We took a bite of the 'world's hottest burger'

close

Video

Would you dare to try the 'hottest burger on earth'?

See how Lauren Blanchard reacts after taking a bite of the Hellfire burger

It's a burger so hot the devil himself might have trouble swallowing a bite.

The Hellfire Burger clocks in around 1,000,000 Scoville units and is packed with some of the spiciest peppers on the planet.

Loren Gingerich, owner of Xtreme Smokehouse and Grill in Washington, Iowa, created the burger as a lark, but it's become a popular item that's attracting brave diners from around the country.

“I thought I’d get one [order] a week, maybe a month,” said Gingerich. But there are so many people who want to brave the heat, he’s making four or more a day.

First, he infuses Ghost Peppers, one of the hottest peppers in the world, and spicy chili pepper extract into the raw burger patty.

Then it's grilled and topped with a slice of cheddar cheese.

Then he spoons a thick layer of his fresh pepper relish, made up of habanero, jalapeno, and serrano peppers (seeds included) onto the burger’s tomato, lettuce, and onion. Then he pours on a hearty ring of his special Hellfire sauce. Everything is then put on toasted buns.

Finally, Gingerich adds a splash of grain alcohol and lights it on fire  -- for an extra kick.

You have to be at least 18 years old to try it and sign a waiver and diners get a pair of goggles and gloves for extra protection.

You can tell when Gingerich is whipping up one of the devil burgers in the kitchen because fumes from the peppers sting employee’s throats and causes people to cough. Gingerich said he plans to buy gas masks to make cooking it a little less painful.

Gingerich says he’s got the world's hottest burger and submitted it to the Guinness Book of Records. He has to wait, because a new category would have to be created for his burger to be able to accurately measure how spicy it really is.

Right now, the Hellfire burger costs $12, but Gingerich plans to outdo himself and add Carolina Reaper peppers as soon as he can order them. He said that extra kick will bump the price of the burger up by a few dollars.

Hellfire Burger has been attracting people who want to see if their taste buds and stomach can handle the heat.

Mark McGoldrick, from Washington, D.C, made a special stop by the Xtreme Smokehouse for a taste. Only two bites in, he pushed the plate away.

“It’s got kick, but it also has a lot of flavor,” said McGoldrick.

Gingerich wants to make a new challenge in his restaurant: finishing the burger, plus a whole meal of Hellfire chili, and a salad with Hellfire-dressing. Winners would take home a cash prize, and if they lose, he’ll donate the money to SIDS research, a topic close to his heart and family.

Gingerich said he’s still working on the chili and salad, but once it’s ready he plans to challenge Jimmy Fallon to stop on by the Smokehouse to test out the spicy meal.