We Tried The New Knorr x Hot Ones Meals

What do spicy food and celebrity interview shows have in common? One thing: Hot Ones. The show is all about placing people of note in the “hot” seat and chatting them up as they make their way through varying levels of chicken wings, each spicier than the last. 

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Now, Hot Ones is teaming up with grocery brand Knorr to dish up some quick meals inspired by the famous flavors in the internet show. In the past, Hot Ones has collaborated with snack brands to unveil things like spicy pringles and hot Hot Pockets, but a whole spicy Hot Ones-inspired meal? Count me in. I got a chance to try the two new meals and here’s my honest opinion on their flavor and heat level.

Cheesy Cheddar Pasta

The Cheesy Cheddar Pasta is the spicier of the two meals, taking inspiration from the show’s most famous hot sauce: The Last Dab, i.e. the spiciest sauce of the bunch and the one celebrity guests must finish if they’re to make it through the whole round of wings. That being said, I expected to get a good roundhouse kick to the taste buds with this meal, and it didn’t disappoint. As a spicy food freak, I was surprised that it had me reaching for a cold glass of water to sip in between bites, so it certainly isn’t for those who think some pickled jalapeños on a sandwich are a step too far. 

In fact, the tangy, spicy flavor was intense enough that it kind of distracted from the cheesy sauce, making it read kind of bland on my taste buds. That is to say, instead of being integrated into the sauce and working with the cheddar flavor, the spiciness kind of sat on top of it and masked it. Maybe a sharper cheddar would have helped? Still, this is a hearty meal of tender noodles that are sufficiently sauced up—and hey, if you bring it to the office for lunch, you can pretty much guarantee it won’t be swiped.

Mexican Rice

The Mexican Rice was my favorite of the two meals by a longshot. For a spice level indicated as “medium,” it packed a pretty significant punch of heat, but not enough to stomp out all the other flavors in the rice. It was the kind of heat that gives you that famous spicy-food-induced invigorating rush without making you start to sweat bullets.

Garlicky notes were complemented by sweet and hot peppers to create a nicely balanced symphony. The heat level did a great job of accentuating the umami and tangy ingredients and bringing them to the forefront of the overall flavor. I ended up having to cook mine for an extra minute more than what the directions instructed, but the final result was a soft and slightly sticky textured rice that I absolutely loved. Pair this with some grilled chicken or use it as the base for a stir-fry and you’ve got dinner down pat.