If you’re a hot sauce fanatic and a faithful Trader Joe’s shopper, then this article is for you. Today, we’re going over all the different varieties of hot sauce available at Trader Joe’s. We’ll go over which ones are most popular, how they rank on the spiciness scale, and more. I’ll even review one of the sauces myself, so be sure to read through to the end.
Contents
Types of Trader Joe’s Hot Sauce
As of January 2023, Trader Joe’s carries the following kinds of hot sauce:
- Sriracha Sauce
- Green Dragon Hot Sauce
- Habanero Hot Sauce
- Jalapeño Sauce
- Peri Peri Sauce
- Organic Spicy Taco Sauce
- Yuzu Hot Sauce
- Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce
- Zhoug Sauce
Trader Joe’s also used to carry Truffle Hot Sauce, Honey Aleppo Pepper Sauce, and Jalapeño Pepper Hot Sauce (not to be confused with their new Jalapeño Sauce), but all three were unfortunately discontinued in 2022.
If you were a fan of the Trader Joe’s Truffle Hot Sauce, you may not be completely out of luck. One Reddit user managed to find the manufacturer, Sabatino Tartufi. You can buy Sabatino’s Truffled Hot Sauce on Amazon for $12.14 per bottle.
Although it’s not technically a hot sauce, Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion is another popular topping among TJ’s shoppers who are fans of spicy food. Made from a blend of dried garlic, onion, and chili flakes, this crunchy chili oil is one of my personal must-have toppings for everything from scrambled eggs to ramen and everything in between.
Pricing
These are the current listed prices for Trader Joe’s Hot Sauce as of February 2023.
| Product | Price |
| Sriracha Sauce | $3.29 |
| Green Dragon Hot Sauce | $3.79 |
| Habanero Hot Sauce | $2.99 |
| Jalapeño Sauce | $3.49 |
| Peri Peri Sauce | $3.29 |
| Organic Spicy Taco Sauce | $3.29 |
| Yuzu Hot Sauce | $4.99 |
| Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce | $2.99 |
| Zhoug Sauce | $2.99 |
As you can see, all of TJ’s hot sauces are available for under $5, with the Yuzu Hot Sauce topping the list at $4.99 per bottle.
5 Best Hot Sauces At TJ’s
I combed the internet to gather data from reviewers, Redditers, and more to bring you this definitive list of the five best (and most popular) hot sauces available at Trader Joe’s in 2023.
5. Habanero Hot Sauce
Widely regarded as the spiciest hot sauce available at Trader Joe’s, this Habanero Hot Sauce has gained a reputation among serious hot sauce fans across the country.
Habanero peppers rate between 100,000 and 350,000 on the Scoville Scale, making these powerful peppers 50x hotter than a jalapeño (yup–you read that right).
The only reason this hot sauce doesn’t rank higher on this list is because many shoppers find that it’s just too dang spicy. That said, if you’re a fan of seriously spicy food, then this might just become your new go-to TJ’s hot sauce.
One Reddit user called the Habanero Hot Sauce “easily the spiciest item at Trader Joe’s”…
Trader Joe’s Habanero Hot Sauce is made with (you guessed it) habanero peppers, plus water, distilled white vinegar, onion, sugar, sunflower oil, salt, garlic, and xanthan gum. It’s 100% gluten free and vegan.
4. Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce
I don’t usually think of Italian food when I think about hot sauce, but this Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce has become a much-loved product among Trader Joe’s shoppers, who consistently call it one of their favorite hot sauces.
This spicy sauce is known for being super versatile and works as a topping on a wide range of foods. Some commenters on Reddit have talked about using it on everything from pasta to pizza to garlic bread…
This sauce contains chili peppers, sunflower seed and extra virgin olive oils, dried basil, salt, ascorbic acid, and citric acid, making it both vegan and gluten free.
Because of the addition of basil in the recipe, you might find that this bomba sauce makes the most sense when paired with Italian and other Mediterranean-style foods.
3. Yuzu Hot Sauce
If you’re not already familiar with yuzu, it’s a citrus fruit grown primarily in China and Korea. Yuzu fruits are quite similar to lemons, both in the way they look and taste. The flavor of yuzu has been described as a combination of lemon, grapefruit, and orange.
By combining yuzu zest with vinegar, chili peppers, and salt, Trader Joe’s Yuzu Hot Sauce makes for a satisfying combination of spicy and citrus flavors. Many fans have referred to this sauce as the most unique hot sauce available at Trader Joe’s.
This Reddit user had this to say…
Like most of TJ’s hot sauces, this Yuzu Hot Sauce is 100% vegan and gluten free.
2. Green Dragon Hot Sauce
If you’re looking for a trusty, go-to hot sauce that has just enough kick without being unbearably spicy, Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce is your best bet. Made from a combination of jalapeño and habanero peppers, this straightforward hot sauce is fresh, spicy, and just a tiny bit sweet.
When asked about their favorite hot sauces at Trader Joe’s, many Reddit users named the Green Dragon Hot Sauce…
This Green Dragon Sauce has one of the more complicated recipes of any TJ’s hot sauce. It contains sugar, cilantro, garlic, spinach, and lime juice, as well as several natural preservatives and stabilizers. It is 100% gluten free and vegan.
1. Peri Peri Sauce
Without comparison, Trader Joe’s Peri Peri Sauce has received the most overall praise for being the tastiest hot sauce at Trader Joe’s.
When asked about their favorite hot sauces at Trader Joe’s, these Reddit users had this to say…
Peri-peri peppers are most commonly used as a spice in cuisine from Mozambique and other parts of southern Africa. Trader Joe’s Peri Peri Sauce is produced in South Africa from a combination of lemon juice, water, fermented chilis, sunflower oil, garlic, salt, dried chili flakes, and xanthan gum.
Other reviewers have pointed out that while traditional peri-peri sauce is made with peri-peri peppers or African Bird’s Eye peppers, the TJ’s version doesn’t list either of these peppers by name. As a result, some have questioned the authenticity of this sauce.
Nevertheless, customers continue to rave about TJ’s Peri Peri Sauce.
One Reddit user even called this stuff the “best bottled hot sauce” bar none…
While there is no official Scoville information available for this TJ’s Peri Peri Sauce, actual peri-peri peppers range from 50,000 to 175,000 on the Scoville Scale, making them about 25 times hotter than a jalapeño pepper. So, while this isn’t the hottest hot sauce available at Trader Joe’s, it’s second only to the Habanero Hot Sauce mentioned above.
Sauces That Didn’t Make the Cut
I’ll give an honorable mention to Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Sauce, as quite a few TJ’s shoppers did mention this as one of their favorite hot sauces. It just didn’t receive quite as much praise as the other sauces.
The Zhoug Sauce, Sriracha Sauce, and Organic Spicy Taco Sauce didn’t quite make the cut, because customers weren’t quite as enthusiastic in their reviews.
The Zhoug Sauce, although spicy, is not a traditional hot sauce. Instead, it’s a spicy cilantro spread inspired by Yemeni cuisine. (By the way, “zhoug” is pronounced like “zoog.”) If you’d like to try this unique spread, you can find it in the refrigerated section at TJ’s next to the pesto and guacamole.
While a few customers did mention appreciating the Organic Spicy Taco Sauce, it’s also been known to disappoint in its spiciness levels.
According to this Reddit user, the Spicy Taco Sauce isn’t all that spicy…
My Review of Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce
When I visited my local TJ’s to grab a bottle of hot sauce, I was sad to find that they only had two varieties in stock–Sriracha and Green Dragon. Naturally, I chose the Green Dragon since it’s so popular among other shoppers.
I was happy to find that it comes in a generously sized bottle (18 ounces) for just $3.79.
It’s important to note that unlike some other hot sauces, this sauce must be refrigerated after opening.
Ingredients
As mentioned above, this hot sauce has one of the most extensive ingredients list of any other hot sauce sold at TJ’s. It contains water, jalapeño peppers, tomatillo purée, white distilled vinegar, cane sugar, cilantro purée (cilantro, vegetable oil, citric acid), salt, garlic purée, granulated garlic, spinach powder, xanthan gum, lime juice concentrate, and habanero pepper powder.
This hot sauce is 100% vegan and gluten free.
The Taste Test
Overall, I think Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce is an amazing and simple hot sauce with great flavor and just enough spice. If you’re a spice fiend, then you’ll probably be left feeling a bit disappointed. But if you’re like me and all you want is a tiny kick added to your food, then this stuff should do the trick.
The flavor is a great combination of fresh, spicy, and a tiny bit tangy. It’s nothing unique and doesn’t pack in any surprising flavors, but sometimes that’s exactly what you’re looking for in a hot sauce.
I would definitely buy this hot sauce again, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a neutral hot sauce option that will appeal to a wide range of tastes.
