Ranking Fast Food Hot Sauces From Worst To Best

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Some people were just born with tongues that crave a bit of torture from time to time. Sure, food without spice isn't necessarily unappealing, but when that roundhouse kick of heat hits your taste buds, you feel alive. Those trickles of sweat beading down your forehead are a welcomed addition to the meal, and on top of it, there's a certain pride you take in handling the spice when those around you cower in fear at the mere thought of a palatial conflagration. But not you, no. You welcome the intensity like an old friend.

Almost every fast-food establishment nowadays seems to have their own hot sauce meant to intimidate the weak and entice the brave. However, as you can imagine, not every one of them is worth dousing your meal in. Some sauces only create a fury of fire on your tongue as opposed to offering any actual flavor, while others don't lend enough of the burning sensation you long for. In the end, it's up to you to decide whether or not that taco or burger is deserving of a few packets. 

Let this list guide you as to which sauces are worthy of your attention and which should play a background role in the theater of heat. We're ranking fast food hot sauce, form worst to best.

Anyone who's perused the streets of New York City is well aware of those iconic Halal Guys carts perched on nearly every street corner. With their towering cylinder of lamb and beef ready for a meticulous carving to plop onto a bed of rice and veggies, it's hard to resist walking by and not ordering a classic gyro or a lamb-over-rice dish. And, if you're wary about indulging in so-called "street meat," they have two restaurants you can dine in to ease that worried mind — with many more on the way. 

Halal Guys fanatics will enthusiastically agree the white sauce is addicting. After placing the meal onto the Styrofoam plate, the following two questions come next: "White sauce? Hot Sauce?" Get that bad boy properly smothered in white sauce, but unless you have the tongue of Lucifer himself, beware of the amount of hot sauce you ask for. 

The hot sauce really doesn't add any flavor; it just adds intense heat. If you're looking for a kick with the addition of taste, look elsewhere. The mixture of "ground red pepper, vinegar, salt, and concentrated lemon juice" is a concoction of brutality even the bravest should fear. The next time you hear "White sauce? Hot sauce?," think hard about the latter.

If we're talking hot sauce, we have to visit Taco Bell, right? The place where we're all encouraged to "think outside the bun." Grab your order from the register and make a pit stop at the hot sauce station. If you like heat, you may be inclined to try out the Diablo hot sauce, but it may not be your best idea. 

It's the hottest sauce Taco Bell has to offer, and when they created it, they increased the heat and decreased the flavor. The sauce debuted on Cinco de Mayo in 2015, and considering the word "Diablo" means "Devil" in Spanish, Taco Bell didn't come to the playground to engage in an innocent game of patty cake. No, they wanted to offer a much-needed kick in the teeth. 

Taco Bell spokeswoman Ashley Sioson broke down the ingredients that give the sauce its heat. "Diablo is made from aji panca, chipotle and chili peppers," she said (or, better yet, warned). Each packet also has some words of wisdom, like "You asked for it" and "Turn up the heat." According to the restaurant, the words give off a "we don't give a shishito attitude." It's safe to say they don't.

Of all the places you can get Mexican food without having to actually visit our neighbors to the south, Chipotle is arguably the most popular. Just speak the name and people will jump at the chance to tell you their favorite order. "Oh my god, the barbacoa bowl is the bomb!" or "If I had one last meal, it'd be the carnitas tacos." And yea, that little extra you pay for the guac is worth it (go ahead and treat yourself, will ya?). But, the red and green salsas complete your order to its fullest, and we owe them both to one word: "tomatillo." 

The gracious people at Chipotle flame-roast the tomatillos so the tart, fruity, and herbal flavors come through with a bit of smokiness, as well. Both the green and red salsas are chock-full of it, with the red having the addition of chili to help balance out the tart sensation. Oh Montezuma, what else do you have up your sleeve?

In an act of pure ninja stealth, Sriracha has found its way into plenty of food recently. With a little searching, you can find potato chips, almonds, and even baked tofu with a kick of the red stuff. So, when Wendy's added Creamy Sriracha dipping sauce to their squadron of nugget-drenchers, anyone with a taste for Huy Fong Foods, Inc products bowed in agreement. 

So, does the creamy blend of mayonnaise, spices, and Sriracha (duh) make for a necessary trip to Wendy's in your near future? It definitely does. One positive aspect of creamy sauces is they don't run off you meal and onto your shirt with each bite you take (or attempt to take), but they still carry enough spice to liven up your meal. Dunk in a nugget, lather some on your burger, or give your fries a bath, and watch the texture stay put. But, don't sit and admire for too long. Get those suckers in your gullet quick so you can enjoy the taste. 

The sauce is so good an Imgur user actually bottled up a 31-ounce empty ketchup bottle complete with a custom label. Here's to hoping Wendy's gets word of the genius idea and makes this fantasy a zesty reality.

The first image most people conjure up in their minds when they hear "Popeye" is the spinach-eating ragtag sailor who puffs that corn cob pipe like it's going out of style (it has, right?). But, those who bear a palate favoring Louisiana cooking think entirely differently about the name. To them, Popeyes makes visions of mashed potatoes, biscuits, gravy, and fried chicken dance through their heads. And what a Broadway show of flavors it is. The unsung heroes of the whole performance are the sauces, and Popeye's Sweet Heat sauce steals the spotlight from the rest.

It's upsetting to think there was once a time when the words "sweet" and "heat" never made their way into the same recipe. However, people realized when the two mixed, they performed a lovely duet where both relied on each other to shine. Popeye's Sweet Heat sauce forces sweet honey to take Louisiana hot sauce by the hand and spin her round and round until they become one. Vinegar and a "special blend of peppers" jump in to complete the tango. Tell that spinach-eating sailor to put that in his corn cob pipe and smoke it.