There are a lot of options out there when it comes to hot sauce. Research shows that the hot sauce industry has grown a lot over the years with many small businesses making their own to compete with the big name brands. This means that we are bombarded with choices when it comes to finding a hot sauce that is actually good.
What Makes A Good Hot Sauce?
The ingredients in a good hot sauce are something that is easy to learn, but nearly impossible to master. Some companies have nailed the recipe so well that they now sell millions of bottles all over the world. Other companies focus more on the marketing instead of taste and fall short because of it. Let’s explain what makes a good hot sauce.
- Heat – All hot sauces need to be hot. It’s why we reach for them at the table. We enjoy that hotness to burn our mouths just the right amount while we enjoy the food.
- Tang – The tangy flavor in a good hot sauce usually comes from vinegar – a common hot sauce ingredient. Without this, the sauce has no bite and can’t compete well against other sauces that do.
- Flavor – The flavor of a hot sauce is the hardest part because it can be created by any number of ingredients. Everything from garlic to pineapple can be put into a hot sauce. This crucial third ingredient, after peppers and vinegar, are often what makes or breaks a good hot sauce.
- Balance – The three parts above are important, but keeping them balanced is even more so. For example, too much heat will lock out a large majority of people from even touching the sauce. Too much vinegar overpowers the other flavors. Too many additional ingredients could change the sauce from its original intent.
- Pairing – Does the sauce go well with specific foods, or a variety? Does it overpower the flavor, or does it blend in just right?
What Is The Best Selling Hot Sauce?
Here in America, we have a few favorite sauces that top the charts when it comes to popularity and sales. Let’s take a look at the current number one in the US, Frank’s Red Hot. Specifically, take a look at the simple ingredients.
It’s pretty incredible that such a simple mixture is hard to beat in the market. This is because Frank’s has their own secret recipe that balances everything just right. That’s why when people ask me what the best hot sauce is, I just say Frank’s as a simple and quick answer – it’s America’s most widely used hot sauce. If you don’t have a bottle in your fridge yet, be sure to order some today.
This isn’t to say that Frank’s is the best hot sauce ever, or the only good option when it comes to hot sauces. But being the number one seller in the USA does at least show that it is worth having a bottle in the pantry. It goes well with a variety of foods and isn’t too hot – great for guests who might be a bit shy when it comes to sauces.
What Is The Best Tasting Hot Sauce?
Judging by taste isn’t easy either! Since taste is highly subjective, it’s difficult to have everyone 100% agree on which hot sauce is the best. It’s also hard to find the time to try all of the hot sauce options out there – there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of brands and variations to choose from.
The best way to pick a good hot sauce is by taste testing as many as you can get your hands on. Hot sauce is similar to wine in that there are tons of different options around the world to choose from. To help narrow things down quickly you can listen to industry experts who do all of the taste testing for you and help weed out the sauces that are not worth your time.
Another way one could at least try to pick a winner via taste testing is to check out the hot sauce competitions each year. The winners receive prizes as well as the title of having a sauce that most people agree tastes good. Just order a bottle of the winning sauce and see for yourself!
What Is The Worst Hot Sauce?
For the same reason it’s hard to pick the best sauce, it’s hard to say what the worst hot sauce is because it depends on how you measure it. You could start by looking at the brands that sell the lowest number of units each year, however – just because a sauce isn’t the number one selling brand in America doesn’t mean that it’s not good.
In fact, many popular brands are considered overrated by hot sauce aficionados around the world. They often rank low in competitions of flavor. Many of these brands are direct competitors to Frank’s Red Hot, such as Tobasco, Texas Pete, and Crystal. All three rank low when compared to other sauces, including Frank’s. They are often said to be too watery, lacking in heat, too salty, among other complaints.
What Is The Best Hot Sauce Gift?
The saturated hot sauce market makes shopping for the sauce lovers in your life a bit tricky. That’s why it is so important to try a variety of sauces yourself. This is the only way to find the sauce that is the best for you, and for others.
One big tip I can give you is to stay away from cheap, premade gift packs for hot sauce lovers. They are usually filled with mediocre sauces that taste similar to most other average sauces, or worse. This is not to say that all variety packs of sauces are bad, it depends on the brand, but there are a lot of bad apples out there just trying to grab your holiday buck. It helps to read the reviews, especially the critical ones, to see what people are saying about the product before you buy.
Instead, try picking a small variety of your own favorites that you have tested yourself. Then use them to make your own gift basket. It’s a more meaningful gift that has some heart and soul in it!
What Is The Best Hot Sauce Recipe?
Tired of shopping around for a good sauce? Can’t find a hot sauce that is just right for you? Make your own! There are just as many recipes for hot sauce out there as there are hot sauce varieties on the shelf at the store! And the best part is that you can tweak the recipe so that it’s just what you’re looking for.
Here are some of our favorite hot sauce recipes:
- Frank’s Red Hot Copycat Recipe – A great way to start learning the basics when it comes to making a good hot sauce. Everyone loves a good cayenne pepper sauce!
- Verde Hot Sauce – Once you get used to red cayenne sauce, a good next step is to start trying verde (green) sauces. They open you up to a whole new style of flavor without being too crazy.
- Mango Ghost Pepper Sauce – Once you have grown accustomed to the traditional sauces, you can mix it up by trying wilder varieties that use additional, exciting ingredients. This one is a good example of such a recipe, but there are a lot more unique hot sauce recipes out there!
Conclusion: What Is The Best Hot Sauce?
Our journey finally comes to an end, and you’re probably still wondering what the best hot sauce is. Well, if you really want my opinion, my favorite hot sauce is made by an Indian company called Matouk’s. They sell four varieties (that I know of) and all of them are good. You can order a pack of them here if you want.
My wife greatly enjoys the green sriracha sauce made by Three Mountains Brand. It’s a verde sauce that’s mild in heat but not in flavor. She puts it on everything!
My cousin loves TRUFF – a hot sauce with a strong truffle flavor. She claims it to be her all time favorite above any other hot sauce, which is saying a lot since she loves hot sauces in general. If you like truffles, give it a try!
The American Centrist 
