Dave’s Hot Chicken Sauces Ranked: Mildest to Hottest
Dave’s spice levels get most of the attention, but the sauces do real work too — especially if you’re trying to turn the heat up or down without changing your order at the counter. Here’s how the five dips actually rank, mildest to hottest, and which one to reach for depending on how spicy you’re already going.
Heat ratings below reflect Dave’s own menu labeling, since the brand doesn’t publish Scoville numbers for its sauces. See our full sauces guide for flavor, calories and pricing on each.
The Ranking: Mildest to Hottest
- Cheese Sauce — Mild. Warm, rich and savory, with no real heat at all. The safest dip on the menu, and a good call if you’re already at Hot or above and want a break.
- Dave’s Sauce — Mild. Creamy, tangy, with a hint of smoke. This is the house sauce for a reason, and it won’t add any noticeable heat to your order.
- Mike’s Hot Honey — Medium. Sweet first, with a spicy kick that shows up after. Works more like a flavor layer than a heat source.
- Spicy BBQ — Medium. Smoky-sweet with real heat behind it, closer to a classic hot BBQ than a pure chili burn.
- Reaper Ranch — Hot. The spiciest dip on the menu by a clear margin. Creamy ranch base with heat built in, named after the same Reaper that tops the spice-level scale.
Which Sauce Should You Pair With Your Spice Level?
The two heat sources — your spice level and your sauce — stack, so it’s worth thinking about them together instead of picking each one at random.
- No Spice or Lite Mild: Any sauce works, but Mike’s Hot Honey is a popular way to add flavor without real heat.
- Mild or Medium: Spicy BBQ adds heat without pushing you somewhere you didn’t plan to go.
- Hot or Extra Hot: Stick with Dave’s Sauce or Cheese Sauce if you want to cool things down between bites, since you’re already getting plenty of heat from the chicken.
- Reaper: Most people skip Reaper Ranch here — doubling up on two “hottest” items isn’t really stacking heat so much as testing your limits. If you’re going that far anyway, see our Reaper Challenge guide first.
Can You Combine Sauces?
Most locations will let you order extra sauces on the side for an additional charge, so mixing — say, Spicy BBQ on tenders and Dave’s Sauce on the side for fries — is usually fine. Availability and extra-sauce policy can vary by location, so it’s worth asking before you order if it matters to you.
FAQ
What’s the spiciest sauce at Dave’s Hot Chicken?
Reaper Ranch. It’s the only sauce Dave’s labels “Hot,” and it’s built around the same Carolina Reaper heat used in the Reaper spice level.
Is Mike’s Hot Honey actually spicy?
It’s milder than it sounds. The sweetness comes first, and the heat is more of an aftertaste than a punch — closer to Medium than a true hot sauce.
What sauce should I get if I don’t like spicy food at all?
Cheese Sauce or Dave’s Sauce. Neither adds meaningful heat, so they’re safe even if you’re ordering No Spice chicken.
Bottom Line
If heat is the goal, Reaper Ranch is the only sauce that actually delivers it — everything else on the menu is built more around flavor than burn. Pair your sauce with your spice level rather than picking both at random, and you’ll get a meal that’s spicy on purpose instead of by accident.
