A kitchen isn’t complete without an assortment of spices, oils and of course, hot sauce. Hot sauce can spice up a meal, balance it out and give a little kick to everything from drinks to salsas. I was recently introduced to some flavorful and wonderfully balanced hot sauce called Tabañero. Today is National Hot Sauce Day, so it’s a great day to spice things up for sure!
This hot sauce got its beginnings in the fertile fields of Tabasco, Mexico, which receives the most rainfall in the region. Tabañero’s team of hot sauce aficionados started the quest for the best hot sauce in the world back in 2004 and has been through quite a journey helping this product make its debut. Tabañero is proudly made in the United States and offers a refined combination of spice and flavor that provides a “kick” but does not burn or overshadow your dish. There is no vinegar taste or cheap fillers in Tabañero making the quality and consistency one of a kind. This is truly what makes this sauce different from many others I’ve tried. I don’t need a punch in my face kind of hot sauce. I like a more subtle approach and you definitely get that from this sauce.
Tabañero Hot Sauce is 100% all natural, gluten free and as I mentioned above is not vinegar based. The unique flavor in the sauces come from a perfect combination of carrots, onions, garlic, Key Lime juice, red habanero peppers and agave nectar (this balances out the heat of the habaneros and adds a hint of sweetness). I received the Fiesta Tri-Pack for review, which contains three 8 ounces bottles of the following:
* 1 Original Bottle – this is flavorful and zesty and is ideal for those who may not like a lot of heat in their food. It is tangy and not overpowering.
* 1 Extra Hot Bottle – this one offers the original flavor with an added bump of habaneros, giving it twice the heat.
* 1 Agave Sweet & Spicy Bottle – this one is my favorite. It contains Tabañero spices with chipotle and extra agave nectar. I love the subtleness of it.
All three of these Tabañero sauces add a delicious, zesty flavor to any dish. We’ve been playing around with the various sauces in the kitchen and we’ve been enjoying all three of them for different dishes. Here’s how we’ve been using them:
* We added some of the Original Tabañero to a spinach dip that we always make for parties and after we mixed all of the key ingredients—spinach, artichokes, mozzarella, salt, pepper, cream cheese and parmesan–we drizzled a few drops (and then a few more) to it and it really gave it the perfect taste. You’ll notice that people will keep dipping and dipping and asking for the recipe!
* We used a dash or two the Extra Hot Tabañero in a carnitas taco crock pot recipe. We added the pork, some salsa, some salt and pepper, taco seasoning and then the Extra Hot Tabañero. It was a tasty dish.
* We’ve used the Agave Sweet & Spicy multiple ways. The first was on some garlic-lime baked salmon and we mixed the sauce in with the garlic and lime. It turned out fantastic! I also tried it blended into to some homemade salsa. It gave it the perfect zip and balance.
You can check out the Tabenero web site for a wide variety of delicious recipes and the inspiration to create your own yummy dishes. In addition, Tabañero is giving away a free bottle of hot sauce for a limited-time only but you do pay a small fee for shipping and handling.
If you want try some Tabañero, this award-winning product can be found in over 4,000 restaurants nationwide (the hot sauce of choice for Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurants), online and in grocery and specialty stores across the United States and Canada.
Disclaimer: Kristine has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.
I am not normally a huge fan of hot sauces. I do like that this has several options though, and they are all natuural. I think if I tried this I would probably like the agave seet and spicy. I think maybe if there was a bit of sweetness it might not burn at all. Your spinach dip does sound good and I bet the dairy in it is what cooled it off.
I am not a fan of hot sauces , but I do like that this is made in the USA. I also appreciate that there is no vinegar taste or fillers and that agave is used as a sweetener.