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We nearly burned our tongues off in the hunt for the best hot sauce
Bring the heat with our experts’ top picks, from classic sriracha to Mexican inspired flavours
Tested by Callum Black and Georgia Turnell
Whether you’re dipping your toe into the world of hot sauce (one step up from lemon & herb) or a seasoned spice lover, they’re a great way to add a punch of flavour to your favourite dishes.
That’s why our team of experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have powered their way through 31 different hot sauces to bring you the very best on the market. It’s hot work, but someone’s got to do it. While they cool down, get ready to meet your spice match.
Best hot sauces to buy 2025
Bring the heat with our expert-approved hot sauces and read on for the full reviews.
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Thiccc Sauce Seoul Food Korean Gochujang Hot Sauce 300g
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What do you eat hot sauce with?
The best hot sauces are brilliantly versatile and can liven up plenty of midweek meals, from burgers and chicken wings to grilled prawns. They’re also a brunch essential – drizzle over scrambled eggs and avo on toast or add to a smoky shakshuka sauce.
Hot sauce can also add a dash of heat to chilli con carne and pasta bakes, spice up sandwiches, soups and stir fries, and bring a little extra heat to noodle dishes. The possibilities are endless.
Hot sauce is hotting up
Currently named as one of Selfridges “Obsessions” (the store holds a biannual celebration of the season’s most irresistible ideas and objects), hot sauce is officially having a moment. The luxury department store has dedicated an entire window display to the spicy condiment, and we’ve even seen the chilli red hue influencing fashion, from hot handbags to makeup packaging.
What is the Scoville scale?
The Scoville scale is a way of measuring the “heat” of chilli peppers and spices. For example, a standard red bell pepper has a rating of zero, while the Carolina Reaper, one of the hottest peppers, has a rating of over two million Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
We’ve included a SHU rating where available, so you know just how much of a burning sensation to expect. You have been warned!
How we test hot sauce
Our testers were looking for hot sauces with balanced salt, acid, sweetness and heat, plus well-integrated additional flavours from garlic, herbs and spices.
All sauces were tested with a toothpick to avoid overwhelming the palate. And, yes, we had a glass of milk on hand just in case.
Score: 89/100
Add some heat to your plate with this gourmet hot sauce. The harissa provides a delicious aromatic note, with a food-friendly medium heat that builds. The thick texture would work well as a meat or fish marinade before barbecuing, or try a dollop in your pasta sauce.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 84/100
Gochujang – a sweet, savoury, spicy fermented condiment – has become increasingly popular of late, and for good reason! It’s frequently used in Korean recipes and adds a garlicky burst of heat to everything from marinades to sauces.
This one – made by the popular Dublin-based Korean fried chicken restaurant Chimac – is the brand’s signature sauce.
Our testers described the sauce as “amazing” and “absolutely delicious” and found the tongue tingle strong but short-lasting.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 81/100
Alternatively, this gochujang hot sauce has notes of ginger and sesame, on top of the sweet and savoury garlic element. The heat builds to leave a tingly sensation, and our panel felt it would work a treat in a fried chicken burger.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 82/100
This iconic sauce is beautifully well-balanced with an authentic flavour, combining notes of cooked down onions, tomatoes and fresh chillies, elevated by a hint of cider vinegar and a good hit of seasoning. A must for Mexican recipes!
SHU: 1,000 – 2,000
Score: 79/100
Add a kick to your tea with this supermarket sauce, which is made with powerful habanero. The heat really hits the back of the throat, with chilli being the dominant flavour. There’s also a touch of zingy acidity and subtle garlic note, and the consistency is perfect for dipping.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 78/100
Love truffle? You’ll be delighted with this unique hot sauce, which combines the umami notes of truffle with the sharp, tangy heat of red chilli peppers and a subtle agave nectar sweetness. One of the spicier (and pricier) hot sauces we tested, drizzle over grilled meat to add some heat.
SHU: 2,500-3,000
Score: 76/100
Whether added to eggs, tacos or pizza, sriracha is a super versatile spicy sauce. Co-op has given it a new lease of life here by incorporating the condiment of the season – hot honey. This gives it more of a sweet chilli sauce vibe, with a sticky syrup texture and light, short-lasting prickly heat. Try drizzling over halloumi slices before frying them on the barbecue.
SHU: Unspecified
Available 7 July
Score: 75/100
Lidl’s sweet and tangy chilli sauce is designed with chicken wings in mind. Testers enjoyed the fruity tropical sweetness and light, smoky paprika note. Expect a mild to medium heat level where the chilli expands in the mouth.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 73/100
Despite being made up of only five ingredients – cayenne red peppers, vinegar, water, salt and garlic powder – the flavour profile of this sauce is well-rounded and complex. There’s distinct acidity, along with a smokiness and gentle heat from the cayenne pepper that builds with every bite. Serve in a chicken burger or over eggs for brunch.
SHU: 450
Score: 73/100
Every pantry needs a good chilli dipping sauce, and this one is really great value. Rich in umami soy sauce and nutty sesame, some testers likened it to an Asian-inspired tahini – yum! Smooth and savoury and as thick as honey, it creates a long-lasting light prickly heat. Try it as a marinade for barbecued steak.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 72/100
This dinky bottle contains a super zingy hot sauce, made with jalapeno and green peppers, for a fresh, natural flavour. As one tester told us, “You could put this on anything, and it will lift it and make it better.” May we suggest a dash over shakshuka?
SHU: 600-1200
Score: 71/100
With a warming and gentle heat that leaves a lingering tingling sensation, this hot sauce features smoked chilli pepper and onion, which results in smoky, woody flavours that balance nicely with the salty miso.
It’s not the most complex of sauces, but it’s great for adding subtle spice to food in need of a little oomph.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 71/100
Featuring both habanero and scotch bonnet chilli peppers, testers felt this was a particularly full-flavoured sauce with a good amount of heat, along with tangy notes of onion and mustard. The texture was also a hit, with chunks of chilli mash giving additional explosions of spice.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 70/100
Simple but well-balanced flavours of sweet grape vinegar, garlic and aged jalapeños make this a great go-to hot sauce for anything you want to spice up. Use as a fiery alternative to ketchup on your favourite barbecued meats.
SHU: Unspecified
Score: 70/100
Ed Sheeran’s not-so-hot sauce makes a vibrant, fresh first impression, thanks to the prominent aromas of citrus and, er, ginger.
The aromas were reflected on the palate, with sweet and sour notes balanced by smoky paprika. The mild heat means it’s a great option for those trying out hot sauces for the first time.
SHU: Unspecified
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
Georgia has been part of the hospitality industry for the last nine years. Her starting point was the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school where she gained a Diplôme de Pâtisserie. She has worked at a number of well-known restaurants and bakeries including The Club at the Ivy and Ottolenghi, Notting Hill where she was the head pastry chef. Most recently, Georgia worked at The Clink Bakery inside HMP Brixton, which aims to reduce reoffending through teaching. She is an expert in all things baked goods and holds a WSET level 2 in wine.
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