RATING: ★★★

Tabasco is a favorite hot sauce of mine. I even have a t-shirt! But it isn’t terribly hot so if one needs something with a little more kick, Tabasco has an option.

Habaneros are known for being quite a bit hotter than most other peppers. Making a sauce with them also gives one a bit more punch than typical hot sauce. While “classic” Tabasco is vinegary, their habanero sauce is much more fiery.

I like to keep this one on hand just for that. It isn’t too hot where it loses flavor and just causes pain but adds more heat without adding too much vinegar. In contrast to classic Tabasco Hot Sauce where added more for more heat can potentially ruin one’s food because there is too much vinegar, the habanero version will add heat and, for some, plenty of heat.

It also sheds some of Tabasco’s classic flavor but retains the sweet essence. I don’t find it to have the smokey notes one might get from the classic but it is still reminiscent of the original.

I keep this bottle on hand and might even go as far as to say I use it more than the original simply because it is hotter while breaking away from the harder vinegar flavors. Don’t get me wrong—there is definitely vinegar in it and those who are sensitive to acidic flavors may pucker a bit, but the heat is far more prominent.

Given its potency, the small bottle is all I’ve needed. While I keep a larger bottle of Tabasco Pepper Sauce, I have yet to see a larger bottle of Tabasco Habanero Sauce. It doesn’t take much to give your food some kick.

One of my favorite meals to add this to is a ranch spicy chicken sandwich. While found in the wild, fried, and probably a thousand calories or more, I do a leaner, healthier version: chicken breast seasons with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, pan fried. served on a hamburger bun, topped with dill pickles, ranch dressing, and Tabasco Habanero Sauce. Give it a go—simple, low cost, and delicious. (Pro tip: add a slice of sharp cheddar cheese if you want some extra flavor.)

Funny side note: I recently found out that this is the first “blend” hot sauce I’ve ever reviewed/tasted to my knowledge. It is not just an original recipe hot sauce but Tabasco apparently starts with their original pepper sauce and blends it with other ingredients. 

Recommended on:

Chili
Adrian’s Ranch Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Macaroni and cheese
Bloody Mary
Baked potatoes
Cheddar broccoli soup

Ingredients:

Distilled Vinegar
Habanero Pepper
Cane Sugar
Tabasco Pepper Sauce (distilled vinegar, red pepper, salt)
Salt
Mango Purée
Dehydrated Onion
Banana Purée
Tomato Paste
Tamarind Purée
Papaya Purée
Spices
Garlic
TABASCO® Pepper Mash (aged red pepper, salt)