Hot Sauce

Hot sauce is about flavour first, fire second. This shelf is packed with small-batch bottles from makers like Cobra Chilli, Uncle Mungos, Nomad Chilli Co, Heavenly Hell, Danny Balboas and Fancy Hanks. Fruity habanero, smoky chipotle, fermented sriracha, garlic-heavy wing sauce and proper Carolina Reaper scorchers. Every product page shows its Hub Heat rating out of 11, so you know what you're in for before the first drop. Flat $10 shipping Australia-wide.

Shop hot sauce by heat

Everyone's tolerance is different, so start with the heat level and work back to the flavour. Every product page shows its Hub Heat rating out of 11.

• Mild hot sauces: all flavour, a gentle warmth. Think Cobra Chilli Jalapeño Pepper Sauce or Tropical Zing.
• Medium hot sauces: a proper kick that won't wreck dinner, like Cobra Chilli Red Jalapeño or Summer Sizzle, up to Cobra Chilli Habanero and Fancy Hanks Habanero & Carrot (6/11).
• Hot sauces: habanero territory, like Nomad Chilli Co Habanero Roja (7/11).
• Extra hot sauces: superhot chillies, used by the drop.

Which chilli is in the bottle?

What's the hottest hot sauce you stock?

The fieriest bottles here are built on superhot chillies like the Carolina Reaper, and the exact order depends on each maker's recipe. Check the Hub Heat rating on each product page, then look at Cobra Chilli Black Harvest, Reaper's Harvest and Fever, Uncle Mungos Covid-19 Delta Variant and Heavenly Hell Punk Rock Peppers Casualties.

Fermented hot sauce

Fermenting chillies before bottling builds a deeper, tangier, almost savoury flavour. Nomad Chilli Co lean right into it with Habanero Roja, Reaper Roja, Tamarind Gold, Watermelon & Lemon Myrtle and their Fermented Umami Sriracha.

Hot sauce for wings, burgers and the BBQ

Wing night sorted: Four Saucemen Buffalo Wing Sauce, Atomic Chicken Buffalo, Old Bones Buffalo and Cobra Chilli Kickin' Chicken. Uncle Mungos Burger Sauce and Smoked Truffle are made for the grill. Pair them with a wing rub, or shake on some heat before the sauce with a hot rub. Want chilli with crunch? Try our chilli oil and chilli crisp.

Hot sauce gift packs

For the chilli-head who has everything, bundles take the guesswork out. Nomad Chilli Co's The Classics Trio and The Barbecue Trio, and the McAdventures Expedition Pack, are ready to wrap. More ideas in our BBQ gift packs, or let them choose with a Rub Hub gift card.

Frequently asked questions

What is fermented hot sauce?

Fermented hot sauce is made by letting chillies, often with salt and other vegetables, ferment for days or weeks before blending and bottling. The process develops a tangy, rounded, slightly funky depth that fresh-blended sauces don't have. Sriracha-style sauces are a well-known example, and many small-batch makers ferment their whole range.

How hot is a Carolina Reaper hot sauce?

It depends on the recipe, because the sauce's heat comes from how much Reaper is used and what it is blended with. The Carolina Reaper is one of the hottest chillies grown, so even fruit-forward Reaper sauces can be very hot. Check the Hub Heat rating on each product page before you pour.

What's the difference between hot sauce and chilli sauce?

The terms overlap, and in Australia many people use them interchangeably. Hot sauce usually means a thinner, vinegar-led sauce for splashing on food, while chilli sauce can also cover thicker or sweeter styles. Read the product description rather than the label word, and check the Hub Heat rating.

How do I cool my mouth after a hot sauce that's too hot?

Reach for dairy, like milk or yoghurt, rather than water. Capsaicin, the compound that makes chillies hot, dissolves in fat rather than water, so dairy helps carry it away while water just spreads it around. Bread, rice or something starchy can also take the edge off.

Does hot sauce need to be refrigerated after opening?

Check the label, as storage advice varies by maker and recipe. Many vinegar-based hot sauces keep well, but refrigerating after opening helps hold colour and flavour longer. Sauces with fruit, garlic or lower acidity are more likely to say refrigerate, so follow each bottle's instructions.