Repeat customers are invaluable assets. After all, they have stronger purchase intent towards your products, they’re an easier sell, and they provide word-of-mouth referrals. But how can you convince the same consumer to return to your sauces over and over again? Focus on crafting compelling flavors that fit your consumers’ daily lifestyles – simple yet adventurous, nostalgic yet cool, and versatile enough to suit many applications. Develop a sauce portfolio that includes a variety of crave-able flavors to suit every meal and moment. Create idea-igniting sauces to help your consumers when they’re pacing in the kitchen, scratching their heads, trying to figure out their weekly meal plan. This year, make your private label sauce portfolio soar with our mouth-watering summer sauce ideas and exciting flavor combinations. From boldly spicy and sweet heat creations to sauces ideal for salads, bowls, and cooking applications, Giraffe Foods can help you give your customers their flavor fix.
Tongue-Tingling Hot Sauces
Spicy-food lovers will add hot sauce to just about anything: eggs, burgers, salads, soups, wings, stir fry, seafood – even ice cream! The perfect hot sauce doesn’t just add heart-racing heat; it’s also packed with exciting flavors to satisfy consumers’ tastebuds. The culinary experts at Giraffe Foods can help you explore trending peppers and fiery custom flavor solutions, snagging your brand a unique spot in the grocery store.
With just three trending peppers – sriracha, habanero, and cayenne – you can achieve endless flavor combinations that lend themselves well to meals that are undeniably delicious yet require little prep time:
- Jazz up your fan-favorite pizza with a side of hot-and-spicy dipping sauce, or drizzle the sauce on top. Add some zesty heat to the comforting crust and ooey-gooey cheese.
- Picture a crispy chicken or cauliflower sandwich topped with coleslaw and your signature hot sauce. Did you know that ongoing “chicken sandwich wars” at quick-service restaurants has led to a dramatic increase in spicy menu items? They grew 61% between 2019 and 2022. (Mintel 2022)
- Dollop hot sauce onto a juicy burger, taking it from comforting classic to gotta-have-this delicacy.
- For a healthier option, consider baked chicken accompanied by fresh summer veggies. Give this nutritious meal a punch of flavor and heat with a custom hot sauce!
Now let’s take a look at some of these enticing hot sauce ideas . . .
Sriracha Hot Sauces – Smoky Sriracha, Spicy Sriracha, Sriracha Mayo
Habanero Hot Sauces – Spicy Habanero Hot Sauce, Habanero Roasted-Red Pepper Sauce, Habanero Aioli
Cayenne Hot Sauces – Nashville Hot Sauce, Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce, Louisiana Hot Sauce
Looking for more pepper-powered flavor inspiration for your next LTO or product launch? Get more ideas here —
‘Top Hot Sauces for the 2023 Culinary Landscape‘
Sweet + Spicy = Swicy
Satisfy your consumer’s sweet tooth and craving for heat all at once with swicy sauces. The sweet heat of these irresistible sauces can give a flavorful boost to all sorts of dishes, both savory and sweet. Plus, the marriage of hot and sweet flavors appeals to a variety of consumers, with 45% of poultry eaters, 45% of pork eaters, 38% of beef eaters, and 34% of plant-based protein eaters expressing interest. (Mintel) Take your customers on a swicy journey with our sauce ideas:
- Sweet Chili Thai Sauce: Whether drizzled atop pizza or acting as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, this tantalizingly sweet sauce is also powerfully spicy.
- Szechuan Sauce: This thick, dark sauce, richly flavored with toasted spices, adds warmth and heat. Use it as a dip for momos or wontons, or stir it into fried rice or stir-fry noodles.
- Asian Sweet Chili Sauce: Sweet and savory, incorporating red chilis, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and a dash of sugar, this sauce works as a glaze for chicken wings or a drizzle for salmon filets. Addictive!
Bowl’em Over with Versatile Custom Sauces
A favorite of Millennials and Gen Z but a hit with all age demographics, bowls are incredibly versatile and can be as simple or sumptuous as you like. They’re a great option for the plant-based and gluten-free crowds. Plus, they’re just as delectable in the morning as they are at dinnertime! You might view them as a cousin to salads, as they’re often similarly crunchy, nutritious, and teeming with fresh produce. Trending ingredients include tortilla chips, cotija cheese, pepper jack, pita bread, wonton noodles, jalapeno peppers, black beans, and lime. (Mintel)
Both bowls and salads are excellent vehicles for flavorful sauces and dressings. These lively summer sauces and dreamy dressings can make winning accompaniments to your new menu items, whether those are bowls, salads, or even wraps!
- Sesame Miso
- Tahini
- Chipotle Ranch
- Caesar Dressing
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Garden Herb Dressing
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Beetroot Dressing
Want to liven up your customers salads with globally inspired dressings and vinaigrettes? Read more here —
‘Summer Salad Dressings with Spice, Sass, and Global Flair‘
Cook Up Something Special
Help your consumers infuse their home-cooked meals with new taste experiences by developing flavor-packed, versatile sauces that can be used as dressings, drizzles, spreads, and more. Suggest serving and recipe ideas on the packaging – 61% of cooking and pasta sauce consumers would like more suggestions on packaging for extra ingredients to add to a sauce. These insights can guide consumers and provide valuable (and tasty) inspiration. Global flavors continue to play a crucial role in cooking sauces as well, giving a compelling flair to a variety of proteins and produce. Take a bite out of these tempting sauce ideas:
- Butter Chicken Cooking Sauce: A velvety, comforting, tomato-based sauce chock-full of dynamic spices, Butter Chicken Cooking Sauce is truly delectable. Use it as a classic curry, pour it over fries and cheese curds in a poutine, or slather it on pizza dough as a base.
- Korean BBQ Cooking Sauce: Packed with umami flavor, Korean BBQ Cooking Sauce pairs well with virtually every protein. Pork? Definitely. Chicken? Of course. Beef? Obviously. Salmon? Yes, seafood works too! In addition to its bold spiciness, it awakens a variety of sensorial experiences: sweet, salty, savory, and more. It can act as a marinade, glaze, or a dipping sauce – it’s endlessly versatile!
- Garlic Marinara Sauce: A tried-and-true classic with juicy tomatoes and fragrant garlic, Garlic Marinara Sauce is perfect for delicious pasta, of course. But you could also spread it on toast for bruschetta, use it as a base for pizza, or create a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks or toasted ravioli. Yum!
- Barbacoa Simmer Sauce: This authentic Mexican sauce features cumin, thyme, and oregano, but the star of the show is the spicy, richly colored guajillo chili. Use Barbacoa Simmer Sauce as a drizzle, sauce, or dip for tacos, burritos, and quesadillas – all your Mexican favorites!
By stocking your menu with familiar and popular sauces, you can ensure that your kitchen operations run smoothly and your customer experience is top-notch. Looking to develop some new sauces to add to your repertoire? The talented team of culinologists at Giraffe Foods can help you work with both simple and sophisticated flavors to push creative boundaries, help your customers experience new flavors, and develop versatile sauce ideas that will stand the test of time. Let us help you discover a world of delicious possibilities.