Despite the many options for saucing wings, sometimes nothing beats a classic Buffalo sauce. The best versions of the bright orange sauce are tangy and flavorful, add a comfortable amount of heat, and, of course, get all over your fingers. We tried 12 different kinds of store-bought buffalo sauces and ranked Cholula as the best.
Simply put, Cholula sauce is one that we always keep in our sights in the kitchen. We found it to have a well-rounded flavor with a little bit of heat and a little bit of sweetness. The color, texture, consistency, and flavor all add up to a spectacular sauce that we would gladly douse in bone-in and boneless wings again and again.
Cholula, with its signature wooden cap, stands out with its unique Mexican flavor profile. According to the Cholula website, its iconic Caliente wing sauce is made with piquin, cayenne, and arbol peppers along with butter and signature spices. While Cholula’s spice blend isn’t specified, the sauce itself ranges between 1,000 and 2,000 Scoville units. This makes the sauce about as hot as a Poblano and slightly less hotter than a jalapeño.
Pairing the best with the best
The best store-bought buffalo sauce works well anytime, but, paired with the best chicken wings, it can make two great things even greater. If you’re looking for the best takeout wings to soak in Cholula sauce, we recommend Tex’s wings. The breading is perfectly crispy and flavorful, the chicken is meaty, and every element wings in harmony.
Those who want to crank up the heat with Cholula’s other sauces can sprinkle Cholula’s sweet habanero on wings. We ranked Sweet habanero as the best Cholula flavor because it’s the perfect balance of heat and sweetness. Habenero ranks higher on the Scoville scale, but we didn’t find the sauce to be overpowered with heat. It is hot, but the peppers added sweetness and reminded us of pineapple.
While a classic appetizer or party food like chicken wings, a smooth, flavorful sauce can make all the difference. Cholula is the bottle we recommend reaching for the next time you’re prepping a platter of saucy wings.
