If you've watched Hot Ones, you already know the format — ten wings, ten sauces, escalating heat, and celebrities trying to hold it together. The good news? You can recreate the entire experience at home, and Blonde Chilli has everything you need to do it properly.
What Is the Hot Ones Challenge?
Hot Ones is a YouTube interview show hosted by Sean Evans where celebrities eat increasingly spicy chicken wings while answering questions. Since Season 1 in 2015, it's become one of the most-watched food shows on the internet — famous for breaking down even the toughest guests by Wing 8 (Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity). The challenge format has taken on a life of its own, with millions of people recreating it at home.
What You Need
- 10 chicken wings or drumettes — drumettes are easier to eat cleanly
- The Hot Ones sauce lineup — we stock the full range including The Classic, Los Calientes, and the infamous Last Dab
- A heat-safe surface for lining up your sauces in order
- Friends brave enough to play (optional but highly recommended)
- Milk, ice cream, or bread on standby — capsaicin binds to fat, so dairy is your best friend
- A camera — the reactions are half the fun
How to Cook the Wings
The show uses plain wings so the sauce is the star — keep it simple:
- Oven: 220°C for 40–45 minutes, flipping halfway. Pat dry before cooking for crispier skin.
- Air fryer: 200°C for 20–25 minutes. Best for crispy results with less mess.
- BBQ: Medium-high heat, indirect then direct. Adds a smoky base that pairs well with the sauces.
Don't pre-sauce the wings — dip each one individually as you go, just like the show. This keeps the heat progression accurate and prevents cross-contamination between sauces.
The Rules
- Line up your sauces from mildest to hottest
- Each player takes a wing, dips it in the corresponding sauce, and must finish it before moving on
- No skipping. No quitting. No dairy until the Last Dab is done
- The last person standing wins eternal bragging rights
The Sauces — What to Expect at Each Stage
Wings 1–3 are manageable — flavourful with mild heat. Wings 4–6 start to build noticeably. By Wing 7 most people are sweating. Wing 8 is Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity — famously the "wall" where even the toughest celebrities break. It's not just hot, it's a different kind of hot — extract-based, with a delayed burn that hits hard. Wings 9–10 are the Last Dab series, which use Pepper X — one of the hottest peppers on the planet, developed by Ed Currie.
Read our full Hot Ones Last Dab guide to understand what you're getting into with the final wings.
The Easiest Way to Run the Challenge in Australia
Sourcing Hot Ones sauces in Australia individually is a mission — import costs, availability, and heat order all need to be figured out. We've done it for you. We have two packs built for exactly this:
Hot Ones Season 29 Complete 10-Sauce Lineup
The authentic challenge experience. All 10 sauces from Season 29 in heat order, from Piko Peppers Garlic Delight at 1,900 Scovilles to The Last Dab: Thermageddon at 2,000,000+. Comes in a custom gift box, ready to go.
Blonde Chilli Hot Ones Legends Pack
A curated "greatest hits" from across 30 seasons — 8 iconic bottles hand-picked for heat progression and cultural clout. Perfect if you want the full Hot Ones experience without being tied to a single season.
Where to Buy Hot Ones Sauces in Australia
Blonde Chilli is Australia's home of Hot Ones sauces. Shop the full lineup including challenge packs and bundles — everything you need delivered fast across Australia.
Tips for Surviving the Challenge
- Eat the whole wing before reaching for dairy — it's the rules, and it makes the experience authentic
- Whole milk or ice cream works better than water — capsaicin is oil-based and water just spreads it around
- Bread helps too — it absorbs the oil and gives your mouth a break
- Don't touch your eyes — wash your hands thoroughly after handling the hotter sauces
- Start with a smaller group — so there's enough sauce for everyone to get a proper dip
- Have a camera ready — the reactions are half the fun and make great content
- Don't wear a white shirt
- Pace yourself on the early wings — the heat is cumulative and Wing 8 will feel much worse if you've been rushing
Vegetarian and Alternative Options
You don't need chicken to do the challenge. Popular alternatives:
- Cauliflower wings — battered and baked, they hold sauce well and have a similar texture
- Tofu pieces — firm tofu, pressed and pan-fried
- Corn chips or crackers — simpler but works for a tasting-style challenge
- Cucumber or celery sticks — for a lighter, lower-commitment version
Scoring and Judging Ideas
Want to make it competitive? Try these formats:
- Last person standing — classic. Whoever finishes all 10 wins.
- Points per wing — 1 point per wing completed. Dairy costs you a point.
- Interview format — channel your inner Sean Evans. Each player has to answer a question between wings. Whoever gives the best answers (voted by the group) wins, regardless of heat tolerance.
- Time trial — who can finish all 10 wings fastest without quitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sauces are used on Hot Ones?
The lineup changes each season. Season 29 runs from Piko Peppers Garlic Delight (1,900 SHU) through to The Last Dab: Thermageddon (2,000,000+ SHU). Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity (135,600 SHU) is a permanent fixture at Wing 8 and is widely considered the hardest part of the challenge.
How hot is Da' Bomb?
Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity is rated at 135,600 Scoville Heat Units, but it's extract-based which makes it feel significantly hotter than that number suggests. It has a delayed, intense burn that's different from natural pepper heat. Most people consider it the hardest wing of the challenge — not because of the Scoville number, but because of how it hits.
Can I do the Hot Ones challenge without chicken?
Yes — see the vegetarian alternatives section above. The sauces are the challenge, not the protein. Any vehicle that lets you get a proper coating of sauce works.
Where can I buy Hot Ones sauces in Australia?
Blonde Chilli stocks the full Hot Ones lineup including seasonal releases, Da' Bomb, and the Last Dab series. We also have pre-built challenge packs so you don't have to source each bottle individually. Shop the full range here.
How many people can do the challenge with one set of sauces?
Each bottle contains enough for around 15 serves, so a single set of 10 sauces can comfortably run the challenge for a large group. For very generous dippers, grab a second set to be safe.
What's the hottest sauce on Hot Ones?
The Last Dab series holds the final position every season. The current version — The Last Dab: Thermageddon — uses Pepper X, which Ed Currie developed specifically for the show. It's rated at over 2,000,000 SHU. Read more in our Last Dab guide.
Ready to Take the Challenge?
Shop Australia's biggest range of Hot Ones sauces at Blonde Chilli. Fast shipping, the full lineup, and challenge packs ready to go.
Also worth reading: our list of the world's hottest hot sauces and our Hot Ones Last Dab guide.