The Hot Sauce You Should Add To Frozen Pizza For A Smoky Finish

Whether it's one of the best frozen pizza brands from the grocery store or a pizza that literally won't go bad for years, many folks like to elevate the sometimes lackluster flavor with a dab or two of hot sauce. Some people use brands that offer just a hint of heat, while others treat topping their pizza with hot sauce like they are on an episode of the YouTube sensation "Hot Ones," opting for the spiciest choice available. However, if you are looking to add some smokiness to the dish and don't have time to turn frozen pizza into something extraordinary on the grill, Tapatío should be on your next shopping list.

Tapatío does bring some heat, but it isn't a burn-your-tongue type of hot. The sauce clocks in at only 3,000 Scoville heat units (SHU), which is comparable to a mellow jalapeño. Where Tapatío truly shines is in the smokiness it can impart to food. The exact kind of chili peppers it is made from is a company secret, but the blend of garlic, vinegar, and salt with whichever variety is used creates a full-bodied flavor with hints of smoke that many other brands lack. For chicken wings, something less watery might be in order, but on a frozen pizza, Tapatío doesn't weigh down your slice as it bestows welcome heat and gently smoky notes to the dish.

Although the hint of smokiness it grants to frozen pizza is perhaps its primary appeal, Tapatío isn't so one-dimensional. The vinegar used in the mix produces a slight tanginess that complements the tomato sauce on frozen pizza, while the mild heat offers some exciting warmth with every gooey bite. Still, some folks with more delicate taste buds consider that level of spiciness offensive. There are alternatives to Tapatío that offer just a touch of heat to frozen pizza, but they don't confer the same smoky notes that make Tapatío special.

Sriracha sauce is a bit more palatable to some, with between 1,000 and 2,500 SHU to its name. It also has a signature sweet flavor that some find especially appealing, on pizza or otherwise. If you don't mind missing out on the smoke Tapatío brings, Sriracha could complement the cheese and sauce on frozen pizza quite well.

If that is still too much heat, consider reaching for a bottle of Frank's RedHot. Despite the name, this sauce only contains roughly 450 SHU. It is more often associated with Buffalo wings than frozen pizza, but it does have a mild, balanced flavor that wouldn't overpower the other ingredients on your pie. You won't get much in the way of the smokiness that Tapatío brings, but it will spice the dish up a bit for folks who want more flavor but don't want to treat putting hot sauce on frozen pizza like it is a competition.