The 11 best hot sauces of 2025, according to chefs

Yahoo

a day ago

A good hot sauce adds kick. But the best hot sauces? They're soul-awakening, sense-tantalizing concoctions that can enhance the flavor profile of a dish. "For me, the best hot sauces deliver chile-forward flavor with depth," says chef Rick Martínez, the award-winning cookbook author of Salsa Daddy. "I want to taste the chile, not just feel the burn or pucker from acidity. The heat should be present but balanced, with vinegar as a supporting act, not the main event."We asked Martínez and 14 other chefs — including restaurant owners, cookbook authors, taqueros and pitmasters — for the hot sauces they reach for when they want to amplify tacos, scrambled eggs, wings, mac and cheese or, as many will tell you, pretty much anything! Whether you're looking to spice things up or just switch things up, these 11 pro-approved hot sauces bring the zing. (Plus, we included some zesty accessories for hot sauce lovers.)
Best hot sauces of 2025
What chefs look for in a hot sauce
How we chose these hot sauces
Hot sauce FAQs
Fun finds for hot sauce lovers
Meet the experts
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Ingredients: Less is more, say most of our experts. 'Simpler hot sauces tend to convey the flavor of the chili, as well as acidity, which heightens the seasoning of food. There are a few hot sauces, such as zhoug, that have beautiful complexity, with the layered edition of fragrance spices like cardamom. But these are the outliers," says Mace.
Texture: Thin hot sauces, which are often vinegar based, are ideal for drizzling. But if you're looking for a hot sauce that will coat food, you may want something thicker, says Martínez. "I prefer a thicker, pulpier sauce like Valentina that clings to food and stays put, especially on things like fried eggs," he says.
Heat level: Spiciness is arguably the most subjective thing about hot sauce, say chefs. "Southern-style hot sauces aren't really meant to make the food too spicy; they're more like pepper vinegar to season things that have been slow-cooked and need invigorating, for example," explains Mace. "Other cuisines take the opposite approach with copious amounts of searing hot chilies added for emphasis on heat." While different hot sauces have different intensities, Mace says applying more or less is the best way to adjust a dish's spice level — "not using a mild hot sauce where a hot one would work better."
Flavor mix: Consider how a given hot sauce will meld with the rest of the ingredients in your dish. "I like to consider the dish I'm seasoning with hot sauce and choose things that go together like Tabasco on red beans and rice," shares Mace. "If I'm using a hot sauce with Scotch bonnets, then I'm in a tropical flavor palette; Hatch chile and jalapeño for Tex-Mex and so on."
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We spoke to 15 chefs, including restaurant owners, cookbook authors, pitmasters and taqueros about their favorite hot sauces, aiming for a variety of textures, heat levels, flavors and origins. Every hot sauce on this list comes not only expert recommended but top rated, many with hundreds of glowing reviews from real-life shoppers.
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Traditionally, chilies are fermented, then blended with salt and vinegar, explains Mace. Brands will then dial up the spice or add spices and other ingredients to achieve different flavors, textures and intensities.
Look at a sauce's Scoville heat units (SHU) to get a sense for how spicy it is; the higher the number, the more intense the heat level. If you can't find the SHU, look at the ingredients and keep these guidelines from Martínez in mind:
Red chilies (like cayenne, puya and chile de árbol) are usually sharper, hotter and more direct. "They're great on fried foods (think wings, fries and fried chicken sandwiches) because the vinegar and heat cut through the fat," he says.
Green chilies (like jalapeño, Serrano and green habanero) have fresher, grassier notes and milder acidity. "I like these with tacos, grilled vegetables or egg dishes — anything where you want a sauce that stays bright and fresh."
As far as Martinez is concerned, sauces made with habaneros — which he describes as "fruity, floral, often ferociously hot" — are in a category of their own. "When balanced, they're incredible with seafood, especially ceviche, pork or tropical fruit. Try them on cochinita pibil [a Yucatec Mayan pork dish] or even with pineapple and mango or in daiquiris or tropical cocktails."
Chipotle-based hot sauces bring smoky sweetness — "best for barbecue, beans, roasted meats and stews."
Scotch bonnet and Caribbean-style sauces are hot but often sweet, tangy and complex — "amazing on grilled chicken, jerk pork or fried plantains."
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Rick Adamo, chef and pitmaster, Ice House
Burt Bakman, owner and pitmaster, Slab barbecue
Bob Bennett, head chef, Zingerman's Roadhouse
Antonio Carballo, lead chef, Le Malt Hospitality
Jackie Carnesi, executive chef, Kellogg's Diner
Samantha Hill, executive sous chef, Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa
Ji Hye Kim, chef and owner, Miss Kim
Rick Mace, chef and co-owner, Tropical Smokehouse
Rick Martinez, author, Salsa Daddy
Jesús Méndez, chef and co-founder, Salud Taqueria
Luis Arce Mota, chef and owner, La Contenta Oeste
Arnold Myint, cookbook author and chef and owner, International Market
Gee Smalls, co-owner and executive chef, Virgil's Gullah Kitchen and Bar
Marc Spitzer, executive chef and partner, Okaru
Michael Stewart, chef de cuisine, Ice House
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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.