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sauce

Turn up the heat! Hy-Vee has a range of hot sauces to punch up the flavor of almost any food, from barely-there spice to mouth-burning inferno.

Whether you’re a dab-will-do-you type or someone who welcomes the culinary equivalent of a five-alarm fire, you’re not alone in your love of hot sauce. In 2021, Americans bought nearly 22% more hot sauce than just two years earlier, according to an Instacart survey.

If your taste buds need a break from the heat, ease the burn with a glass of milk. It contains a protein that helps break down the spicy component in peppers.

of Americans enjoy using hot sauce on their food.

74%

Part of hot sauce’s popularity comes from the flavor it adds to tacos, burritos and meat, the most common foods flavored with the spicy condiment. But hot sauces can take nontraditional routes to the taste buds as a drink flavoring or a topper for ice cream. Trend experts say people are becoming more adventurous about trying unique flavor profiles—and more willing to explore spicy extremes. Brands are happily catering to customers looking for tear-inducing spice with sauces made from the hottest peppers. Test your taste buds with hot sauces from Hy-Vee, ranked from very low heat to breathing fire.

Hot sauce aficionados agree that variety is the spice of life—68% of hot sauce users have at least two different brands of sauce in their pantry, and 71% are willing to try something new rather than buying their favorite brand.

Hot sauce pain range

Find these sauces and more at Hy-Vee.

This vinegar-base hot sauce has a balance of tangy, acidic flavors while adding just a bit of heat. Use for classic Buffalo wings or add a dab to a slice of pizza.

Very low heat

Frank’s RedHot Original

With more water than acid, this sauce has less tang and a clearer, peppery flavor. Try it on foods that don’t need much acid, such as tacos or steak.

Cholula Chili Lime Hot Sauce

Just a hint

A combination of cayenne peppers and a vinegar base, this hot sauce has a little more heat than previous levels. Drizzle over chicken or use to wake up breakfast eggs.

Trappey’s Red Devil Cayenne Pepper Sauce

Low Burn

Often used over chicken wings, this sauce combines vinegar and cayenne peppers with spices such as garlic for a light burn that’s balanced with other flavors.

Ott’s Original Wing Sauce

Light Tingle

Chipotle peppers start turning up the heat for a slow burn paired with a hint of smokiness, plus garlic and onion flavors. Try using a dash in marinades or dips for a burst of spiciness.

Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce

Warm but not fiery

Made using peri peri chiles, vinegar and spices, this type of hot sauce was created by Portuguese explorers in South Africa. It has a stronger burn and works well for sauces and adding spice to foods such as salads or sandwiches in small amounts.

Culinary Tours Peri Peri Hot Sauce

Will Wake You UP

Significantly hotter than low-level sauces, this aged cayenne pepper sauce can be used on meat, seafood and veggies. If you like the flavor of other vinegar-base cayenne sauces but want more heat, give this one a try.

Louisiana’s Pure Crystal Hot Sauce

Feeling the Burn

As hot sauces go from warm to hot and extra hot, use just small amounts until you adjust to the heat. This variety blends habanero peppers with onions, garlic and spices for a sauce with plenty of kick that still has balanced flavors.

Dave’s Gourmet Hurtin’ Habanero Hot Sauce

Get the milk ready

For super spice fans only, trust the warning on this sauce’s label. Made primarily with habanero peppers, there isn’t much water or vinegar diluting the heat. Use just a small amount mixed into a larger batch of sauce or dip to help balance the intense spice.

Pain 100% Hot Sauce

Add with caution

Want the hottest of the hot? Look for sauces using ghost peppers or Carolina Reapers, two of the hottest peppers. This sauce uses a combo of ghost and habanero peppers with minimal vinegar for an ultra-hot flavoring meant for extreme heat lovers.

Melinda’s Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce

Breathing fire

Taufeek Shah founded Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce, available in Hy-Vee stores, with his mother, Carmelita. He explains why hot sauce has grown in popularity.

Q: Why are hot sauces so popular? A: Consumers are looking for new foods with unique flavors. Lots of people are bored with the same old flavor and looking to broaden their taste experiences. We’re seeing a lot of new ethnic foods and combinations of fusions come into the market, which all pair well with hot sauce. Also, people are cooking more and more with access to chef influencer-inspired creations or are looking for something new to try.

Q: Who’s driving the trend? A: We see everyone, all across the board, eating hot sauce, but mainly the millennial generation leads the way in spicy foods. We’re seeing a wide demographic of people trying all kinds of sauces and always looking for the next big flavor with that perfect heat.

HEAT Level

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