Frank’s RedHot Heats Up Maine as the State’s Favorite Sauce

In the immortal words of the late, great Robert Palmer: “Some like it hot.”

Indeed they do, Robert. In fact, it seems more people than ever like it hot these days, thanks to the ever-increasing hot sauce revolution currently underway.

According to Fortune Business Insights, America's hot sauce market continues to grow each year. In 2024, its market size was just under $1.1 billion—and it's expected to reach nearly $2 billion by 2032. Not bad for something that’s basically just a few fermented chilis. Delicious fermented chilis.

With America’s hot sauce craze in full swing, the folks over at Instacart decided to find out which brands are the country’s most popular.

The shopping site used its own purchase data from 2024 to determine each state's favorite spicy sauce—and the results are quite interesting.

What is Maine's Favorite Hot Sauce?

So, what is Maine’s top choice in the hot sauce sphere? That would be the iconic Frank’s RedHot.

This is a quality choice by Mainers. Frank’s is very good, no frills, just straight-up spicy chili flavor. It’s perfect for wings, mac 'n' cheese, chili, sausages, really anything you need a hot sauce for. It's easily one of the most versatile options in the game.

It also has very strong brand recognition, considering it’s been around a long time and is practically synonymous with chicken wings. Heck, I used to make wings at a restaurant back in high school in the mid-1990s, and we were using Frank’s.

Unsurprisingly, Maine was not alone in its love of Frank’s. A total of 28 states, including all of New England, had Frank’s as their most popular hot sauce.

What are the Most Popular Hot Sauce Brands in America?

Here’s a look at the other four most popular hot sauces:

2. Burman’s (7 states) – Never heard of this one.

3. Louisiana Brand (5 states) – Now this is some tasty stuff.

4. Cholula (4 states) – In my opinion, this is the best on the market.

5. Texas Pete (3 states) – A worthy sauce.

It’s interesting not to see the original Sriracha on here, considering it was so popular a few years ago that there was a shortage. However, perhaps it’s still trying to catch back up.

Also, it was nice to see one of the true American icons, Tabasco, make the list—having been named Hawaii’s most popular.

READ MORE: Maine's Legendary Flo's Hot Dogs Named Among Best in the Nation

You can find the entire map here. It’s definitely a fun look at which hot sauces Americans dig the most, and how regional the preferences have become.

And now I need some wings.