Ree Drummond's Favorite Hot Sauce Packs A Punch Of Subtle Heat

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There are many choices of hot sauce today, ranging in flavor from extra hot, or even sweet, to mild, or smoky. When choosing a hot sauce, it's good to trust the suggestions of an expert, especially one who's cooked with it in many dishes. Ree Drummond, star of "The Pioneer Woman," is such an expert, and her go-to hot sauce is Cholula.

The recipe for Cholula is said to be about a century old, with the product coming to shelves in the United States about 30 years ago. Currently owned by McCormick, which also makes Frank's Red Hot, Cholula is a classic Mexican hot sauce that imparts a not-too-spicy, not-too-mild heat to the dishes it is used in. This subtle balance of moderate heat combined with its pleasing flavor makes it a great addition to almost anything you'd enjoy eating with a mild kick, and it's why Drummond says, "My favorite is Cholula all the way!" per her website.

There are numerous factors that influence the taste of hot sauce. During preparation, the nuance of flavors developed in the hot sauce can be influenced by aging, the kind of pepper being utilized, the addition of fruit, or even whether or not vinegar is being used. All of the varieties of hot sauce, some of which are listed in our ranking of the best hot sauces worthy of your pantry space, have a twist in their preparation method that makes them unique. 

You can enjoy this sauce, which is made from Arbol and Piquin peppers, salt, vinegar, and spices, on pulled pork tacos, in margaritas, and in many Mexican dishes. The sweet and mild flavor makes Cholula appealing to people who may not like too much heat in their food but enjoy the flavor of chili peppers.

This is a great hot sauce to utilize in our recipe for classic buffalo wings. Once the wings are baked, slather them in butter, hot sauce, and brown sugar and serve with blue cheese dipping sauce for crave-worthy eating. Using Cholula hot sauce will ensure that your buffalo wings have a moderate spice level that appeals to a broad gathering of friends. You can also use your favorite buffalo sauce in a recipe for buffalo chicken soup. As Ree Drummond posted on Facebook in 2014, "All you need is love. And Cholula."

Cholula is widely available at retail grocers such as Target, Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and Whole Foods, among others. You can also pick up a multipack of six 5-ounce bottles of original Cholula or a single 2-ounce bottle of original Cholula at Amazon.