News The 10 Most Popular Hot Sauces in America, According to Instacart Did your fave make the list? By Food & Wine Editors Updated on January 16, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Is there any more fiercely-held personal belief than hot sauce preference? Even if you have an entire shelf in your fridge dedicated to the spicy stuff, chances are you have one, desert island favorite that stands out above the rest (we definitely do, these are our favorites). Abby Hocking In honor of National Hot Sauce Day (January 22), grocery delivery service Instacart dug into their data to find out which hot sauces are America's most popular. See the results in ascending order, and find out if your fave made the list, below. 10. Ninja Squirrel Instacart Has there ever been a condiment with a cuter mascot? Ninja Squirrel is a sriracha-style hot sauce, although it's a bit sweeter and much less spicy than Huy Fong's famous "rooster sauce." 9. Taco Bell Instacart There are only so many Taco Bell hot sauce packets you can stuff in your pockets, you know? Luckily, the fast food chain has bottled their signature sauces (mild, hot, fire, and diablo). Taco Bell Hot Sauce, 3 for $13 at amazon.com 8. Crystal Courtesy of Amazon A Louisiana staple, Crystal has just three ingredients: aged red cayenne peppers, vinegar, and salt. The perfect balance of those three ingredients is what inspires blind devotion among its many fans. Crystal Hot Sauce, $8 at amazon.com 7. La Costeña Instacart This Mexican hot sauce gets its kick from both fresh and dried red jalapeno peppers. La Costeña Hot Sauce, 4 for $25 at amazon.com 6. Texas Pete Instacart This North Carolina classic—that's right, there's nothing Texas about it—was born in 1929, when customers at the Dixie Pig BBQ stand in Winston-Salem asked for a spicier sauce. Still, it's fairly mild, as far as hot sauces go. Texas Pete Hot Sauce, $9 at amazon.com 5. Tapatio Amazon A Mexican-style hot sauce by way of California, Tapatio has a notably sweet tang. Tapatio Hot Sauce, 3 for $13 at amazon.com 4. Tabasco Courtesy of Amazon One of the OG hot sauces (it was invented in 1868), Tabasco is medium-spicy and notably heavy on the vinegar side. There's a big jump in popularity between numbers four and five on this list—Instacart notes that shoppers bought Tabasco four times as much as they bought Tapatio. Tabasco Hot Sauce, $7 at amazon.com 3. Huy Fong Foods Sriracha © Huy Fong Foods Chile peppers were a later addition to southeast Asia from the New World, but took off in a variety of cuisines (see: kimchi). The origin of the sauce that commonly became known as sriracha is a little sketchy, but it was certainly being eaten well before the 2010s. Even so, the now-ubiquitous green-topped bottles from Los Angeles–based Huy Fong Foods started production back in 1980, where it was a Vietnamese community staple before exploding onto the condiment scene. Now even Applebee's has it on the menu. © Huy Fong Foods © Huy Fong Foods Would a hot sauce list be complete without Huy Fong Foods' iconic sriracha? This bright red, garlicky spice bomb is a kitchen staple. Huy Fong Foods Sriracha, 2 for $13 at amazon.com 2. Franks RedHot Instacart Franks has the distinction of being the main ingredient in the first buffalo wing sauce created in 1964 at the Anchor Bar and Grill in Buffalo. So, it makes everything taste vaguely like buffalo wings (in a good way). Frank's RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce, 2 for $8 at amazon.com 1. Cholula Amazon The hot sauce fan favorite, Cholula is known for its blend of heat and tang, and its spices that complement—rather than overwhelm—the other flavors. Cholula, $7 at amazon.com Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit