The most popular hot sauces in the US—and the history behind them

- Popularity: 43%
- Fame: 67%
- Scoville scale: 2,200 SHUs

Huy Fong Foods' sriracha, named after the coastal town of Si Racha in Thailand, where the chili sauce originated, was created by Huy Fong Foods founder David Tran. The name Huy Fong honors the freighter Tran boarded in Vietnam to come to the U.S. as a refugee in 1979. A year later, he started selling the hot sauce out of his Chevy van in Los Angeles.

Initially catering to the growing Asian immigrant community, sriracha soared in popularity due to its versatility and distinctive flavor—characterized by a balanced blend of spice, tang, and garlic—owing its heat to sun-ripened red jalapeño peppers. The iconic rooster logo and green-capped bottle gained a cult following and subsequently mainstream appeal. Huy Fong Sriracha is so popular that when a chili pepper shortage halted production in 2022, panic ensued.

Today, the sauce is in numerous cuisines, deliciously enhancing everything from noodles to soup to pizza, as the bottle suggests. Now, 45 years after he first came to the U.S., Tran's net worth is $1 billion, according to Forbes as of 2026. Huy Fong may have a new competitor, however: Underwood Ranches Sriracha, which is made by Tran's former chili supplier, gained a following during the Huy Fong shortage of 2022. Two years later, it surged in popularity again in mid-2024 in the face of another Huy Fong production slowdown.

- Popularity: 44%
- Fame: 71%
- Scoville scale: 747 SHUs

Texas Pete hot sauce has its roots in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where it was first introduced in 1929 by Sam Garner and his three sons—Thad, Ralph, and Harold—who'd previously bought a barbecue restaurant where they made a famous barbecue sauce. The hot sauce was their second success in the condiment world (and their Eastern Carolina BBQ Sauce is still going strong).

Initially known as "Mexican Joe," the hot sauce underwent a name change in the 1930s to Texas Pete, an homage to the piquant cuisine of Texas and a nickname Harold went by. Its combination of tangy vinegar, aged peppers, and a balanced heat level has made it a staple in the Southeast and beyond. The sauce compliments various dishes, including traditional Southern fare, barbecue, fried chicken, and Tex-Mex cuisine. Unsurprisingly, Texas Pete hot sauce is the most popular hot sauce in the Carolinas and Virginia, according to a 2025 poll from Instacart. Today, Texas Pete is still run by third- and fourth-generation Garner family members—and they've even gotten into the sriracha game.

- Popularity: 56%
- Fame: 87%
- Scoville scale: 450 SHUs

Frank's RedHot sauce has a spicy and rich history dating back to the turn of the 20th century. In 1896, traveling salesman Jacob Frank wanted a career change and decided to go into business with his two brothers in Cincinnati, establishing the Frank Tea and Spice Co.

As the Cincinnati Enquirer reports, the trio first sold spices in small, shelf-sized packages; then they expanded to peanut butter in 1906; and finally, they ventured into hot sauce territory in 1918. That's when Frank traveled to New Iberia, Louisiana, where, with the help of pepper farmer Adam Estilette, they created a recipe for a hot sauce made with cayenne peppers rather than tabasco peppers.

The sauce, first bottled and sold in 1920, blends spicy and tangy flavors thanks to its unique cayenne pepper base. But what makes Frank's RedHot sauce extra special is that the peppers are pickled with salts, garlic, and vinegar before they're aged in oak casks. The hot sauce is relatively mild, sitting at 450 on the Scoville scale.

Though it long had its fans, the popularity of Frank's surged in the 1960s after being featured in the original Buffalo wing recipe at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. By 1980, the company was producing 72,000 Frank's RedHot sauce a day.

In 2017, McCormick acquired the parent company of Frank's RedHot for $4.2 billion. Today, the second most popular hot sauce in the U.S. is sold in 20 countries worldwide.

- Popularity: 62%
- Fame: 97%
- Scoville scale: 2,500 SHUs

The most popular hot sauce in America, Tabasco, also has a history dating back to the 19th century, when food lover and avid gardener Edmund McIlhenny first created it on Avery Island in Louisiana. Its popularity grew thanks to its unique blend of aged red peppers, salt, and vinegar that impart a bold, tangy flavor.

As the story goes, according to the official Tabasco website, McIlhenny was given seeds of Capsicum frutescens peppers that had either come from Mexico or Central America in the mid-1800s. He grew his first commercial pepper crop in 1868, and by the following year, he'd sent out more than 650 bottles of his brand-new hot pepper sauce, offering it wholesale for $1 apiece to grocers in New Orleans and around the Gulf Coast at large. He called it Tabasco, believed to be from the native Aztec word tlapaco, meaning "humid land."

By the late 1870s, the hot sauce's recognition had grown, and it was sold throughout the U.S. and Europe, becoming a staple condiment cherished for enhancing various foods.

Today, Tabasco comes in nine different varieties, and the company is still family-owned and operated on Avery Island. For the ultimate hot sauce enthusiasts, there's even a museum where you can learn about how Tabasco is made. Though it's no longer the most popular hot sauce in its home state of Louisiana (Texas Pete now takes the title), Tabasco still reigns supreme in Hawaii, the 2025 Instacart poll showed.

There are quite a few famous hot sauces that didn't make the cut, based on YouGov data, but still deserve a mention, starting with a trio from Mexico.

First up is Cholula Hot Sauce, which comes from a 100-year-old family recipe. It boasts a combination of arbol and piquín peppers, providing a flavorful heat complemented by a hint of garlic. Then there's Tapatío, created in 1971 and characterized by its well-balanced spice level and citrusy undertones. Both Cholula and Tapatío are most popular in the Western U.S., based on Instacart's findings. And finally, there's Salsa Valentina, introduced in 1960 by Don Manuel Maciel Mendez. This one stands out for its use of Mexican puya peppers.

If Louisiana flavors are more your speed, there's The Original Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce, a Southern classic that dates back to 1928 and delivers a cayenne-induced kick. It's still made in New Iberia, Louisiana, just like Frank's RedHot. There's also Crystal Hot Sauce, another Louisiana favorite, started in 1923 by Alvin Baumer. It features a milder heat with a hint of sweetness that complements everything from oysters and chicken to dips and cocktails. Little did Baumer know the recipe for "Crystal Pure" he discovered in a drawer would be the spicy gift that keeps on giving.

Also popular, according to Instacart's findings, is Burman's Hot Sauce, an Aldi dupe for Frank's RedHot (which fans say is remarkably similar in taste and at a fraction of the price), and Taco Bell, which bottles its signature mild, hot, and fire sauces for customers to enjoy at home.

Additional writing by Cu Fleshman and Jaimie Etkin. Story editing by Jaimie Etkin. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.

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