MyTastr

Best mexican-style hot sauce, according to chefs

Four picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Erin Clarke, Yumna Jawad, Dina Deleasa Gonsar, Chris Curren and 15 more. Recommendations come from allrecipes.com, gardenandgun.com, seriouseats.com and gearpatrol.com.

Condiments · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    Cholula Original

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    “Doesn’t fight the food — it just makes everything better” (Galbraith). “Of all the brands out there, Cholula Original is the one I always have on hand” (Clarke).
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: allrecipes.com ↗
  2. 2

    Valentina Salsa Picante

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Calapa: “A beautiful balance of smokiness, acidity and heat.” The most-picked sauce in Gear Patrol’s chef survey.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: gearpatrol.com ↗
  3. 3

    El Yucateco Chile Habanero Hot Sauce (red or green)

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    The second-most-picked sauce in Gear Patrol’s chef survey and the fieriest of the everyday bottles. Jacobs: “I put it on everything — pizza, tacos, macaroni and cheese.” Serious Eats’ Jesse Raub calls the green habanero “verdant, spicy, lightly sweet, floral, and super complex.”
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: gearpatrol.com ↗
  4. 4

    Tapatío Salsa Picante

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Ticer’s #1 in Garden & Gun’s Southern chef poll. A red-chile, garlic and spice table sauce from Vernon, California — milder and saltier than the habanero bottles, made for tacos, eggs and micheladas.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: gardenandgun.com ↗

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on MyTastr. It never affects the ranking. Disclosure

Questions, answered

What is the best mexican-style hot sauce, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is Cholula Original, chosen by Erin Clarke (Well Plated); James Galbraith (PostBoy, Houndstooth); Saul Ramos (Forte Hospitality); Yumna Jawad (Feel Good Foodie); Dina Deleasa Gonsar (Dish It Girl); Chris Curren (The Graceful Ordinary); Nemanja Milunovic (Adalina Prime). “Doesn’t fight the food — it just makes everything better” (Galbraith). “Of all the brands out there, Cholula Original is the one I always have on hand” (Clarke). Source: allrecipes.com ↗
What are the other top picks for mexican-style hot sauce?
No. 2 is Valentina Salsa Picante, chosen by Claudette Zepeda; Michael Matteo; PJ Calapa (Marea). No. 3 is El Yucateco Chile Habanero Hot Sauce (red or green), chosen by Dan Jacobs (DanDan, EsterEv); Miles Thompson. Each card above links to the original source.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?
Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

The tasters behind this ranking

More condiments

See every ranking →