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The Most Popular Hot Sauce in Each State, Mapped

From Frank’s RedHot to Tapatio, these are the top-selling sauces across the country.

ByCaLea Johnson|
Spicy favorites across the states.
Spicy favorites across the states. | Instacart

Hot sauce was initially used as a painkiller by the ancient Aztecs, and it’s now known as a delicious condiment worldwide. But have you ever wondered which brands are most popular in the U.S.? For National Hot Sauce Day (January 22), online grocery delivery service Instacart is sharing new data on each state’s favorite hot sauce.

To make the map below, Instacart calculated the hot sauces with the highest delivery numbers in each state from January to September 2024. The graphic shows which states prefer which products. Although many places share top brands, some hot sauce outliers include California, New Mexico, and Hawaii. These states’ favorites—Tapatio, 505 Southwestern, and Tabasco, respectively—can’t be found anywhere else on the map.

Favorite hot sauces by state.
Favorite hot sauces by state. | Instacart

Overall, Frank’s RedHot dominated the U.S., with 29 states opting for the product. Adam Estilette and Jacob Frank created it in 1918 in New Iberia, Louisiana. Despite its southern origins, it’s beloved as far north as Maine, North Dakota, and Washington state. While the original cayenne pepper sauce started it all, Frank’s RedHot now offers many other varieties, including a Korean BBQ and a mango habanero hot sauce. 

Burman’s is the runner-up. The Aldi-brand condiment is the most-purchased hot sauce in seven states, including Florida, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. Cholula rounds out the top three entries of the most popular hot sauce brands. Four states—Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah—favor it the most. The original hot sauce perfectly blends arbol peppers, piquin peppers, and spices to give food a zesty kick. The brand has seven more flavors beyond the original, including chili lime and chipotle.

Despite not appearing as any state’s No.1, Huy Fong Foods is the second most popular hot sauce brand overall nationwide. Its best-selling flavor, Sriracha, is a staple in many restaurants. However, its sales took a major hit due to the shortage in 2023. Sriracha orders on Instacart are slowly starting to pick up again, with the grocery delivery website confirming that Huy Fong Foods was the top-growing hot sauce brand in 2024. 

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