Give Store-Bought Hot Sauce Extra Kick With A Dash Of Cayenne Pepper

For those of us who enjoy taking our tastebuds to the extreme, there's nothing like a reliable hot sauce to amplify the flavor and intensity of our favorite meals. Can you imagine eating your next plate of ground beef tacos with zesty guacamole or a bowl of chili without a drizzle of two of your most desired condiment? While the hot sauce market has grown considerably over the years, the range of heat in this mass variety of sauces varies from bottle to bottle. To top it off, what makes the best hot sauce brands has everything to do with the overall taste of the sauce at hand, not just heat alone. If you find yourself with a new bottle of hot sauce that tastes great but could use an extra hint of spice, cayenne pepper may be the ideal solution.

Cayenne pepper is a dried spice made from finely ground dried red chiles. This spicy ingredient may be the perfect way to level up your bottled hot sauce since cayenne pepper has a somewhat neutral taste. Most of the time, the consistency and flavor of your chosen hot sauce hits the mark but you're left wishing there was just a bit more spice. With the use of cayenne pepper, you can add more heat without compromising the taste and texture of your favorite hot sauce. 

The great thing about using cayenne pepper to upgrade your standard bottle of hot sauce is that you can add more or less depending on the amount of heat you're after. Instead of tracking down the world's hottest hot sauces, start by adding a dash or two of dried cayenne pepper to your favorite hot sauce little by little and gauge the amount of added spice you desire as you go. Since cayenne pepper has a balanced non-smoky flavor with minimal aroma, adding it won't change the taste or smell of your hot sauce despite adding increased intensity.

If you like the idea of adding cayenne pepper but don't have any on hand, you can also try adding a pinch of chili flakes to your hot sauce. Chili flakes do have a nuanced flavor, however, and this ingredient often contains seeds and large flakes so be prepared for a mildly textured hot sauce. Make sure to note, however, that chili flakes are a tad less spicy than dried cayenne pepper so feel free to adjust the amount accordingly when altering your hot sauce. Next to chili flakes and cayenne, there are several additional ways to level up bottled hot sauce when you're fresh out of these flavor boosters.

Several dried spices may serve as worthwhile alternatives to cayenne pepper, but remember that most options come with a distinct flavor profile which is why cayenne reigns supreme to spike your hot sauce with. Hot paprika, chipotle powder, and chili powder may increase the spice of your hot sauce, however, each of these seasonings houses a defining taste and smokiness factor that can change the overall flavor of your bottled hot sauce. For those hoping to hold onto the specific flavor qualities of your current hot sauce but simply want more spice, another alternative is to add in some chopped chilis. Follow a portion of the instructions for your homemade hot sauce recipe and either simmer cooked chilis before blending or add a bit of raw diced chilis to your portioned hot sauce. 

Suppose this method sounds tasty but requires too much effort in the kitchen. In that case, you can also use chili or capsaicin extract which will give your hot sauce additional heat without adding an influx of oppositional flavor. Since extracts are also made of liquid, a few drops (use sparingly!) won't change the composition of your hot sauce. There is undoubtedly more than one way to increase the heat of your favorite store-bought hot sauce. Before trying alternative methods, use a dash or two of cayenne pepper to increase the spiciness of your favorite hot sauce and experience instant gratification.