24 Different Types of Hot Sauce to Try in 2024
Ketchup and mustard get all the hype but there’s a new kid on the condiment block, spicing up your favorites from egg salad to tacos and more — with so many different types of hot sauce to choose from, it might be time to start venturing out from your standard picks.
Some hot sauces pack a serious punch, while others add brightness with only subtle heat or even a little tang from their vinegar base. The world of hot sauce is as diverse as the culinary world in general. Even for a self-proclaimed “spice-baby” there are some incredibly tasty sauces that won’t light your mouth on fire. Read on for a deep dive into some of the most popular kinds of hot sauce and how to try them.
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What Is Hot Sauce?
Hot sauce, in its various forms, is a condiment with a spicy kick that comes in many types. These types of hot sauce are loosely categorized based on typical ingredients, often coinciding with specific cuisines like Cajun, Mexican or Caribbean. You can even make your own hot sauce tailored to your preferences, utilizing a variety of hot peppers. If you find yourself with an abundance of peppers, you can roast, smoke or blend them to create a delicious salsa or type of hot sauce to enjoy and share.
The Many Types of Hot Sauce
1. Salsa Picante Hot Sauce
Classic Mexican hot sauce, often called salsa picante, meaning spicy sauce, typically contains a base of tomatoes blended with chili peppers and other spices. Looking for types of hot sauce that are relatively mild and go well on everything from tostadas to tingas and beyond? Search for Valentina or Tapatío on the shelf.
2. Buffalo Hot Sauce
The perfect companion for chicken wings, Buffalo is one of the most well-known types of hot sauce you can find. Spice levels can vary and this Louisiana-style hot sauce has the typical vinegar base combined with cayenne peppers and a unique blend of spices that give it a recognizable flavor. You’ve probably heard of Frank’s Red Hot but Sweet Baby Ray’s makes a pretty incredible version, too.
3. Tabasco Hot Sauce
Tabasco is in fact a brand name and not technically an official category of hot sauce but since there are so many styles of Tabasco sauce, it deserves its own category. Another Louisiana-style sauce with perhaps the tangiest taste of them all, classic Tabasco is a delicious topping for oysters or gumbo thanks to the high vinegar content. It is made with tabasco peppers and very few other ingredients. Other types of hot sauce include the mild green pepper, smokey chipotle or the seriously-spicy scorpion pepper sauce.
4. Cajun Hot Sauce
Similar to classic Tabasco, a Cajun type of hot sauce features a tangy vinegar base and usually a combination of jalapeño and cayenne peppers with spices. Ideal on a bowl of jambalaya or gumbo, reach for Crystal Louisiana hot sauce or Slap Ya Mama for some real Cajun flavor.
5. Caribbean Hot Sauce
Known for their bright, bold and tropical flavors, Caribbean types of hot sauce often feature a sweet and spicy combination of fruit and hot peppers. Typically medium to very spicy, tantalize your tongue with flavors of Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers alongside juicy mango, pineapple or passionfruit and spices such as curry powder. Caribbean hot sauce is a key ingredient in making jerk chicken or adding a punch of flavor to rice and beans. Check out Pisqueya’s Spicy Sweet Passion Fruit Sauce on chicken or fish.
6. Sriracha Hot Sauce
Remember the dreaded Sriracha shortage of 2022? Thankfully, it’s no longer near-impossible to find a bottle of the good stuff at your local supermarket but this fan-favorite type of hot sauce goes on just about everything. Made with chili peppers, garlic, sugar and vinegar, it has a distinct sweet and garlicky flavor with mild spice levels making it a perfect topping for anything your heart desires. Huy Fong Foods Sriracha Chili Sauce is probably the most recognizable brand, with the signature green twist top.
7. Harissa Hot Sauce
This type of hot sauce hails from North African cuisine and is more commonly used as a dried spice in the United States. Traditionally, it’s a paste made from chili peppers, garlic and a special blend of spices used in marinades and broths or on its own as a condiment. Typically pretty spicy, check out Mina Mild Harissa for an introduction to the flavor profile that won’t set your mouth on fire.
8. Piri Piri Hot Sauce
Piri piri or peri peri is a type of hot sauce originating from North Africa that now has worldwide popularity. Made with piri piri peppers, lemon juice and spices, this sauce is equal parts spicy and tangy. It goes great on chicken as either a marinade or a sauce but don’t be shy about adding it to stews or drizzling it on top of rice or potatoes. Microsaucerie Piko Peppers Piko Riko Hot Sauce is a phenomenal version with plenty of heat.
9. Gochujang Hot Sauce
A staple in Korean cuisine, this fermented chili pepper and soybean paste is a common ingredient in many sauces and broths. It’s very mild with a touch of sweetness, so go ahead and add a spoonful to homemade ramen broth without fear. If you're exploring different types of hot sauce, this versatile paste is a must-try for its unique flavor profile.
10. Chili Oil Hot Sauce
Just like infusing olive oil with basil, garlic or even a spicy pepper, chili oil is essentially infused oil that makes a beautiful drizzle on top of cooked meats or vegetables.It’s pretty easy to make your own, otherwise, Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp is currently one of the more popular oil-based types of hot sauce. It's delicious in marinades, stir-fries, and even on top of pizza, with a very mild spice level.
11. Chili Garlic Hot Sauce
A half-sibling to Sriracha-type hot sauces and chili oil, chili garlic sauce is another staple in Southeast Asian cuisine. Chances are good you’ve seen or even purchased this type of hot sauce, sometimes called Rooster Sauce. Huy Fong makes a pretty recognizable version with a bright green lid. Spice levels are moderate with heavy notes of garlic and the consistency is slightly thinner than a paste, making it easy to spoon on top of grilled vegetables or dumplings.
12. Chili Crunch Hot Sauce
Similar to chili oil but with a slightly higher ratio of solid to liquid, chili crunch is the latest fad when it comes to types of hot sauce. You’ve probably heard of Momofuku’s Chili Crunch but Trader Joe’s has a Crunchy Chili Onion mix that’s just as good. The spice levels are mild, adding a nice flavor with a bit of a bite to eggs, avocado toast and more.
13. Central American Hot Sauce
Take a trip down to Belize or other parts of Central America and you’ll soon see they love to bring the fire. Types of hot sauce from the region vary in spiciness, however, Monoloco Pierde Almas Hot Sauce, made from Scotch bonnet and ghost peppers, is exceptionally hot. Just a small bite will have your tongue blazing hot, ranking at 665,000 SHU on the Scoville scale. For reference, a bite of a jalapeño pepper ranks around 10,000 SHU.
14. Special Ingredient Hot Sauce
Despite many types of hot sauce being made from similar ingredients in differing quantities (chili peppers, acid and spices), there are some truly unique varieties out there that deserve their own category. From the Black Garlic N Peri Peri Hot Sauce by Hot N Saucy, featuring notes of molasses and cocoa powder, to the TRUFF Original Hot Sauce, or even Yellowbird Hitch Hiker Hot Sauce made with carrots and tangerine, unusual ingredients often make for a really special sauce. They tantalize your taste buds and bring a surprising amount of complexity coming from a condiment. Spice levels range from mostly smoky with very little spice to downright sizzling hot.
15. Nam Prik Hot Sauce
A staple condiment on many Thai tables, nam prik translates to 'chili water' and has a consistency similar to a thick salsa. Usually made with fermented chilies, lime, salt and a hint of fish sauce or shrimp paste, you can find it in the Asian food section at your local grocery store or make your own. Put it on top of meat or seafood, use it as a dip or eat it on top of pork rinds for a salty and spicy treat. When shopping for this type of hot sauce, look for Mae Pranom Thai Chili Paste in the store as it offers a unique and authentic flavor.
16. Sambal Hot Sauce
Originally from Indonesia, Sambal or Sambal Oelek is a seasoned coarsely ground pepper paste that is equal parts spicy and tangy. Some versions include ingredients like shrimp paste for some extra funkiness but Huy Fong makes a great moderately spicy type of hot sauce that’s easy to find.
17. Eros Pista Hot Sauce
A Hungarian paprika pepper paste, Eros Pista is a brand name sauce you may have never heard of. Made from almost entirely raw, minced paprika peppers, it can be used as a sauce on its own or stirred into other sauces for some extra kick. This type of hot sauce is one of the only European varieties.
18. Extreme Hot Sauce
While there are plenty of mildly spicy types of hot sauce that add a nice hint of fire to any dish, some sauces are out for blood. Featuring some of the hottest peppers in the world like the ghost pepper, Apollo pepper or the Carolina Reaper, proceed with caution unless you are a seasoned spice expert. DA'BOMB Beyond Insanity Hot Sauce might scald your tastebuds for days while CaJohn's Lethal Ingestion Hot Sauce gives you fair warning that a special concoction of Fatali, Red Savina and Bhut Jolokia chilies will mess you up.
19. Artisan Hot Sauce
Spicy peppers actually make a delicious counterpart to a lot of fruits and other spices, leading to a whole new category of types of hot sauce. Delicious blends like Tikk-Hot Masala from the High Desert Sauce Co. or Queen Majesty’s Red Habanero and Black Coffee Hot Sauce stand on their own in terms of flavor and punch.
20. Green Hot Sauce
The vast majority of types of hot sauce out there tend to be shades of red, orange or maybe yellow but green hot sauces can be just as tangy and tasty as their warm-toned counterparts. Typically made with unripened peppers and optional additions like cilantro, tomatillos or even avocados, green hot sauces tend to favor a Mexican flavor profile but they can still be versatile. Household names like Tabasco, Melinda’s and even TRUFF have a green hot sauce on the market.
21. Salsa Negra Hot Sauce
Just as it sounds, salsa negra (translation: black sauce) is a dark, almost black type of hot sauce made from ingredients like flame-roasted and charred peppers, black garlic and any herbs and spices you like. Great for dipping or topping meat, tacos and more, you can easily put your own spin on salsa negra at home or check out Salsa Huichol Negra in stores.
22. Fruity Hot Sauce
While many Caribbean types of hot sauce also feature tropical fruit, that’s not the only type of hot sauce that pairs sweet with spicy. Citrus fruits, like yuzu in The Yuzusco Yuzu Pepper Hot Sauce or even hints of banana found in Sinai Gourmet Tropiquante Tropical Hot Sauce add unique brightness to these sauces. They can range from quite mild to very spicy, depending on the variety of hot peppers added.
23. Spicy Barbecue Hot Sauce
Another classic combination of sweet and spicy emerges with spicy barbecue sauce. Its fruitier base of ketchup, molasses or brown sugar gains an extra kick from the addition of hot peppers. Great slathered on ribs or over a burger, Rufus Teague Touch O' Heat BBQ Sauce is a relatively mild hot sauce, while Los Calientes Barbacoa is a hybrid of sorts, blending elements of traditional barbecue sauce with the classic type of hot sauce. It features a tantalizing mix of applewood smoked jalapeño, chipotle and habanero peppers, along with apricots and apple cider vinegar, creating a well-balanced and truly delicious bite.
24. Jamaican Jerk Hot Sauce
Technically also Caribbean, this Jamaican jerk type of hot sauce is something special. The Jamaican Original Pickapeppa Sauce has tons of warming spices like cloves, ginger and black pepper and a base made from raisins. It is stored in oak barrels much like a fine whiskey and doesn’t pack much heat, making it ideal for those who prefer to keep it mild.
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Explore using the different types of hot sauce in your cooking and start small to add a new flavor profile to even basic dishes. It’s too difficult to label a category as generally extra spicy or not, as the concentration of peppers, variety of peppers and overall ripeness can all affect heat.
Some peppers like ghost, Carolina Reaper, Scotch bonnet or Apollo peppers are sure to set your taste buds on fire, whereas a jalapeño-based sauce could be mild or spicy depending on other additions. If the bottle features the Scoville scale of spiciness, it can be helpful to use that as a guide.
For comparison, a jalapeño pepper has a Scoville rating of 10,000 SHU but the ultra-hot Trinidad Moruga scorpion has a rating of 2,009,231 SHU. Spice is relative and everyone has a different tolerance.
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