The Ultimate Ranking Of Cholula Hot Sauces

I will admit, I am very, very Irish, and with that ancestry came a sensitivity to spice. However, when I found Cholula, everything changed. I realized spice and heat could add to a meal without destroying my mouth and stomach. And when it comes to variety, they have a lot to offer — no wonder Cholula is Ree Drummond's favorite hot sauce. I picked up every flavor it sells to see if I could handle branching out and expanding my spice tolerance. In this taste test, you'll learn which Cholula flavors are worth the buy and which ones to leave behind. You'll also learn how much heat is too much for me.

With a trusty package of chicken wings, I taste-tested every flavor — separately and on chicken wings — to assess the flavor profile, heat index, and overall experience. I learned I really like hot sauce, but some of the flavors Cholula has to offer didn't make the cut. The others? New favorites, for sure. Let's see where all the sauces landed in rank!

Looking at the lineup, I was excited to try the Chili Lime option, as those are two flavors I have come to love in an array of foods, like chili lime wings. Based on the Cholula guide, this hot sauce is rated medium, but I rated this one an epic fail.

Chili Lime was deeply disappointing. The smell alone made me stop before I even took the first bite. The lime was very artificial smelling and tasting, with a sour tang that didn't sit well in my nose or my mouth. The closest thing I can use to relate is a cheap lime seltzer. Hard no. What's worse, I barely got any heat, either alone or with the wings. I have no idea why this was labeled medium.

Overall, I love Cholula, but I have nothing good to say about the Chili Lime. I can't believe this came from my favorite hot sauce brand.

The Tequila and Lime Reserva was another option I was excited to try, but after the Chili Lime letdown, I had some reservations. Unfortunately, it ended up with the same disappointing fate.

This one tastes and smells like cheap tequila. When I saw Reserva, I thought we were getting something special, but man, did that tequila smell make it hard to try. While that fake lime smell and taste wasn't at the forefront, it was still there, adding to the pile of critiques. Regarding heat, this one was labeled medium, and the heat that did appear was the only reason it didn't place last. While it wasn't a lot of spice, it did come in on the back end. However, no other positive flavors were present.

This was my second bummer in a row from Cholula, making me wonder what I loved about the brand. But don't panic — the best is yet to come. And I really do mean best!

I saved the Extra Hot sauce from Cholula for last, as I was politely terrified of what I would face. Labeled "hottest", I knew I was in for it. What was interesting here is that Extra Hot didn't smell super hot, but I did get some vinegar notes. That lack of smell made me wonder if this was another dud. Even within my first bite, I was in the clear for about 10 seconds or so, then BAM — I found the heat. And boy, was it hot.

The heat from Extra Hot would not let up. It legit burned my tongue, then throat, then lips. It persisted for a good 10 minutes or so, which is exactly why I tried it last. Woof. If you like hot, this one is absolutely for you. For me, I want a hot sauce to enhance my experience, and all this did was set my face on fire. Great work, Cholula, but this one just isn't for me.

While my 5th place hot sauce is the original and a product I use literally every day, I couldn't put it any higher in the ranking, which was something I never guessed would happen. Comparatively, the Original flavor was super bland, which is so surprising because I LOVE the Original. I looked for redeeming qualities, but there was no real flavor to report; just a vinegar base and heat that builds.

The Original is labeled medium heat, and I think that's the right call. It was my gateway hot sauce because it doesn't build, only enhancing the flavors within each bite.

I absolutely recommend Cholula's Original hot sauce to anyone and everyone, especially those who are just starting out on their hot sauce journey. But when it comes to flavor, this brand has a lot more up their sleeve. And man, the top four are so good!

I had no idea Cholula had a Chipotle option, and at first, I didn't know where it should land in this ranking. One of Cholula's newer sauces, this is labeled as medium heat, but I'd honestly call it mild, while the flavor itself is truly unique.

The Chipotle sauce had a mild, smokey smell and flavor, and both were appealing and natural. There was little to no heat at first, but it did build after a few bites. It's giving BBQ vibes, and I already have plans to use this one as part of a future marinade, for sure.

While the Chipotle option was really good, it placed lower than some of the others because it's such a niche flavor. I wouldn't put this on everything, like I would the Original, whereas the top three have a lot more versatility. When it comes to flavor, Chipotle has it, but the heat was lacking. Let's see what else Cholula has to offer!

The top three contenders really blew the rest of this list away, and I'm excited to share the third-place spot: Sweet Habanero. This one instantly reminded me of a sweet Thai chili sauce, the fruity fragrance smelled natural, sweet, and enticing. It was really good and so vastly different from the rest. I had big plans forming of what I could do with this hot sauce.

While Cholula ranks this one as "hot," I wouldn't necessarily agree. There was no real heat, which is surprising, given habaneros are one of the hotter types of pepper out there. You also don't get that tang here, like some of the others, as it's not the same vinegar base. I was a little disappointed about the heat, but it is there; it just doesn't seem appropriate for the hot category. Be that as it may, I'm not really mad it didn't melt my face off. The rest of the flavors in the profile were delicious.

Yes, Sweet Habanero could be considered as something of a niche flavor, but with an array of Asian dishes I love to cook, this one works perfectly. From flavor profile to a lack of heat that won't blow out your palate, this one is a must-try for sure.

I went back and forth multiple times about my second and first-place choices, mainly because they were both so good. For this taste test, Chili Garlic ended up in second. This one was so great!

Labeled mild, I consider this option Original Lite. While you do get some heat, it's the garlic on the backend that really makes this one shine. You get that light tingle from the spice, but there's a deeper flavor profile here that's missing from the Original. It's rich, it's tasty, and you still get some heat. I found this one perfect for my palate. I don't need to sweat every time I have hot sauce.

What I really loved about this one is that I feel like I can put it on anything — and I will! Morning eggs, get ready! There is a new favorite in town, and if you haven't tried the Chili garlic, you're honestly missing out.

After going back and forth, re-tasting the first and second-place sauces, I moved Green Pepper to first place and never looked back. I've had this on my eggs every single morning since the day of the taste test. I am deeply in love.

It's rated medium but I'd disagree, as I don't get much heat at all, especially when compared to something like the Original. Be that as it may, I am not mad at all. From the first bite, Green Pepper gives off tomatillo vibes, which I love. This one doesn't taste spicy at first, but all of a sudden that medium heat is sitting heavy on your tongue. It's just a different kind of heat that layers and builds, but you're never sweating or not enjoying your food. It's vinegary and a little sweet. Such a great combo of flavors.

I have nothing negative to say about this one, as it's my new favorite for sure — for my eggs, tacos, and so much more. I am really excited to get this one in rotation and hope you'll do the same. You could even try out this recipe for Cholula green pepper wings.

For this taste test, I ordered all the Cholula flavors I could find, grabbed some chicken wings, and got to tasting. I cooked up the wings plain to give me a neutral base, to see what these sauces could do.

I used Cholula's ranking and ate from mild to hottest, ensuring I could let my palate breathe in between, and I tried each sauce with and without the chicken wings to assess the entire flavor profile. I was looking for balance and flavor depth that wasn't just heat. Hot sauce shouldn't just burn — it should taste good, too!