There is no better way to turn a standard meal into something more interesting than with a kick of hot sauce. Whether you pour the delicious spicy condiment over everything from steak, tacos, and eggs to burgers and fries, or you prefer to have it only with a select few dishes to add that much-needed zing, there’s a lot more to these sauces than the heat they deliver. No two sauces are the same, and each bottle varies in spice level and flavor. Some might be sweet, smoky, fruity, sour, or just “blow your head off” hot.
So, how do you find the right hot sauce for your plate of food? Like choosing the perfect beer or wine to go with a dish, you can also select a hot sauce that perfectly complements your meal. Here’s how.
Hot Sauce Flavor Profiles
Matching the right hot sauce with your food can make or break your eating experience, elevating the flavor. To achieve this, you need to understand the different flavor profiles in hot sauces. While all sauces will be spicy to a degree, you will notice another prominent taste after the initial kick. This will help you determine the flavor profile.
These are the four most common flavors found in hot sauces and the types of food they typically work well with:
Sweet
Sweeter hot sauces often include undertones of honey, syrup, and even fruits like pineapple or mango that work well with spice. This is an excellent sauce for pancakes, pork, ham, seafood, or chicken.
Watch this video to learn how to make a sweet and spicy sauce:
Smoke
Smoky-tasting sauces often get their distinct flavor from chillis that have been dry-smoked. They’re versatile and work well with various dishes, from Mexican classics like tacos to barbecued meats and pizza.
Sour
These hot sauces can sometimes have a vinegar or sharp citrus undertone and add a delicious tang to your plate. They go well with avocado dishes, nachos, and Asian and Indian foods.
Spice
This one is obvious, but it doesn’t mean it should be overlooked. Hot sauces vary wildly in terms of the heat they deliver. Ranging from mild to hot, hot, hot. The hottest of hot sauces tend to contain the Carolina Reaper, Ghost Chilli, Habenero, or the Naga variety. Challenge your tastebuds with the hottest hot sauces available – you won’t be disappointed. They pair perfectly with creamy foods like mac and cheese, scrambled eggs, and are great slathered over meats.
Foods That Go With Hot Sauce
The Scoville Scale rates the spiciness of hot sauces. Mild is anything from 0 to 2,500; medium is 2,500 to 30,000; hot is 30,000 to 100,000; extra hot is 100,000 to 300,000; and extremely hot is anything above 300,000.
Hot sauces can be thick and creamy in texture or thinner, impacting your pairing. Many cultures have their own hot sauces that contrast and complement certain dishes. Asian cuisine has sriracha, Cajun cuisine has tabasco, and Caribbean cuisine has scotch bonnet pepper sauces, for example.
Watch this to learn more:
Here are some of the best foods that lend themselves to the fiery kick of hot sauce:
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Mac and cheese
- Barbecue meats
- Burgers
- Pizza
- Noodles
- Tacos
- Steak
- Caribbean jerk chicken
Finding Your Match
Ultimately, the hot sauce you choose is down to your taste. There are so many different sauces to choose from that work in many different ways to enhance and contrast the flavors in your meal. It’s a great way to add a kick to your dishes. If you are trying a new sauce for the first time, always sample a small taste before lagging all over your food, and never rub your eyes after touching a particularly punchy hot sauce.
Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.
