Canadian hot sauces for every spice level
From mild and flavourful to intensely spicy
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Canadian food may not be known for its spice, but across the country there are plenty of Canadian brands heating things up with unique hot sauces. They’re also gaining international attention — many Canadian hot sauce brands have appeared on the viral online series Hot Ones, the talk show where celebrity guests are interviewed while they attempt to eat chicken wings coated in increasingly spicy hot sauces.
If you’re brave enough to try some out for yourself, browse a selection of the best Canadian hot sauce brands worth adding to your pantry below. And for even more Canadian kitchen essentials, check out our guides to the best Canadian coffee brands, matcha brands and high-protein snacks.
Summary of Canadian hot sauce brands
The Cure Hot Sauce Company – Vancouver Island, B.C.
Dawson’s Hot Sauce – Hamilton, Ont.
Firecracker Pepper Sauce – Toronto
Ginger Goat – Waterloo, Ont.
Heartbeat Hot Sauce – Thunder Bay, Ont.
Joe Beef – Montreal
Lord’s Hot Sauce – Montreal
Mark’s Hot Sauce – Montreal
Maritime Madness – Cardigan, P.E.I.
No. 7 Hot Sauce – Toronto
Pepper North – Oshawa, Ont.
Piko Peppers Microsaucerie – Montreal
La Pimenterie – Montreal
Rude Mama Hot Sauce – Toronto
Canadian hot sauce brands, explained
The Cure Hot Sauce Company – Vancouver Island, B.C.
Vancouver Island-based The Cure Hot Sauce Company delivers big flavours that don’t compromise on sustainability. The company is BC Green Business and Surfrider Water Friendlycertified, and all of its hot sauces are gluten-free and vegan (plus a few FODMAP diet-friendly sauces). Find a range of hot sauces, BBQ sauces and dry rubs to choose from.
Where to buy:The Cure Hot Sauce Company
Dawson’s Hot Sauce – Hamilton, Ont.
Dawson’s Hot Sauce has been family-owned and operated by father-son duo Bruce and Brodie Dawson since 2013. The brand’s hot sauces feature unique flavour combinations like sweet pear and chili and mushroom habanero, with mild to fiery options available to suit every palate.
As seen on Hot Ones:Apple Caraway, Original Hot and more
Where to buy: Dawson’s Hot Sauce | Amazon | Heatonist
Firecracker Pepper Sauce – Toronto
Husband and wife, Michael and Carmen McCracken, first thought of creating their own hot sauce as a guest favour when planning their wedding. The idea then grew into Firecracker Pepper Sauce, which creates premium Trinidadian-style hot pepper sauces in a nod to Carmen’s Indo-Trinidadian culture and Mike’s Canadian heritage.
Where to buy: Firecracker Pepper Sauce | Well.ca
Ginger Goat – Waterloo, Ont.
Ginger Goat Hot Sauce was founded in 2021, with a range of hot sauces that are all-natural, made without thickeners, preservatives or fillers. Sauces are graded on a scale of one to five flames, so it’s easy to determine your spice level before buying.
As seen on Hot Ones:The Original Goat, Tropic Star and more
Where to buy: Ginger Goat | Heatonist
Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. – Thunder Bay, Ont.
Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. was founded in 2015 and has been making delicious hot sauces free from water, thickening agents or chemical preservatives ever since. The brand offers a rotating assortment of hot sauces in collaboration with various partners like Darkside of the Grill, Meshuggah and others.
As seen on Hot Ones:Scorpion, Red Habanero, Pineapple Habanero
Where to buy: Heartbeat Hot Sauce | Amazon |Heatonist
Joe Beef – Montreal
Montreal steakhouse Joe Beef has been a staple on the Canadian culinary scene since 2005 (it’s a favourite among chefs like David Chang and the late Anthony Bourdain). You can bring home a taste of Joe Beef’s iconic dishes with its own brand of sauces and seasonings, including hot sauce, BBQ sauce and dry rubs.
Where to buy: Joe Beef | Amazon
Lord’s Hot Sauce – Montreal
Lord’s Hot Sauce uses Canadian white oak barrels to ferment its peppers, bringing out unique flavour characteristics while ageing them up for to three years. This unique method not only enhances the sauces’ complex flavour profiles, but also promotes gut health, increases nutrient availability and reduces inflammation.
Where to buy: Lord’s Hot Sauce
Mark’s Hot Sauce – Montreal
Mark’s Hot Sauce is made in small batches in the Greater Montreal area, featuring global influences in each bottle. Find hot sauces crafted with the flavours of Barbados, Louisiana, Jamaica, Korea, Italy and more, as well as chili flakes for added heat.
As seen on Hot Ones:Barbados Style Hot Sauce
Where to buy: Mark’s Hot Sauce | Heatonist
Maritime Madness – Cardigan, P.E.I.
If you’re looking for a wide variety of flavours and intensity in your hot sauce, look no further than Maritime Madness, which has been hand-crafting sauces in P.E.I. since 2002. The brand offers over 40 different sauce flavours in varying heat levels, flavour profiles and dietary requirements.
Where to buy:Maritime Madness | Amazon
No. 7 Hot Sauce – Toronto
No.7 Hot Sauce was founded in 2013 by husband and wife team Carlos and Sandra Flores as a way to share their family recipes with their community in Toronto. All of the brand’s vegan sauces are made naturally, without the use of preservatives, sodium, sugar, gluten or peanuts.
Where to buy: No. 7 Hot Sauce | Well.ca
Pepper North – Oshawa, Ont.
Husband and wife Drew and Ana Stevens founded Pepper North in 2013 with sauces inspired by their travels around the world. Each flavour has a spice rating from one to 10, letting you choose your intensity.
As seen on Hot Ones:Stargazer, Mango + Habanero Peppers, Jerk + Scotch Bonnet Peppers
Where to buy: Pepper North |Amazon | Heatonist
Piko Peppers Microsaucerie – Montreal
Founded in 2019, Piko Peppers begins each bottle of hot sauce with hot peppers grown in Quebec. The brand offers dozens of different hot sauces, all of which proudly feature an illustration of Kobo the cat, the Piko Peppers mascot.
As seen on Hot Ones:Habs, White Rabbit and more
Where to buy: Piko Peppers Microsaucerie | Heatonist
La Pimenterie – Montreal
La Pimenterie was founded in 2016 in the heart of Montreal. Its products are still made there today using peppers grown within 50 km of the factory, including those from urban agriculture on city rooftops. Though it started out with just seven hot sauce varieties, you can now shop the brand’s selection of hot sauces, BBQ sauces, salsas and more.
As seen on Hot Ones:Curry Verde, Forbidden Fruit
Where to buy: La Pimenterie | Heatonist | Well.ca
Rude Mama Hot Sauce – Toronto
Inspired by the flavours of her Vietnamese heritage, founder Vian Nguyen brings together a mixture of sweetness and spice into every jar of hot sauce. Choose from original red pepper sauce or one of the three fruity flavours made with a different tropical fruit (pineapple, mango or passionfruit).
Where to buy: Rude Mama Hot Sauce | Well.ca
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