Our Story

It all started in his kitchen in Oakville, Missouri several years ago. Charlie was craving something that had both heat and flavor, so he went to his local grocery store and picked up some things he thought might taste good. Granted, Charlie still struggled at this point to make boxed Mac and Cheese. But, somehow it clicked. People loved it! Thus Hot Charlie’s was born. 

After finding a bottler and releasing the original sauce in August 2017, Charlie released the Ghost Pepper sauce the next month. Hot Charlie’s sauces are unique in that they use real garlic, and they focus on the flavor of the peppers, not the heat. Both the Original and the Ghost Pepper are thicker sauces, and you can really taste the ingredients. 

In April 2018 Charlie introduced the Hot Sauce Dust to the world. The Dust is a dry version based off of our original sauce, and is a great addition to grilling, or seasoning up any meal.

In May 2019 Charlie released a Hot Cheddar Popcorn with Palo Foods using our Hot Sauce Dust.  Later in 2019, Charlie released a full time of Dusts nationally including Chili-Lime Dust, All That Dust, Hot Sauce Dust, Hotter Sauce Dust, Ranch Hot Sauce Dust, and Smokey Maple Dust.

In 2020, Charlie expanded manufacturing to larger co-packers throughout the country, which has allowed for larger volume accounts, and positioned for national distribution.

In the summer of 2021 Charlie released a fan-favorite line of frozen pizzas: Spicy Chicken Bacon Ranch and Spicy Meat Lovers.

We’re currently preparing to release Hot Charlie’s full line of products into more retailers.

Awesomeness:

In 2017, Liz Harper Kraatz won Best Chili at the World Food Championship with our Original Sauce
In 2018, County Brown BBQ used Hot Charlie’s sauce in their 1st Place Pulled Pork Dish
In 2018, Sugarfire Smokehouse won Best Seafood at Memphis in May and used our original sauce.
In 2019, Chloe Lauren, AKA the Pin-up Chef, used our sauce in her 1st Place Mac n Cheese

Hot Charlie’s products are available in retailers across the country, with a loyal following around the world.