The Hot page collects rubs, sauces, chilli oils, pastes and pickles with real chilli heat, from medium-hot sauces up to Carolina Reaper oils. Makers include Cobra Chilli, Uncle Mungos, Heavenly Hell, Mudgeeraba Spices, Kosmos Q, Old Bones Chilli Co and DC Cartel, Australian made and imported. Shipping is a flat $10 anywhere in Australia.
Which hot rub or sauce should I buy?
| Product | Maker | Style / heat | Best on |
| Drop-In Jerk Rub | Coast n Smoke | Habanero jerk rub / hot (7/11) | Chicken, wings, pork, fish |
| Cluckin Hell Hot Chicken Rub | Heavenly Hell | Hot chicken rub / hot (7/11) | Wings, thighs, fried chicken |
| Fire BBQ Rub | Jack Daniel's | Peppery hot rub / hot (7/11) | BBQ and fried chicken |
| Chipotle Salt | Smokes Seasoning | Smoky chipotle salt / hot (7/11) | Steak, wings, tacos |
| Habanero & Carrot Hot Sauce | Fancy Hanks | Habanero hot sauce / medium (6/11) | Tacos, stews, roast veg |
| Stay Hot BBQ Sauce | Meat Mitch | Hot KC BBQ sauce / hot (7/11) | Ribs, brisket, wings |
| Sizzlin' Heat BBQ Sauce | Blues Hog | Cayenne BBQ sauce / hot (7/11) | Ribs, brisket, wings |
| Bhut Jolokia BBQ | Uncle Mungos | Ghost chilli BBQ sauce / hot (8/11) | Steak, ribs, chicken |
| Crispy Chilli Oil Extra Hot | Uncle Mungos | Crunchy chilli oil / hot (7/11) | Dumplings, eggs, noodles |
| The Original 1983 Crispy Chilli Oil Extra Hot | DC Cartel | Reaper chilli oil / extreme (9/11) | Wings, noodles, dumplings |
| BLAZED Smoked Chilli Honey | Blend Smoked Honey | Smoked hot honey / hot (7/11) | Fried chicken, pizza, crackling |
| Goa Lime Pickle Hot | Mudgeeraba Spices | Indian lime pickle / hot (8/11) | Curries, dhal, cold meats |
How to use hot rubs and sauces
- Start small. Half a teaspoon of chilli oil or a few drops of hot sauce, then taste. Heat builds as you eat.
- Hot rubs on wings: give a light, even dusting, cook, then taste. You can add more after the cook, but you can't take heat away.
- Hot BBQ sauce goes on late. Sugar plus chilli scorches, so brush it on in the last 15 to 20 minutes.
- Handle superhot pastes with care. Wash your hands after touching chilli and keep it away from your eyes.
How hot is hot? Hub Heat explained
Hub Heat is our 0 to 11 scale: 0 is Cool As, 1 to 3 mild, 4 to 6 medium, 7 to 8 hot and 9 to 11 extreme. Every product page shows its Hub Heat rating out of 11. Most of this page rates 6 to 9, with a few medium picks such as Kosmos Q Hot Dirty Bird Rub (5/11). For gentler heat see medium; for the top end, extra hot.
Hot rub vs hot sauce vs chilli oil
A hot rub goes on before the cook and builds a spicy crust. Hot sauce is mostly chilli and vinegar, made for splashing at the table. Chilli oil adds crunch and heat to eggs, noodles and dumplings. Hot honey, like BLAZED, gives sweet heat to fried chicken and pizza.
Explore the full hot sauce range, chilli oils, hot honey and wing seasonings, or browse Uncle Mungos and Cobra Chilli.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy hot sauce and hot BBQ rubs in Australia?
The Rub Hub stocks hot sauces, hot rubs, chilli oils, hot honey and hot pastes from Australian and overseas makers. We ship Australia-wide for a flat $10 per order.
What is the Hub Heat rating?
Hub Heat is The Rub Hub's 0 to 11 heat scale: 0 is Cool As, 1 to 3 is mild, 4 to 6 is medium, 7 to 8 is hot and 9 to 11 is extreme. Every product page shows its rating.
Which products on The Rub Hub's Hot page use Carolina Reaper?
DC Cartel's Original 1983 Crispy Chilli Oil Extra Hot is loaded with Carolina Reapers and rates extreme (9/11). Nomad Chilli Co's Barbecue Trio also includes a Carolina Reaper Roja sauce.
How much hot rub should I use on chicken wings?
Start with a light, even dusting, cook the wings, then taste. You can add more rub after the cook, but you can't take heat away.
How do you cool your mouth after something too hot?
Dairy such as milk or yoghurt helps more than water, and bread or rice soaks up some of the burn. Water mostly spreads the chilli around.