Hosting a Vegan Hot Ones Challenge for National Grill Month

Eric C Lindstrom, FARM’s Executive Director, survived all ten Hot Ones sauces (although he wasn’t smiling like this the whole time).

Setting Up a Scorching Vegan Wing Event

Of course, during the hottest heat wave in the past 250 years, we wanted to spend the Fourth of July hosting a Hot Ones Vegan Wing Eating Event, and it was very…hot. July also happens to be National Grill Month, (with International Chicken Wing Day on July 1st, and National Chicken Wing Day on July 29th) providing an ideal opportunity to host a vegan event and show pre-vegan friends just how tasty plant-based food can be. 

Ordering the Official Hot Ones Heatonist 10-Pack Sauce Sampler

To start things off, we needed to get our hands on the imminent hot sauce directly from the source and our great friend Scott generously made the purchase of the official “Hot Ones Official Hot Sauce 10-pack Sampler” (all vegan) from Heatonist. While $120 (free shipping) may seem steep, that’s only $12/sauce, and most of these will last a very, very long time (with some of these sauces, a “little dab will do ya'”). 

The order was placed, and we all waited patiently for the shipment to arrive. 

What is The Hot Ones Challenge?

Hot Ones is the hit interview series that proves even celebrities aren’t immune to a little culinary chaos. Hosted by Sean Evans, each guest answers questions while eating ten chicken wings, or plant-based alternatives when Woody Harrelson or Billie Eilish are on the show, coated in sauces that grow progressively hotter, from a mild kick to eye-watering, sweat-inducing infernos.

As the heat ramps up, polished interviews often give way to hilarious reactions, unexpected honesty, and unforgettable moments. It’s equal parts talk show, endurance challenge, and spicy spectacle, making it one of the Internet’s most entertaining food experiences.

Seeing the array of sauces in real life felt like a celebrity siting and we were all excited that they arrived in just a few days just as advertised.

10 Hot Sauces With Scoville Levels from Mild to Thermageddon

The Heatonist Hot Ones ten-pack included such spicy favorites as Garlic Delight (for the amateurs), Smoked Habanero & Peach (as things start to get interesting), Da Bomb (usually the turning point on the show), and ends with The Last Dab: Thermageddon (which has a Scoville Level so high they don’t even bother telling you what it is).

For comparison’s sake, a mild BBQ sauce might be 1,000 Scoville units, and the hottest sauce from Hot Ones is 2,000,000+, so we were in for a ride. 

Getting the Best Plant Based Wings from Lily’s Vegan Pantry

With the sauces in hand, the next step was securing the wings. Any vegan knows the best plant-based wings anywhere in the world are the oversized drummies exclusively from Lily’s Vegan Pantry (formerly May Wah) in Chinatown, New York City. Lucky for us, an Asian Market in Syracuse, NY, sells them, so one road trip later (with a stop at the famous Strong Hearts, which will sadly be closed later in July 2026), and we had a cooler full of ice to keep the precious cargo cold for the hour-long drive back to the office.

Chilling Out the Heat with Cold Vegan Dips & Sides

While our vegan courier fetched the wings, we whipped up a giant batch of plant-based Ranch and Bleu Cheese dressings for dipping (and made sure we had celery, watermelon, and vegan ice cream on hand in case of an emergency). 

Hot Ones Sauce Sampler: Check. Giant Vegan Drummies: Check. Ranch and Bleu Cheese: Check. The only missing ingredient was an excuse to pull vegans and pre-vegans together for a night of fiery fun!

Grilling Up Vegan Wings for the Hot Ones Challenge

Lucky for us, we know people, and these people were more than willing to take on the challenge in spite of the steamy, sticky summer heat. Thank you, Alex and Ange!

With the wings defrosted overnight, we gently bathed them for an hour in Spiedie sauce (a Binghamton, NY classic that’s perfect for marinating all plant-based foods) and made our way to the grill. Forty wings spent ten minutes over the flames on each side getting hot and crispy while sporting the signature grill marks.

Meanwhile, we took the time to read the informative insert provided with the wings to learn about the different flavor profiles and Scoville Levels of each sauce, while editing a short list of personal and provocative questions to ask along the way. The wings, the sauces, the dips, and the questions were all lined up, and it was time to begin.

Surviving the Journey to The Last Dab

And the journey started innocently enough. 

Garlic, pickled garlic, mustard, peaches, and tropical citrus lull you into a dangerous sense of confidence. “This isn’t so bad,” we all thought after the first few sauces, convinced we’d conquer the challenge. Then the peppers start flexing. 

The heat built from a friendly handshake to a firm slap across the face, with smoky habaneros, tongue-tingling Sichuan peppercorns, and fiery superhots reminding you that poor decisions often begin with overconfidence. And then…Da Bomb entered the room. 

This was the moment we all dreaded (except for Cody, one of our Brooklyn vegans who apparently poured #9 on his vegan breakfast burrito the next morning).

And this is the moment Hot Ones veterans know all too well. The point where conversations stop, dignity evaporates, and contestants suddenly become amateur meteorologists reporting on the climate inside their own mouths. Eyes water, noses run, life choices are questioned, and every nearby glass of plant-based milk or coconut ice cream starts looking like a priceless artifact. 

How Many Conquered the Vegan Hot Wings Challenge?

Out of our group of ten brave (or perhaps slightly misguided) adults, six conquered all ten sauces and earned lifelong bragging rights. The other four wisely tapped out before permanent emotional damage set in, watching the final rounds with equal parts admiration, disbelief, and relief that their mouths were no longer on fire.

Whether you’re chasing glory or just curious how much heat a human can reasonably endure, one thing is certain: the Hot Ones Challenge is unforgettable, and you’ll never look at a bottle of hot sauce quite the same way again.

Beth looks on as Laura outlines what’s about to go down.

Tips for Hosting Your Own Vegan Hot Ones Challenge Party

Want to host your own National Chicken Wing Month Hot Ones Challenge? Liliy’s Vegan Pantry ships from its online store, and the Season 30 Hot One sampler is all-vegan.