular sauces were featured mostly in the first couple seasons of the show. We could argue back and forth whether these constitute as being “grocery store brands” or not, but for the sake of this blog, I did not consider the following for this ranking:
Cholula
Crystal
El Yucateco
Huy Fong Foods Sriracha
Original Louisiana
Tabasco
Tapatio
Texas Pete
Valentina (Black Label)
4. There is no limit to the amount of times brands can appear on the list if they’ve had different sauces on different seasons.
5. There are no restrictions to the amount of sauces that can appear due to their season.
6. This list is presented in alphabetical order, by brand name. There was absolutely no way I could get these exactly ranked from 20 to 1. I would probably change the list weekly, if not daily, in that scenario.
7. Since starting my business and being involved in the hot sauce community, I have gotten to know quite a few makers personally, some of whom are on this list. Any personal or business relationships I have with any makers had no bearing whatsoever on my choices. This is my completely honest take that ultimately comes down to my first criteria, flavor.
With all that said, it’s time to take a look at what are my favorites from “the show with hot questions, and even hotter wings!”
Want to give these hot sauces a try for yourself and save some money doing so? Use this coupon on top of our already low prices!
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Use on any hot sauce listed in this blog (Top 20 and Honorable Mention) and see if you can handle the heat better than your favorite celebrity!
Angry Goat Pepper Co. Hippy Dippy Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 2,300
Season 8 (#2)
For all of you verde style hot sauce fans, Hippy Dippy Green is a unique twist with its addition of avocado and kiwi. This is a great one to use on any Mexican dish (I particularly love it on nachos) and also a unique addition to eggs. Creamy and refreshing. Perfect for when you’re looking for a hot sauce while mellowing out.
Bravado Spice Co. Aka Miso Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 116,000
Season 10 (#7)
I remember vividly the first time I tried this sauce – I was at the Karma Sauce factory here in my hometown of Rochester, NY and they keep a fridge of what has to be 100 or more hot sauces. I went through a gauntlet of tastings that day and Aka Miso is the one I still remember most from that day. The flavor (and then of course heat) just hit my tongue in harmony and I asked for a second taste! You can’t put a list together of the best Hot Ones sauces without this one on it.
Bravado Spice Co. Ghost Pepper & Blueberry Hot Sauce
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 dressing vinaigrette.
Sale!
(4)
$12.49
Burns & McCoy Exhorresco Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 625,000
Season 7 (#9)
If you want the overall package – great flavor, insane heat and awesome label artwork – Exhorresco wins. Coming in at a whopping 625,000 Scoville Heat Units, this one is no joke and you must use extreme caution when using it. You’ll find no extract here and you get the sweetness from the agave nectar and apple cider vinegar. Try it on ramen noodles!
Butterfly Bakery of Vermont Maple Wood Smoked Onion Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 7,900
Season 7 (#3)
The best onion hot sauce available on the market, period. Fantastic for onion lovers who don’t actually want the flavor of the onion to overpower their food, but rather have its subtle hints of sweet and smokiness compliment their dish. Versatility is what you get with this hot sauce, however, fans of this gem say the absolute must-use for it is on your scrambled eggs.
Sale!
(3)
$10.99
Fiji Fire Native Bongo Chilli Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 14,300
Season 11 (#3)
I’m thrilled that Hot Ones went international and found a lot of makers that normally wouldn’t have had an opportunity like this. You’re not going to find the Bongo Chilli anywhere else on this list or really in any other hot sauce out there, and that’s because the Bongo Chilli is native to the island of Fiji. I tell folks that this is the hot sauce you’ll want to use to graduate from mild level to medium level heat. Use this one on your next sandwich and thank me later!
Sale!
Fresco Sauce Chipotle & Habanero Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 12,400
Season 12 (#3)
This is one of the few hot sauces I was familiar with 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 just love the orange color to this sauce. A garlicky blend of chipotle and orange habanero peppers with a hint of sweetness. Another every day hot sauce that you can use on everything, and therefore, probably the hot sauce on this list I personally use most, especially on pizza!
(2)
$12.99
Halogi Tyrfing’s Curse Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 99,000
Season 18 (#7)
Of all the hot sauces that appear on this list, this one surprised me the most (and I say this is the most positive way possible!) Not only do the Ghost, Scorpion, and Habanero peppers sting you, the citric acid courtesy of the orange juice give your tongue an extra jab. Tart and tasty, there are so many layers of other flavors that come through, such as the mustard and turmeric. This is my fried rice favorite.
Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 12,200
Season 10 (#3)
From our friends up North comes a real gem for all the fruit-based hot sauce lovers out there. While pineapple is the first ingredient, this one does pack some heat! Known for their collaborations, Heartbeat joined up with Sleeping Giant Brewery and mixed in their award winning Beaver Duck session IPA into this to make a bright and savory sauce.
Sale!
High Desert Sauce Co. Tikk-HOT Masala Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 72,000
Season 15 (#6)
This epic hot sauce is LOADED with an incredible mix of ingredients. An all-star trio of Carolina Reaper, Ghost Pepper, and Anaheim pepper anchor 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.
High River Sauces Cheeba Gold Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 25,300
Season 8 (#4)
If you can’t make your way to Barbados, the next best way to experience the “flavor reminiscent of the West Indies” is Cheeba Gold. This best Hot Ones sauces list would’ve been incomplete without a mustard-based concoction. A mix of sweet peaches, curry and scotch bonnets with just enough heat to let your tongue tingle.
Sale!
High River Sauces Tears of the Sun Private Reserve Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 69,000
Season 14 (#6)
It should come to no surprise to hardcore hot sauce enthusiasts that High River Sauces makes the best Hot Ones sauces list twice! We love the original Tears of the Sun and their Private Reserve amps up the heat with its unique hybrid Peach Ghost Scorpion Peppers and mix of vibrant papaya, peaches, pineapple and mangos.
Sale!
(2)
$10.99
Hotter Than El Love Burns Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 101,000
Season 15 (#7)
This super hot mashup of Reapers, Trinidad Scorpions, and Red 7 Pot Primos will certainly burn you…and you’ll love it! Rich, vinegary, and not at all bitter. Speaking of love, we love how the supporting ingredients of lime, onions, garlic, and carrots really bring this one together. Oh, and the aroma of this one…
Sale!
(2)
$12.99
Karma Sauce Cosmic Disco Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 103,000
Season 19 (#7)
The love child of Karma Sauce’s Cosmic Dumpling and another Hot Ones appearing sauce of theirs, Scorpion Disco. It has all of the flavor of both, but unless you really like it hot, use sparingly, because it is a sizzler at the #7 spot (which I learned the hard way). An absolute must on any Asian themed dish (dumplings, wontons, sushi, etc.)
Sale!
(5)
$10.19
Karma Sauce Extreme Karma Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 56,000
Season 5 (#6)
The label has received an update since its Season 5 appearance, but the extreme heat and flavor remains. Replacing the habaneros from the Good and Bad versions and loading up on Ghost and Scorpion peppers instead, this sauce is a favorite among serious chileheads who want strong flavor alongside with big heat. As versatile as there is when it comes to a hot sauce with this heat level. Try the Extreme Smokey version of this sauce if you’re a chipotle fan!
Sale!
Puckerbutt Pepper Company Chipotle eXpress Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 669,000
Season 13 (#9)
Ed Currie nearly killed my friend and I at the NYC Hot Sauce Expo in 2019, but I won’t hold that against him! The mad genius, best known for creating the Carolina Reaper, out did himself with the even hotter Pepper X (which is featured in this sauce). This sauce is a slightly sweet, smokey scorcher.
Sale!
Queen Majesty Scotch Bonnet & Ginger Hot Sauce
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) bringing the heat that makes this one of the best tasting hot sauces to make the show.
Sale!
Seed Ranch Flavor Co. Hot Thai Green Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 74,000
Season 11 (#6)
No other hot sauce available embodies the word “herbaceous” more so than Hot Thai Green from Seed Ranch Flavor Co. This citrusy and bright delight is Vegan, Paleo Friendly, Gluten-Free, and full of all-natural, organic ingredients. Don’t underestimate this one, it has a spicy kick from its green Carolina Reaper peppers.
Sale!
Torchbearer Sauces Garlic Reaper Hot Sauce
Scoville Units: 116,000
Season 8 (#7)
The ultimate garlic hot sauce for those who can take the extreme heat. The garlic hits you upfront and then the burn from the Carolina Reaper creeps in and sticks with you. The creamy consistently makes this one great as a dip or marinade. The best Hot Ones sauces generally have simple but nuanced flavor combinations and none exemplify that theory more so than Garlic Reaper.
Torchbearer Sauces Son of Zombie Wing Sauce
Scoville Units: 24,000
Season 6 (#4)
Sweet, smoky and sensational. They call this one a wing sauce and I think this is the best of the 20 on this list to use on wings if you were only to choose one. You can’t go wrong with the flavors of chipotle, garlic, honey, ghost pepper, habanero, and even the mandarin orange comes through.
Honorable Mention
Wow, 20 already. This was such a tough list to compile. I thought it should be noted who just missed the cut, so here are my “Top Six Out”.
Bravado Spice Co.
Black Garlic Reaper
Scoville Units: 71,000
Season 6 (#6)
Karma Sauce
Scorpion Disco
Scoville Units: 649,000
Season 15 (#9)
Lucky Dog
Year of the Dog
Scoville Units: 29,800
Season 9 (#4)
Secret Aardvark
Habanero
Scoville Units: 5,000
Season 4 (#3)
Torchbearer Sauces
Headless Horseradish
Scoville Units: 52,000
Season 10 (#5)
The Best Hot Ones Sauces: In Conclusion
I’m already hearing the following:
- This list sucks! How could you leave out (insert sauce here)?
- If it weren’t for (insert “grocery store” hot sauce), you wouldn’t even like hot sauce! It deserves a place on this list!
- (Insert Brand here) is the best ever how did you put on (Brand hot sauce #1) and leave out (Brand hot sauce #2)?!
With over 100 unique sauces that have appeared throughout the 20 seasons, there’s no way I’m going to make everyone happy.
Remember, this is just my opinion.
The margins to make the Top 20, to the Top Six Out, to the dozen or so sauces that just missed that list, were razor thin.
I had more agony than I thought when I first conceived 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 personal tastes are pretty obvious with my choices: For the most part, I like for mild and medium heat-level sauces that are versatile in their uses.
Another analysis I took is I think it’s evident that the hot sauce lineups in the later seasons have been stronger overall.
Only the best make the show and I’m glad I’m not the one who has to make those choices.
I started this blog in April 2020 and it took me seven months before I was comfortable putting together my first list and it has changed several times with the new seasons (and sauces) that have been added since that time.
I’m very thankful that a show like Hot Ones exists. It has given many small craft hot sauce makers a shot at the big time.
What did I get wrong? Leave your best Hot Ones sauces list below in the comments.
Thanks for reading and don’t forget:
HOTONES15 for 15% off!
Great list
Best sauce los calientes rojo
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.
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.
Hey Tim – looks like you’re a big fan of heat, with 4 of your top 5 being very hot!