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The best hot sauce doesn’t just bring heat to a dish. It needs to add a dynamic zing of flavor, something to elevate a dish—eggs, soups, veggies, tacos, fried rice—with just a few dashes. The Bon Appétit staff rounded up their favorite hot sauces in this list that caters to the spice-averse and spice-seeker alike. No matter your level of spice preference, and whether you’re looking for Fresno peppers, Thai chiles, or Carolina Reapers, we’re here to help you bring on the heat.
- For bagel lovers: Everything Bagel Hot Sauce, $10 at Heatonist
- An umami-packed all-arounder: Fly by Jing’s Zhong Sauce, $15 at Fly by Jing
- A mild, citrus-forward sauce: Three Mountains Yellow Sriracha, $6 at Amazon
- For people who like their hot sauce hot: Crazy Bastard Carolina Reaper and Blueberry Sauce, €7 at Crazy Bastard Sauce
- A sweet and spicy delight: Red Clay Peach Hot Sauce, $11 at Red Clay
- A smoky sauce with medium heat: Butterfly Bakery Maple Wood Smoked Onion Hot Sauce, $10 at Heatonist
- A “makes it all better” sauce: Shaquanda's Oooohmami Hot Pepper Sauce, $8 at Gemini Bottle Co.
- A balanced sauce for habanero heads: Heartbeat Pineapple-Habanero Pepper Hot Sauce, $12 at Amazon
- For allium lovers: Lindera Farms Ramp and Green Chile Hot Sauce, $15 at Lindera Farms
Spice level: Moderate
Ingredients: Canola oil, water, distilled white vinegar, lime juice, poppy seed, sea salt, onion flakes, black sesame seed, mustard seed, white wine, white sugar, turmeric, sesame oil, scorpion pepper powder, citric acid
Flavor profile: Sweet, garlic
Hold on, hear me out. As someone who puts everything bagel seasoning with hot sauce on my eggs and avocado toast for breakfast every morning, this Frankenstein concoction is a (fever) dream. I first heard of this hot sauce from the comedy podcast, The Basement Yard. The two hosts promote this hot sauce every couple of episodes, so naturally I caved and tried it. Made from garlic, poppy seeds, onion flakes, black sesame and sesame seeds, and scorpion pepper powder, this untraditional combination of hot sauce ingredients somehow just works. It’s low in heat but very garlicky, so you might want to keep some mints on hand.
Spice level: Moderate
Ingredients: Soybean oil, soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat, salt), brown sugar, garlic, dried chili pepper, black vinegar, sesame oil, mushroom powder, spice
Flavor profile: Sweet, umami, tangy
Unlike some chili-based condiments that simply dial up spiciness, this one is a firehose of flavor that meshes remarkably well with all kinds of dishes. It’s a mild hot sauce that prickles and warms your palate in the best way. The thing you just can't believe is the savoriness to the sauce, the caramelized soy sauce and mushroomy-ness to it. The sweetness and umami make it integrate so well into so many dishes, leveling up overall flavor not just heat level. I like to drape it on soft-scrambled eggs before rolling them into breakfast burritos and spread lines of it on grilled sausages alongside yellow mustard and pickle relish. I have put it on everything from nachos to dal to sandwiches, and in each case Zhong stepped in like culinary putty to pull it all together. It made me rethink what I want, even perhaps what I expect, from a hot sauce now —Chris Morocco, food director
Spice level: Low
Ingredients: Yellow chili, sugar, garlic, vinegar (coconut sugar), salt
Flavor profile: Citrusy
On a typical morning I start my day with either avocado toast or fry up a classic Filipino silog breakfast made with garlic fried rice and a few pieces of glazed beef tapa or fried Spam—either way, a few dabs of yellow sriracha makes an appearance. I use it like ketchup or regular old Huy Fong sriracha, adding it to this crispy Thai chicken salad, air-fried spicy chicken wings, and crispy salmon and bulgur. And of course I can’t eat poke without it—with foods like delicate raw fish, I want the more-subdued, citrus-forward kind of heat these Thai peppers provide. Three Mountains brightens my every meal with tanginess, heat, and the perfect dose of yellow sunshine. —Julia Duarte, contributor
Spice level: High
Ingredients: Sweet peppers, onions, white wine vinegar, apples, blueberries, Carolina reaper chili, limes, olive oil, sea salt
Flavor profile: Tangy sweetness with a touch of heat
I have a pretty high heat tolerance, which makes finding satisfying hot sauces pretty difficult. I’ve found that as brands turn the heat way up, their emphasis shifts from maximizing flavor to maximizing pain. But then I tried Crazy Bastard’s Carolina Reaper & Blueberry on a trip to Berlin. The German company cleverly blends ingredients like tropical fruits, berries, and fresh ginger with red hot chiles to create sauces that are delicious, balanced, and more than capable of making my ears sweat. The extra spicy Carolina Reaper and Ghost Pepper sauces are perfect for my fellow masochists looking for the “hottest hot sauce” out there, but even my more sensitive friends have fallen in love with more mild options like Chipotle & Pineapple and Habañero & Tomatillo. It’s a nice elevated option if you want to add something special next to your bottles of buffalo sauce, Tabasco, Texas Pete, or Cholula. They’re tangy, sweet, and hot enough to keep things interesting without burning out your taste buds in the process. —Alma Avalle, digital operations associate
Spice level: Low
Ingredients: White grain sorghum extract, apple cider vinegar, peach purée concentrate, salt, water, smoked pepper mash (habanero red peppers, salt, acetic acid)
Flavor profile: Sweet and vinegary
Red Clay’s Peach Hot Sauce has been one of my latest sauce obsessions. With dozens of chili sauces in my fridge, I’ve been reaching for this sweet-and-spicy delight. Its peach flavor complements the habanero heat smoothly, and it won’t leave your tongue scorched. It goes well over BBQ pork, Thai peanut noodles, and Taco Bell crunchwraps. All taste tested and approved. —Julia Duarte, contributor
Spice level: Medium
Ingredients: Red jalapñnos, white vinegar, maple wood smoked onions, and salt
Flavor profile: Bright, smoky, subtly sweet
This is one hot sauce in my fridge that I never let run out. At a really great medium heat level, it's the perfect fiery top end for an average heat-eater or a nice gentle spice for those who tend to make spicy their normal. Where this sauce really shines is the strength of its backing flavor. The maple-smoked onions are bold enough to be the main player for your wings but cohesive enough to meld with every single soup you try (my personal favorite way to use it). —Oadhan Lynch, associate producer
Spice level: Low
Ingredients: Caramelized onions, blackberry juice, red wine vinegar, blueberries, molasses, habanero, balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, black garlic, salt, sugar, olive oil
Flavor profile: Sweet onion, garlic, jammy/concentrated blueberries, clean/bright vinegar
Think of this hot sauce as more of a “makes it all better” sauce that happens to have a bit of a kick to it. I put this on everything that needs a little extra oomph, whether that’s mediocre takeout or otherwise simple fare, like grilled cheese sandwiches or store-bought hummus. —Carly Westerfield, associate manager, audience strategy
Spice level: Moderate
Ingredients: Pineapple, yellow bell pepper, onion, distilled vinegar, habaneros, sugars, lime juice, sea salt, garlic, non-GMO canola oil, ale
Flavor profile: Bold fruitiness
I’ve never finished a bottle of hot sauce as quickly as I have with this brand. I’m quite particular about habanero hot sauces, but the bright fruitiness of the pineapple here balances the heat beautifully. Featured on Hot Ones, this tangy, citrusy hot sauce pairs well with a range of dishes—whether you’re drizzling it over leafy green salads, jerk chicken, and, my personal favorite, pork katsu and rice. While the spice level is on the milder side, the sweet heat offers a satisfyingly well-rounded balance to savory and salty foods. —J.D.
Spice level: Medium
Ingredients: Lindera Farms Vinegars (Gardener, Ramp), ramps, heirloom peppers, salt
Flavor profile: Grassy/herbaceous greens, leeks, pickled ramps, garlic
To me, great hot sauce has to bring the heat, yes, but it also has to taste great. This one passes the test with deep onion flavor in the form of short-seasoned ramps, as well as herbaceous notes from the green chiles. I put it on eggs, nachos, samosas, rice bowls, and even green goddess salad. —C.W.
