The Hot Sauce That's Heating Up America's Taste Buds

Tried and true fans of hot sauce aren't shy about naming their favorite brands and shaming those that they feel fall below expectations. While folks with opposing preferences might have their own hot takes, it's tough to argue with cold hard facts. That is precisely what Instacart brings to the table when designating America's favorite hot sauce. Using sales information collected over the course of 2024, the company determined a clear winner among shoppers in the U.S. Frank's RedHot was No. 1, with Sriracha and Cholula taking second and third place respectively.

In fairness to Sriracha, it exhibited impressive growth following a 2023 shortage which got so bad that eBay sellers started charging absurd prices for individual bottles (sometimes $80 or more). However, Frank's RedHot absolutely dominated hearts and bellies throughout much of the country. In fact, it was the most purchased hot sauce on the platform in a whopping 29 states.

We've previously ranked Frank's RedHot flavors from worst to best and found that the original variety couldn't be bested by rival flavors like Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce (coming in second place) or Stingin' Honey Teriyaki Wing Sauce (which came in dead last). The impressive taste comes from just five ingredients: aged cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, and garlic powder. 

While it's obviously great on chicken wings, Frank's RedHot works nicely in lots of different recipes, including Buffalo chicken dip, spicy mac and cheese, and even bloody Mary cocktails. We also identified some new ways to use Frank's RedHot sauce during our exclusive exchange with Kevan Vetter, who is a chef at McCormick (the company that produces the sauce). According to Vetter, the sauce can be paired with sweet treats like caramel popcorn or used to give store-bought hummus just the kick it needs. While the data shared by Instacart indicated that consumers also enjoy experimenting with new hot sauce brands, the popularity of Frank's RedHot suggests that a classic recipe is hard to beat.