Can You Have Hot Sauce on a Carnivore Diet?

What Is Hot Sauce?

To learn if we can have hot sauce on a Carnivore diet, we first need to find out what hot sauce is generally made from. Hot sauce is a condiment or seasoning made from chili peppers, vinegar, salt, and sometimes other ingredients, such as spices or fruit.

The main ingredient, chili peppers, is what gives hot sauce its spiciness. The level of heat can vary widely depending on the type and quantity of peppers used.

Hot sauce is made by crushing or pureeing the chili peppers and mixing them with other ingredients, like vinegar and salt. Some hot sauces are fermented to find a more complex flavor.

Hot sauces can range from mild to extremely hot, which makes them a versatile addition to many dishes, including soups, stews, tacos, sandwiches, and many more.

You may think hot sauce is just a seasoning with no specific nutrients but it is a source of various nutrients, like potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, folate, and more.

Learn More: Can You Eat Sauce on a Carnivore Diet? [The Best Sauces to Eat]

Hot Sauce Nutrients

The table below summarizes the main nutrients found in 100 grams of hot sauce [1].

So, hot sauce is not just a delicious seasoning but an ingredient with a rich nutritional profile. The question is how we can use the benefits of hot sauce on a Carnivore diet.

Can You Have Hot Sauce on a Carnivore Diet?

We know that the Carnivore diet consists of animal products, with an emphasis on meat and animal fats, while excluding plant-based foods. Whether hot sauce is allowed on a Carnivore diet depends on the specific variations of this diet you follow.

For example, a strict Carnivore diet doesn’t allow any plant-based products but many people do use hot sauce on a Carnivore diet because most traditional hot sauces are low in carbohydrates and do not contain significant amounts of plant-based ingredients.

Due to having these features, i.e., low levels of carbohydrates and plant ingredients, less strict versions of Carnivore allow hot sauce, especially homemade products.

However, to use industrial hot sauce, you should check the ingredient list of the specific hot sauce you're considering, as some may include additives, sweeteners, or other non-carnivorous ingredients.

Also, if you're strict about avoiding any plant-based components, you can choose hot sauces that have minimal ingredients and don't contain sugar, starches, or other non-animal-derived additives.

So, if you’re considering using hot sauce on a Carnivore diet, you need to find the best ones. But you don’t have to search because the 5 best hot sauces are listed below.

Learn More: Can I Eat Tomatoes on a Carnivore Diet? What About Tomato Paste?

5 Best Hot Sauces on a Carnivore Diet

Here are the 5 best hot sauces on a Carnivore diet. They are chosen based on the ingredients and the levels of carbohydrates and sugar.

1. Tabasco Hot Sauce (view on Amazon)
2. Frank's RedHot Original Hot Sauce (view on Amazon)
3. Yellowbird Serrano Condiment (view on Amazon)
4. Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce (view on Amazon)
5. Marie Sharp's Habanero Pepper Sauce (view on Amazon)

Tabasco Hot Sauce

• Carbohydrates: 1g per 100g
• Sugar: 1g per 100g
• Ingredients: Distilled vinegar, red pepper, salt

Learn More: Can You Have Tabasco Sauce on a Carnivore Diet?

Frank's RedHot Original Hot Sauce

1. Carbohydrates: 0g per 100g
2. Sugar: 0g per 100g
3. Ingredients: Aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, and garlic powder

Yellowbird Serrano Condiment

1. Carbohydrates: 5g per 100g
2. Sugar: 2g per 100g
3. Ingredients: Organic carrots, onions, Serrano peppers, organic distilled vinegar, garlic, organic cane sugar, salt, and lime juice concentrate

Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce

1. Carbohydrates: 7g per 100g
2. Sugar: 6g per 100g
3. Ingredients: White wine vinegar, roasted tomatoes, habanero peppers, onion, carrot, sugar, prepared mustard, water, kosher salt, cornstarch, herbs, and spices

Marie Sharp's Habanero Pepper Sauce

1. Carbohydrates: 4g per 100g
2. Sugar: 3g per 100g
3. Ingredients: Select red habanero peppers, fresh carrots, onions, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt

Two of the brands introduced above, i.e., Tabasco and Frank’s, in addition to Sriracha hot sauce, are three famous brands with low levels of carbohydrates and sugar. Let’s compare their features to see which one is a better choice.

Learn More: Can You Have Soy Sauce on the Carnivore Diet?

Sriracha vs. Tabasco vs. Frank's Hot Sauce

The table below summarizes the main information and the nutritional information of the three popular hot sauces, i.e., Sriracha, Tobasco, and Frank’s hot sauces [2] [3] [4].

Summary

So, using hot sauce on a Carnivore diet meal depends on the version of the Carnivore diet you follow and your personal needs and goals. A strict Carnivore disallows all plant-based foods.

However, less strict versions allow minimal amounts of some seasonings, like hot sauce, as they contain low levels of carbohydrates and sugar.