The Most Popular Hot Sauce in Every State [MAP]

If you’ve even the slightest tolerance for spice, hot sauce can add some extra oomph to just about any dish. There’s also near-endless variety from bottle to bottle, from aromatic (and highly coveted) sriracha to acidic, vinegar-based sauces like Frank’s RedHot to thick, chile-forward formulas like Cholula. But when it comes to which brand is most essential to keep stocked in the fridge, everyone has a hot take.

People can be fiercely opinionated about their hot sauce of choice, and their devoutness shows from state to state. To reveal where each state’s loyalties lie, food delivery service Instacart compiled its 2023 purchase data from across the country. The company then determined each state’s preference by calculating which hot sauce brand its residents purchase beyond the national average — and let’s just say the results are spicy.

The three most popular brands across America were, predictably, Frank’s RedHot, Cholula, and Tabasco. Some regions like the Northeast and Pacific Northwest have a clear regional preference like Sky Valley, whereas areas like the Midwest are more of a mixed bag. It also seems that loyalty isn’t necessarily everything: According to the data, some states aren’t even faithful to their namesake hot sauce. Louisiana Hot Sauce is wildly popular in states across the South and bordering Louisiana, including Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas — but fell short in its own home state, which favored Tabasco. And speaking of Texas, Texas Pete’s hot sauce won over three states, but not the Lone Star State itself.

It’s worth noting that 2023 marked a significant sriracha shortage in the U.S., which could have impacted the results. Instacart acknowledged this in the report, and found that sriracha orders have slowly begun to recover in the beginning of 2024, so next year’s data might tell a different story as people are reunited with their beloved squeezy bottles.

Read on to discover if your hot sauce preferences align with your home state.

State
Hot Sauce

Alabama
Louisiana Hot Sauce

Alaska 
Frank’s RedHot

Arizona
Valentina 

Arkansas
Louisiana Hot Sauce

California
Tapatio

Colorado
Nanita’s Finest

Connecticut 
Frank’s RedHot

Delaware
Crystal 

Florida
Crystal 

Georgia
Texas Pete

Hawaii
Tobasco

Idaho
Cholula

Illinois
Louisiana Hot Sauce

Indiana
Frank’s RedHot

Iowa
Huy Fong Sriracha

Kansas
Spanish Gardens

Kentucky
Frank’s RedHot

Louisiana
Tobasco

Maine
Frank’s RedHot

Maryland
Crystal 

Massachusetts
Frank’s RedHot

Michigan
Frank’s RedHot

Minnesota
Cholula

Mississippi
Louisiana Hot Sauce

Missouri
Louisiana Hot Sauce

Montana
Cholula

Nebraska
Trappey’s

Nevada
Tapatio

New Hampshire
Frank’s RedHot

New Jersey
Frank’s RedHot

New Mexico
Monroe’s

New York
Frank’s RedHot

North Carolina
Texas Pete

North Dakota
Mexican Village Restaurant

Ohio
Frank’s RedHot

Oklahoma
Louisiana Hot Sauce

Oregon
Sky Valley

Pennsylvania 
Frank’s RedHot

Rhode Island
Frank’s RedHot

South Carolina
Texas Pete

South Dakota
Heinz

Tennessee 
Louisiana Hot Sauce

Texas
Louisiana Hot Sauce

Utah
Cholula

Vermont
Frank’s RedHot

Virginia
Texas Pete

Washington
Sky Valley

West Virginia 
Frank’s RedHot

Wisconsin
Frank’s RedHot

Wyoming
Ox Brand

*Image retrieved from Filipp Romanovski via Unsplash.com

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