We’ve all heard of Wingstop—a chain of restaurants famous for their fiery array of flavors in the form of chicken sandwiches, tenders and (you guessed it) chicken wings. If you’ve dipped your tastebuds into their burning cuisine and still thirst for more heat, but are unsure what to get, here’s a flavor you need to check out: Original Hot! Grab your capsaicin-soothing milk and come explore this signature taste.
Original Hot is arguably the most classic Wingstop flavor. When people think of Wingstop, they usually think of Original Hot. It’s a great starter (whether bone-in, boneless or on a sandwich) for all the spice-lovers out there and a great way to test out if you can take the other variations of heat Wingstop has to offer.
“I’m not very into spicy food so I was pretty scared to try [Original Hot]. It was red and scary,” Ansar Abdulkadir (10) said. “I realized I liked it after I ate it though. That’s a first for me!”
Original Hot has a moderate level of spice, rating approximately a 3 on a five-point scale for heat. But careful—don’t be fooled and think you can handle this easy-peasy. This may not be the spiciest thing on the menu, but it’s definitely not a walk in the park either!
When you take a bite of an Original Hot flavored wing, you don’t taste a sharp spice right away like you do with most fiery flavors. Rather, a warm heat blossoms and lingers there, lighting a cozy bonfire in your mouth. The heat combined with tangy undertones creates a satisfying finish after every bite, which will leave you drooling for more.
“When I took my first bite, I just wanted to take another one and another one,” Mohamed Ahmed (10) said. “Because the thirst I got from eating [Original Hot] literally made me thirsty for more of its heat, bro.”The heat level of Original Hot is not overwhelming or overpowering and leaves you with a peppery, satisfying simmer.
Even better, if you’re the type of person who loves bathing your fast food in sauce, you’ll love Wingstop’s ranch paired with the Original Hot flavor. It balances that hot tartness with a cool layer that keeps you and your taste buds calm.
When I tried Original Hot, I found I liked it best within a sandwich because of Wingstop’s signature toasted bun. The bun distracted me from the sharp, juicy edge of the spice with a neutral taste that pleasantly contrasted the burn. In addition, the bun was soft and squishy compared to the chicken and satisfying to swallow.
“If we’re talking about which one tastes better with [Wingstop’s ranch],” former CHHS student Leya De Jesus said, “then obviously the chicken sandwich version wins across all boards.”
If you want to challenge your taste buds but don’t want an overbearingly spicy flavor, Original Hot (especially in its sandwich form) is for you. If you like this flavor (and even if you don’t), go explore more of Wingstop’s catalog! There are a wide range of flavors and combos available that don’t just focus on their brand identity, which is heat. If you lean more into piquancy, Wingstop has it. If you lean more into the heat, Wingstop has it! There’s always a flavor for you, at Wingstop.
Local Wingstop locations include Brooklyn Center, Roseville and in Minneapolis on the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities campus.
