Franks RedHot is a popular hot sauce brand known for its signature blend of aged cayenne peppers and spices. Franks offers a range of hot sauces ranging from mild to extra hot. For spice lovers looking to turn up the heat, the hottest option in the Franks lineup is the XTRA Hot Variety.
About Franks RedHot
Franks RedHot was created in 1920 by Frank Tea and his three nephews in Cincinnati, Ohio. They came up with an original hot sauce recipe made from aged red peppers and spices. The hot sauce quickly became popular locally and by 1969 was the #1 hot sauce brand sold in the United States.
In 1977, Franks was acquired by the Reckitt Benckiser company. Today, Franks RedHot continues to be one of the top selling hot sauce brands in the US and Canada.
The classic Franks RedHot Sauce has a scoville rating of 450-1,200 SHU (Scoville Heat Units), making it a mild to medium hot sauce. Franks offers additional hot sauce varieties that go beyond the original classic recipe.
Franks RedHot XTRA Hot Sauce
The hottest sauce variety in the Franks lineup is the Franks RedHot XTRA Hot Sauce. This extra hot version was launched in 2019 to appeal to hot sauce fans looking for more intense heat from the Franks brand.
Scoville Rating
Franks RedHot XTRA Hot has a scoville rating of 4,000-10,000 SHU. For comparison, a jalapeño pepper registers around 2,500-8,000 SHU. So the XTRA Hot sauce is several times hotter than a jalapeño.
This puts the Franks XTRA Hot sauce firmly in the “hot” category on the scoville scale. While still accessible for most people, it packs some serious heat.
Ingredients
The ingredient list for Franks RedHot XTRA Hot is simple:
– Aged Cayenne Red Peppers
– Distilled Vinegar
– Water
– Salt
– Natural Flavor
– Paprika Oleoresin for Color
– Garlic Powder
Like the original sauce, the XTRA Hot version uses aged cayenne peppers as the main ingredient. The aged peppers have a deeper, more complex flavor than fresh peppers.
To make it extra hot, Franks likely uses a higher concentration of cayenne peppers. They also probably use a spicier variety of cayenne pepper.
Flavor Profile
Fans praise Franks RedHot XTRA Hot for keeping the signature tangy, butter/vinegar flavor of the original but with more heat. The aged cayenne peppers give it a robust, peppery burn with subtle smoky undertones.
Reviewers describe the XTRA Hot as having a slow, building heat. It heats up gradually, allowing you to fully taste the layered pepper flavors.
The vinegar tartness helps cut through the heat. There is also a slight sweetness to balance out the spice intensity.
Other Hot Sauces in the Franks Lineup
In addition to the XTRA Hot variety, Franks offers a few other hot sauces that turn up the heat on their classic recipe:
Franks RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce
This sauce was created to replicate the signature flavor of the famous Buffalo wings first served at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. It has a buttery, peppery taste and registers around 1,000 SHU on the scoville scale.
Franks RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce
This Asian-inspired sauce combines aged cayenne peppers with a sweet chili flavor. It ranks around 1,500 SHU.
Franks RedHot Kickin’ BBQ Sauce
Kickin’ BBQ blends aged cayennes with molasses, garlic and other spices. It brings a spicy twist to barbecue with 1,200-2,000 SHU.
Franks RedHot Chile ‘N Lime Sauce
Chile ‘n Lime features a blend of chili peppers and zesty lime juice. Reviews describe it as moderately hot, likely in the 1,000-2,000 SHU range.
Uses for Franks RedHot XTRA Hot Sauce
Franks recommends using their XTRA Hot Sauce to add spicy heat to:
- Wings
- Pizza
- Nachos
- Tacos
- Burgers
- Hot dogs
- Eggs
- Soups
- Chili
- Sandwiches
The sauce can also be used as a spicy marinade or stirred into dips, sauces and dressings. Start with a few dashes and add more for extra heat. Some brave heat-seekers even drink it straight as a “hot sauce shot.”
Where to Buy Franks RedHot XTRA Hot Sauce
Franks RedHot XTRA Hot Sauce can be found at most major grocery stores and supermarkets in the United States and Canada. It’s stocked alongside the other Franks hot sauce varieties.
Here are some specific stores where it’s available:
- Walmart
- Target
- Kroger
- Publix
- Albertsons
- Winn-Dixie
- Harris Teeter
- H-E-B
- Food Lion
- Safeway
- Save Mart
- ShopRite
The 20 oz. bottle typically costs around $3-4 USD. It may also be available in smaller 5 oz. bottles.
Some grocery stores have it in stock at their local store. You can also order Franks RedHot XTRA Hot Sauce online from grocery delivery services like Instacart, Walmart Grocery, Amazon Fresh, and others.
Many wholesale stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale carry it seasonally or in hot sauce variety packs.
Specialty hot sauce retailers like Heatonist and Peppers of Key West sell Franks XTRA Hot sauce online along with other super-spicy sauces.
How Does It Compare to Other Hot Sauces?
Franks RedHot XTRA Hot is quite hot compared to common mainstream hot sauce brands:
Sriracha
The wildly popular rooster sauce Sriracha rates around 2,000 SHU, making it milder than Franks XTRA Hot.
Tabasco Sauce
The OG Tabasco pepper sauce hits around 2,500-5,000 SHU, also less hot than Franks XTRA Hot.
Cholula Hot Sauce
Known for its flavor rather than heat, Cholula Hot Sauce scores a mild 1,000-3,000 SHU.
Texas Pete Hot Sauce
Texas Pete brings more vinegar tang than heat at just 1,000 SHU tops.
For extreme chili-heads, Franks XTRA Hot is just a warm-up. Super-hot sauces like Mad Dog 357, Satan’s Blood, and Blair’s Ultra Death sauce reach up to 900,000+ SHU.
In terms of flavor, Franks XTRA Hot strikes a good balance between scorching heat and well-rounded taste, making it enjoyable for both moderate spice fans and hardcore chile heads.
Conclusion
For fans of Franks RedHot looking to turn up the heat, Franks RedHot XTRA Hot Sauce delivers. It brings seriously hot but flavorful spicy kick to any food.
The aged cayenne peppers provide signature Franks flavor with intense heat around 4,000-10,000 SHU. Franks RedHot XTRA Hot Sauce can be found at most major grocery stores to add some spice to wings, pizza, tacos, eggs, chili and more. Just be prepared for some fire!