The Top 4 Authentic Mexican Hot Sauces

 

Mexican hot sauce is a staple of Mexican cuisine. With flavors ranging from smoky to five-alarm hot, there are plenty of different varieties to experiment with. If you’re looking for a delicious Mexican hot sauce to add to your line-up this year, try these four options:

Mexican Hot Sauces 101: The 4 Best Options on the Market

Regardless of whether you want something extra hot or ideal for everyday use, one of these four options is sure to satisfy:

  1. Valentina Salsa Picante 

Commonly found in street food booths in Mexico, Valentina has been produced in Guadalajara for more than 40 years. A combination of peppers, spices, salt, vinegar, and water, it’s a simple, but tasty. Thrillist describes as having a viscosity “somewhere between Siracha and Tabasco.” Featuring a sweet-and-sour taste, this Mexican hot sauce provides a spice that develops slowly, and lingers.

  1. Cholula

Cholula has become a favorite standby of people who aren’t even that familiar with Mexican hot sauce. It is a mixture of vinegar, salt, spices, pequin, and Arbol peppers. While pequin peppers are roughly seven times as hot as jalapeños, this hot sauce isn’t overpowering, although it does deliver a serious kick. Produced in Chapala, Jalisco, Cholula is ideal for everything from tacos to eggs. It has become one of the best-loved varieties in the U.S.

  1. Tapatio

Tapatio has been produced in Vernon, California since 1971. Moderately sweet and a bit tangier than its sister sauces, Tapatio is a staple in Mexican cuisine, particularly in the northern areas. Because it’s not fiery enough to drive anyone away, It has become known as the ideal “gateway’ hot sauce. Tapatio will give you a good idea of what a traditional Picante sauce is supposed to taste like.

  1. El Yucateco

If you’re not familiar with Mexican hot sauces, it may occur to you to wonder why this one is bright green. The reason being that it is a habanero sauce, and it delivers the heat. Habanero peppers have 10-15 times as much capsaicin as jalapeños, and this hot sauce is living proof. Sharp, tangy, and hotter than a blacktop in July, this is a serious Mexican hot sauce reserved for those who want to add a significant amount of spice to their meals.

Finding the Perfect Mexican Hot Sauce

If you’ve been searching for the perfect Mexican hot sauce to go with your tacos, chili, and more, these four unique varieties will fit the bill. Ranging from slightly sweet to seriously spicy, they run the gamut of traditional Mexican flavors. As you choose your ideal hot sauce, be sure to consider how much heat you can truly handle. A sauce like El Yucateco will be much more intense than a milder version like Tapatio. Choose carefully and you’ll soon be in Mexican hot sauce heaven.

Want to try some of the tastiest Mexican hot sauces from around the region? Come down to Benito’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant to try our sample selection.