Is Hot Sauce Vegan?

Hot sauce is a mealtime staple and can be found in pantries across the nation. But for such a common condiment, many are left wondering “is hot sauce vegan?” With so many hot sauces on the market these days, it can be difficult to discern which new sauce meets the vegan standard and which you shouldn’t reach for. We’re here to break down what makes a hot sauce vegan (or not) to make it easier for you to enjoy your go-to sauce.

What Does “Vegan” Mean?

Vegan is a term used to describe food that is not derived from animals. This means that the use of meat, eggs, and dairy is not allowed in vegan food.

While this seems like a straightforward concept, there are many foods that are secretly not vegan. For example, you may think chocolate is vegan, but many chocolates have dairy added to them, making them no longer vegan. Because of these difficulties in determining what is and is not vegan, it is important to research the products you use and their ingredients to ensure they meet the vegan standard.

So, Is Hot Sauce Vegan?

In general, hot sauce is a vegan condiment. The base of most hot sauces is chili peppers, vinegar, and salt, all of which are vegan ingredients. Most commercially produced hot sauces are going to contain more than those simple ingredients, but most of them still use a vegan lineup.

That being said, buffalo sauce is a common exception. Buffalo sauce is typically made with butter or eggs, making it a non-vegan option.

Additionally, as mentioned above, there can be non-vegan ingredients hiding in an array of foods that you may think are vegan. Below are a few to watch out for in hot sauces in particular:

• Eggs
• Butter
• Honey (while this can be a bit controversial in the vegan community, honey is often not considered vegan since it is made by bees)
• Fish sauce
• Worcestershire sauce (many recipes for this condiment contain anchovies)

Does Not Too Hot Sauce Make Vegan Hot Sauces?

Yes! Most of our Not Too Hot Sauce lineup is vegan (though, not certified vegan). The only sauce we have availble right now that is not vegan is our Creamy Buff-alo because it is created using a homemade mayonaise, and therefore, contains eggs. However, our Gingerella, Cha-Cha Sriracha, and Jalapeño Business are all vegan sauces, so you can rest assured no animal byproducts were used in their development.