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The Sauce Up chili crisp 3-pack includes their Original, Extra Spicy, and White Truffle — all 6 oz jars, all built on a grapeseed oil base, all handmade in New York City. I reviewed each one individually. This post is about what’s actually in the box and which jar to open first.
If you want the full breakdown on any of these, the individual reviews go deep: Original, Extra Spicy, White Truffle.
What’s in the Box
| Variety | Heat | What Sets It Apart | Price (Solo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Mild | Balanced umami base, good crunch, no surprises | $14.99 |
| Extra Spicy | Hot | Same base, slow-building burn that lingers | $14.99 |
| White Truffle | Medium | Truffle layer adds complexity the others lack | $17.99 |
The 3-pack runs $47.47 on Amazon — that’s $15.82 per jar. You save a couple bucks on the White Truffle but pay a small premium over buying the Original or Extra Spicy individually.
The Common Thread
Open all three jars and they look nearly identical. Bits of fried shallot and garlic sitting among finely ground spices in a deep red grapeseed oil. The ingredient lists are almost pound for pound the same — dried red chilies, coconut sugar, fried shallot, white sesame seed, fried garlic, Himalayan pink salt, ground shiitake mushroom, ground seaweed, umami powder, ground ginger. That’s a genuinely interesting core build. The shiitake-seaweed-umami trio does real flavor work.
Settlement across all three sits around 70–75%, which is consistent and solid. The salt and coconut sugar create a noticeable mouthfeel in the oil — thicker than you’d expect, almost like wet sand when you stir. All three deliver good crunch. The bits are on the finer side, but they hold up.
One thing I noticed: the labels across all three jars have different font sizes, typos, and a mission statement that includes a sentence that doesn’t quite make sense. It’s clear nobody at Sauce Up expected anyone to read the label closely. I did.
How They Differ
Original
The baseline. Some sweetness from the coconut sugar, a lot of umami, and good crunch — but nothing that jumps out and grabs you. The heat is mild. The chili presence is more of a ground-powder warmth than anything you can identify as a specific pepper. Compared to Lao Gan Ma, you’re not getting that chili-forward punch. What you are getting is a pleasant, well-built chili crisp with a thicker mouthfeel than most. A good mixing candidate — add it to a jar that needs more substance or some extra umami. Full review here.
Extra Spicy
Same foundation as the Original with the heat cranked up. Sweetness hits up front, then the burn arrives on the back end — a slow build that sits in the whole mouth and lingers. Not a Sichuan tingle. Not a fruity pepper burn. Just straight, high-end dried chili heat. The crunch and umami are still there underneath, but the heat overshadows them. I wish the heat showed up a little sooner so everything could land together. If you like spice, this delivers. If you don’t, the Original gives you the same base without the fireworks. Full review here.
White Truffle
This is the one that separates itself. The ingredient list adds “truffle aroma” and white truffle to the base — and you can smell it the moment you open the jar. The truffle pairs naturally with the umami, shiitake, and seaweed already in the mix. It’s not one of those truffle products where truffle is all you taste. It adds a layer of complexity that the Original and Extra Spicy don’t have — the ultimate umami pairing. Heat sits at medium. Not too sweet, not too spicy. Would hold up nicely on food. Full review here.
If you’ve tried Momofuku’s Black Truffle Chili Crunch or Sabatino’s Calabrian Truffle Crunch, the Sauce Up takes a different approach — grapeseed oil instead of vegetable or olive oil, a finer grind on the bits, and a more subtle truffle presence that lets the chili crisp do its thing.
Which One to Grab First
White Truffle. It’s the best jar in the box. The truffle adds something the other two can’t match, and it’s balanced enough to work on almost anything.
Original is the safe second pick — a solid, mild chili crisp that won’t challenge anyone. Good on eggs, rice, noodles. A dependable condiment.
Extra Spicy is for the heat seekers. If that’s you, you already know.
Is the Sauce Up Chili Crisp 3-Pack Worth It?
The math: three jars at $47.47 versus buying them individually ($14.99 + $14.99 + $17.99 = $47.97). You save fifty cents. This isn’t a deep discount pack — it’s a convenience buy.
The real value is getting to taste all three side by side. If you’ve never tried Sauce Up, the pack lets you figure out which variety you’d actually repurchase. And based on the similarities between the Original and Extra Spicy, you’ll probably narrow it down to two pretty quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Sauce Up 3-pack worth it?
The 3-pack costs $47.47 on Amazon versus $47.97 buying all three individually — so the savings are minimal. The real value is getting to taste all three side by side and figuring out which variety you’d actually repurchase. If you’ve never tried Sauce Up, the pack is a good introduction.
What’s the difference between Sauce Up Original and Extra Spicy?
The ingredient lists are nearly identical. The main difference is heat — the Original is mild with a subtle warmth, while the Extra Spicy delivers a slow-building, lingering burn that dominates the back end. Flavor-wise, they share the same umami-forward, coconut sugar-sweetened base.
Which Sauce Up chili crisp should I try first?
The White Truffle. It’s the most distinctive jar in the lineup — the truffle adds a layer of complexity that the Original and Extra Spicy don’t have. It’s balanced enough to work on almost anything and represents what Sauce Up does best.
Are Sauce Up chili crisps vegan and gluten-free?
Yes. All three varieties — Original, Extra Spicy, and White Truffle — are vegan, gluten-free, and paleo. They contain no MSG, no dairy, and no preservatives. All three contain sesame. The Original is also labeled soy-free and keto-friendly.
Where can I buy the Sauce Up chili crisp 3-pack?
The 3-pack is available on Amazon and directly from the Sauce Up NYC website at sauceupnyc.com. Individual jars are also sold separately on Amazon.
How spicy is Sauce Up Extra Spicy chili crisp?
It’s legitimately hot. The heat is a slow build — sweetness and umami arrive first, then the burn kicks in on the back end and lingers. It’s not a Sichuan tingle or a fruity pepper heat — it’s a straight, high-end dried chili burn that sits in the whole mouth. If you have a low heat tolerance, the Original or White Truffle are better starting points.
Does Sauce Up chili crisp contain MSG?
No. All three varieties are labeled as containing no MSG. The umami flavor comes from ground shiitake mushroom, ground seaweed, and what the label calls ‘umami powder’ or ‘ground umami’ — naturally derived sources rather than added monosodium glutamate.