10 Latin American Hot Sauces to Fire Up Any Dish
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When it comes to hot sauce, it's easy to get comfortable with the always readily available Tabasco and Sriracha. But true spice-lovers won't want to stop there!
There's a wide variety of Latin American hot sauces on the market that add incredible flavor to your favorite dishes, spanning from Mexico (of course!) all the way down to Peru. Keep reading to find just 10 brands you should always have in your pantry and liberally sprinkle over everything you eat, then learn more about Cholula.
Picamas Green Sauce
Country of origin: Guatemala
What it's made with: Hot green peppers
Eat it with: This mild sauce is ideal for dipping tortilla chips or lightly spicing up tacos or burritos.
Chiltepico
Country of origin: Guatemala
What it's made with: Chiltepin, described as "the mother of all peppers"
Eat it with: Drizzle it on steak or use it as a marinade, add it to pasta sauce, or use it as a condiment for pizza or burgers — the possibilities are really endless with this sauce.
Arde Charapa
Country of origin: Peru
What it's made with: Ají charapita
Eat it with: A bowl of pasta with an egg is our favorite winning combination.
Lizano Salsa
Country of origin: Costa Rica
What it's made with: The exact recipe of this brown salsa is secret, but ingredients include veggies such as onions, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumbers, as well as spices including pepper.
Eat it with: This mild, curry-like salsa is a fabulous addition to burgers, steaks, and even tamales.
Valentina Salsa Picante
Country of origin: Mexico
What it's made with: Undisclosed chili peppers
Eat it with: Its citrusy flavor makes this hot sauce a great match with shrimp cocktail or fresh produce, such as cucumber and watermelon.
Cholula Hot Sauce
Country of origin: Mexico
What it's made with: Arbol and piquin peppers
Eat it with: This sauce with a large following can be enjoyed with everything — we like it on burgers, pizza, and eggs.
El Yucateco
Country of origin: Mexico
What it's made with: Habanero peppers
Eat it with: Those who like their food hotter than hot will love this one on burgers, salads, nachos — you name it.
Marie Sharp's Belizean Heat
Country of origin: Belize
What it's made with: Habanero peppers
Eat it with: This fiery sauce is great for cooking. We dig it on meat and rice dishes.
D'Elidas Hot Sauce
Country of origin: Panama
What it's made with: This hot sauce comes in a variety of flavors, each made with different peppers. Our favorites are Aji Chombo and Habanero.
Eat it with: A splash of this sauce on soups or as a marinade creates a blast of flavor.
Howler Monkey Hot Sauce
Country of origin: Panama
What it's made with: Aji chombo, or yellow scotch bonnet
Eat it with: Sprinkle it on eggs, pizza, tacos; what isn't this hot sauce good on?