Frank's RedHot
An American cayenne-pepper hot-sauce brand best known as a defining ingredient in Buffalo-style wing recipes.
Last updated October 13, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Frank's RedHot is an American hot-sauce brand built around cayenne peppers, vinegar, garlic, spices and an aging process. Its best-known product, Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, is a relatively mild table and cooking sauce, while the portfolio also includes hotter variants and Buffalo-style wing sauces. The brand is especially associated with Buffalo chicken wings and with the broader popularization of hot sauce as an everyday condiment in the United States. The brand's roots extend to the Frank Tea and Spice Company, established in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1896. In 1917, company owner Jacob Frank entered into an arrangement involving the Estilette Pepper Farm in Louisiana, whose proprietor Adam Estilette became his business partner. Together they developed the cayenne-based blend that combined peppers with vinegar, garlic and spices and was aged before sale. The resulting Frank's RedHot formula reached the market in 1920. Frank's later history reflects the consolidation of the American packaged-food and condiment industries. The brand was sold to Durkee Famous Foods in 1977. After Reckitt Benckiser acquired the Durkee business in 1995, Frank's RedHot remained within Reckitt's portfolio until McCormick & Company acquired the brand in 2017 as part of a larger transaction that also included French's mustard. McCormick subsequently became the brand's owner and producer. Frank's products are manufactured in Springfield, Missouri. The brand's cultural profile is closely linked to Buffalo wings. Frank's RedHot is used as a principal ingredient in many Buffalo-wing recipes and has helped make the Buffalo flavor a widely recognized prepared-sauce category. The brand itself, however, is not generally established as the sauce used in the original 1964 Anchor Bar recipe, an important distinction in Buffalo-wing history. Frank's RedHot has also extended beyond bottled hot sauce. Its range has included Buffalo wing sauce, extra-hot sauce and other flavored or culinary products. In 2007, Thanasi Foods began marketing licensed Frank's RedHot-flavored beef jerky and other meat snacks, demonstrating the brand's extension into adjacent snack categories. Advertising has been another major part of its identity. A notable national television campaign featured an irreverent elderly character named Ethel, who declares that she puts the sauce on everything; the recurring censored punchline positioned the brand as versatile, humorous and unapologetically flavorful. Today, Frank's RedHot operates as a mass-market condiment brand within McCormick's global flavor portfolio. Its positioning combines accessible heat, strong recognition, and culinary versatility rather than extreme spiciness. The Original blend is reported at approximately 450 Scoville Heat Units, while the XTRA Hot version is reported at about 2,000 SHU. These levels place the core range below several competing mainstream hot sauces in heat intensity, reinforcing the brand's emphasis on everyday use in cooking, dipping, marinating and finishing dishes.
History
Frank's RedHot traces its institutional origins to the Frank Tea and Spice Company, founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1896. The company later moved into the manufacture and sale of prepared seasonings and hot sauce. In 1917, owner Jacob Frank contracted with the Estilette Pepper Farm in Louisiana. The farm's owner, Adam Estilette, became Frank's business partner, and the two developed a cayenne-pepper sauce using vinegar, garlic, spices and aged peppers. This formulation entered the market in 1920 and became the foundation of Frank's RedHot. The sauce's recipe and identity developed around cayenne pepper rather than extreme heat. The Original blend is reported at approximately 450 Scoville Heat Units, giving it a comparatively mild heat level for a dedicated hot sauce. Later variants, including XTRA Hot, increased the heat while preserving the brand's vinegar-and-cayenne character. This accessible profile helped Frank's serve both as a table condiment and as a cooking ingredient. Ownership changed as the American food industry consolidated. In 1977, Frank's RedHot was sold to Durkee Famous Foods. Reckitt Benckiser later acquired the Durkee brand in 1995 and owned Frank's RedHot for roughly two decades. In August 2017, McCormick & Company completed a $4.2 billion acquisition that included French's mustard and Frank's RedHot. The brand has since operated under McCormick, with production identified in Springfield, Missouri. Frank's RedHot became particularly prominent through its connection with Buffalo wings. The sauce is a primary ingredient in many Buffalo-wing recipes and is strongly associated with the spread of Buffalo flavor beyond western New York. This association should not be overstated: available reference material indicates that Frank's was probably not the sauce used in the original 1964 Anchor Bar recipe, although it later became one of the best-known commercial sauces for recreating the style. The brand has pursued extensions beyond its core bottled sauce. Buffalo wing sauce, extra-hot sauce and other prepared products broadened the portfolio, while Thanasi Foods introduced licensed Frank's RedHot-flavored beef jerky and meat snacks in 2007. Advertising further strengthened the brand's identity. Its Ethel campaign used a recurring elderly character, prestigious social settings and a deliberately censored catchphrase about putting the sauce on everything. The advertisements framed Frank's as a versatile everyday flavoring rather than a niche product for heat enthusiasts. Under McCormick, Frank's RedHot remains an active mass-market condiment brand. Its commercial proposition rests on recognizable American flavor, moderate heat, Buffalo-wing credibility and multiple usage occasions, including dipping, cooking, marinating and finishing. The brand competes in a crowded hot-sauce market but differentiates itself through its long history, strong association with Buffalo-style food and unusually broad mainstream recognition.
- 2017
McCormick acquires the brand
[1]McCormick completes the acquisition of Frank's RedHot as part of a transaction that also includes French's mustard.
- 2007
Licensed meat-snack extension begins
[1]Thanasi Foods begins marketing Frank's RedHot-flavored beef jerky and other meat snacks.
- 1995
Reckitt Benckiser becomes the subsequent owner
[1]Following Reckitt Benckiser's purchase of the Durkee brand, Frank's RedHot enters the Reckitt portfolio.
- 1977
Brand sold to Durkee Famous Foods
[1]Frank's RedHot becomes part of Durkee Famous Foods.
- 1920
Original Frank's RedHot enters the market
[1]The original blend made from cayenne peppers, vinegar, garlic, spices and aged ingredients is introduced commercially.
- 1917
Jacob Frank partners with Adam Estilette
[1]Jacob Frank enters an arrangement involving the Estilette Pepper Farm in Louisiana, leading to a partnership with Adam Estilette and development of the cayenne-based sauce.
- 1896
Frank Tea and Spice Company is founded
[1]The company associated with the future Frank's RedHot brand is established in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Products and positioning
Mass-market American hot sauce centered on accessible cayenne-pepper heat, Buffalo-style flavor and broad culinary versatility.
Hot sauce · 1920
Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
The core Frank's RedHot product is a vinegar-forward cayenne-pepper sauce blended with garlic and spices. It is positioned for broad everyday use, including dipping, seasoning, cooking and finishing. The Original blend is reported at approximately 450 Scoville Heat Units, making it relatively mild compared with many specialty hot sauces.
Hot sauce
Frank's RedHot XTRA Hot
XTRA Hot is a hotter interpretation of the brand's cayenne-based sauce. It retains the recognizable vinegar and pepper profile while increasing the level of heat for consumers who want a stronger version of the core product. Reference material places it at approximately 2,000 Scoville Heat Units.
Buffalo wing sauce
Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce
The Buffalo wing sauce line is formulated for Buffalo-style chicken wings and related dishes. It extends the brand's most prominent culinary association into a prepared sauce format intended for coating, dipping and recipe use.
Licensed snack product · 2007
Frank's RedHot-flavored meat snacks
Thanasi Foods introduced licensed beef jerky and other meat snacks using Frank's RedHot flavor and branding. These products represented an extension from condiments into portable savory snacks.
Controversies
2021
McCormick recalls seasoning products over possible Salmonella contamination
McCormick announced a voluntary recall of specified McCormick and Frank’s RedHot seasoning products because of possible Salmonella contamination. The company said no illnesses had been reported in connection with the issue.
2021
McCormick recalls Italian seasoning and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning over possible Salmonella contamination
McCormick & Company initiated a voluntary recall of specified McCormick Italian Seasoning products and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning due to possible Salmonella contamination. The notice said no illnesses had been reported in connection with the issue. McCormick alerted customers and grocery outlets to remove affected products from shelves and distribution centers; consumers were advised to dispose of recalled products and could contact the company for a replacement or full refund.
Marketing campaigns
- Ethel television campaign
United States
A national television campaign featured Ethel, an irreverent elderly woman who described using Frank's RedHot across many foods. The advertisements often placed her before prestigious or formal figures and used a censored catchphrase to emphasize the sauce's versatility and bold personality. The campaign became one of the brand's most recognizable advertising devices and reinforced the idea that Frank's RedHot could be used on almost any savory dish.
Outcome. The campaign became one of the brand's most recognizable advertising devices and reinforced the idea that Frank's RedHot could be used on almost any savory dish.
Brand decisions
2017
McCormick acquisition of Frank's RedHotM&ABackground
Frank's RedHot was part of Reckitt Benckiser's food portfolio before McCormick pursued a major acquisition involving established condiment brands.
Action taken
McCormick completed the acquisition of Frank's RedHot and French's mustard in a reported $4.2 billion transaction.
Aftermath
Frank's RedHot became part of McCormick's global spices, seasonings and flavorings portfolio and continued as an active consumer brand.
Reported transaction value. $4.2 billion (2017)
2007
Licensed expansion into meat snacksProduct launchBackground
The brand sought an extension into adjacent savory-snack occasions beyond bottled sauces.
Action taken
Thanasi Foods began marketing Frank's RedHot-flavored beef jerky and other meat snacks under license.
Aftermath
The move demonstrated the brand's ability to transfer its flavor identity into packaged snack products, although the later status of the range is not established in the reference material.
1977
Sale to Durkee Famous FoodsM&ABackground
Frank's RedHot moved from its earlier company ownership into the Durkee Famous Foods business.
Action taken
Durkee Famous Foods acquired the brand.
Aftermath
The transaction began a sequence of ownership changes that later placed Frank's under Reckitt Benckiser and then McCormick.
Recent events
McCormick recalls seasoning products over possible Salmonella contamination[2]
Reported:
McCormick announced a voluntary recall of specified McCormick and Frank’s RedHot seasoning products because of possible Salmonella contamination. The company said no illnesses had been reported in connection with the issue.
McCormick recalls Italian seasoning and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning over possible Salmonella contamination[3]
Reported:
McCormick & Company initiated a voluntary recall of specified McCormick Italian Seasoning products and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning due to possible Salmonella contamination. The notice said no illnesses had been reported in connection with the issue. McCormick alerted customers and grocery outlets to remove affected products from shelves and distribution centers; consumers were advised to dispose of recalled products and could contact the company for a replacement or full refund.
Moe’s announces Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Queso Taco[4]
Reported:
Moe’s Southwest Grill announced the Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Queso Taco, a limited-time menu item planned to be available from July 9 through September 5. The taco combines a hard shell, a soft tortilla and buffalo queso.
Sources6 sources
- 1Frank's RedHoten.wikipedia.org
- 2McCormick recalls seasoning products over possible Salmonella contaminationklkntv.com
- 3McCormick recalls Italian seasoning and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning over possible Salmonella contaminationprnewswire.com
- 4Moe’s宣布推出Frank’s RedHot水牛城奶酪塔可restaurantnews.com
- 5McCormick recalls 3 products for possible Salmonella contamination | WBAL Baltimore Newswbal.com
- 6McCormick Recalls Seasoning Products Over Potential Salmonella Contamination; Here is the List of Items to Avoidhngn.com
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/franks-redhot · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled