All 13 El Yucateco Hot Sauces, Ranked

El Yucateco is a Mexican hot sauce company that's been making habanero-based sauces since 1968. Its signature red and green sauces are staples in Mexican restaurants, American grocery store chains, and on plenty of dinner tables, including my own. When I ranked 25 popular inexpensive hot sauces, El Yucateco came in second. 

Six new sauces joined the El Yucateco lineup in mid-2023. Here are all 13 of El Yucateco's hot sauces, ranked from best to worst. 

If you're a chile head like I am, you'll want to get your hands on some of the new releases. 

This article was updated in November 2023.

I tried all El Yucateco's products on both tortilla chips and crackers in a side-by-side taste test. I analyzed flavor, heat level, and originality and ranked them based on those criteria. The sauces were provided by El Yucateco after I reached out to the company, but no one at the company had any input in this taste test.

Heat level: 4 out of 10

Best on: Smoky grilled meats, chicken wings, or almost anything

This new sauce is the best El Yucateco makes. It's made with chiltepins, a tiny, peppercorn-sized chile that's native to the U.S. and Mexico and considered the "mother of all chiles." They have an earthiness that fruity habaneros don't, and lend a beautiful orange color. 

It takes a couple bites for the heat to build, which is great, because the citrusy flavor is so good that you will want more. This one's going in my regular hot sauce rotation. 

Heat level: 2.5 out of 10

Best on: Ceviche, fish tacos, stir-fries

Created to complement seafood, this one is crazy complex and interesting. It's full of umami — that hard-to-pinpoint savoriness — thanks to tomato paste and hydrolyzed soy protein, the same stuff that makes up soy sauce. The flavor is deep, rounded, and unique. I only wish it were a little hotter. 

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Heat level: 6 out of 10

Best on: Good old ground beef tacos, nachos

This is my OG go-to for Tex-Mex food, and has been for years. Tomatoes temper the habaneros in this hot sauce, and it's not too acidic. This is a close approximation to American "taco sauce," but way, way hotter. Drizzle this on everything that needs a boost in flavor and heat. 

Looking for more hot sauce brands to try? Check out our taste test and ranking of Melinda's Hot Sauces.

Heat level: 5 out of 10

Best on: Tacos al pastor or asada, anything with red enchilada sauce

Think of this hot sauce as a salsa verde: it's more acidic, brighter, and tastes fresher than the red version. Green and Red are easy to find in grocery stores across the U.S., and they should be staples in every hot sauce collection. 

Are you also a Tabasco fan? Don't miss our Tabasco hot sauce ranking. 

Heat level: 2.5 out of 10

Best on: Fajitas, Cajun food

I am not normally a mild hot sauce person, but this one won me over with its bright flavor of fresh green chiles. The lower heat level allows the flavor of green peppers to shine through. It's more acidic than other El Yucateco hot sauces, but not in an unpleasant way. This is a great beginner's hot sauce.

Related: Why These Collectible Hot Sauces Cost Hundreds of Dollars

Heat level: 1.5 out of 10

Best on: Shrimp tacos, fresh oysters

This new sauce is also meant for seafood. Unlike the Black version, this Red Marisquera is lacking that umami factor, but it's fantastic regardless. The salt, acid, and heat flavors are all well balanced and reminds me of Valentina. I love that both the Marisquera hot sauces have flip-top lids for more pouring control. 

Heat level: 2 out of 10

Best on: Chili, smoked meats, chicken tenders

Chipotle-based hot sauces often suffer from an acrid, campfire smoke flavor, but not this brand. Honey balances out the prominent smokiness for a well-rounded sauce. Dip your chicken tenders in it next time, because it's thick, rich, and reminiscent of a spicy barbecue sauce.

Heat level: 7 out of 10

Best on: Bloody marys, Yucatecan food

Also called Kutbil-Ik from a Mayan word meaning crushed chile, this sauce has a nice searing heat that takes a bit to build up. Tomato and onion give this thick hot sauce body and depth of flavor. I use a few shakes of this to spice up my bloody marys. 

Heat level: 1.5 out of 10

Best on: Beef, barbecued meats

I don't like coffee, but this unique coffee habanero hot sauce won me over. The coffee comes through at the end and lends a warm undertone to this mild hot sauce. Smoky chipotle rounds out the rich coffee notes perfectly. 

Heat level: 5 out of 10

Best on: Jerk chicken, Caribbean curries

Yellow habaneros and carrots are what gives this hot sauce its name, orange color, and slightly sweet vegetal flavor. This reminds me most of Marie Sharp's Belizean Heat, though it's less acidic and smoother.

Heat level: 9 out of 10

Best on: Your own "Hot Ones"-style hot sauce challenge

This is the hottest of the bunch thanks to ghost chile extract, one of the hottest peppers in the world. Luckily, before that heat kicks in you'll taste a complex sauce thanks to unusual ingredient like caramelized onions. It lacks the bitterness that many super hot concoctions have, but doesn't lack in searing heat. 

Heat level: 4.5 out of 10

Best on: Scary Halloween party food

Black Label Reserve hot sauce gets it black color from roasting the habaneros. I've tried this sauce in the past and didn't like it because it was too acrid and smoky, but that wasn't the case upon revisiting it now. It's not bad, but there are plenty better El Yucateco sauces to try. 

Heat level: 2 out of 10

Best on: Pulled pork, spicy ham glaze

I love pineapple, so I was most excited to try this new one. It turned out to be the biggest disappointment. The sweetness comes from cane sugar and not pineapple. Instead, you get hits of "natural onion flavoring". It reminds me of corn syrup in texture and consistency. Total bummer.