Spicy Foods You'll Want to Make

These dishes do justice to chile peppers of every variety from jalapenos to Scotch bonnets. Flavorful spices like cumin, paprika and chile pepper add heat to dinners, snacks and even a dessert.

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Pretzel-Crusted Pickle Chips with Mustard Sauce

Turn basic pickles into a snack with a kick. Coat them in pretzel crumbs and serve with a mustard, paprika and garlic powder mayo.

Get the Recipe: Pretzel-Crusted Pickle Chips with Mustard Sauce

AB's Chili Powder

A batch of Alton Brown's chili powder can be stored in the pantry for up to six months. It features a blend of ancho chiles, cascabel chiles, dried arbol chiles, cumin seeds, garlic powder, dried oregano and smoked paprika.

Get the Recipe: AB's Chili Powder

Spicy Mint Beef

Giada De Laurentiis balances the heat of the Thai chiles (such as prik kee noo) and chili paste that this steak cooks in with sweet soy sauce and fresh mint leaves.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Mint Beef

Chile-Lime Cucumbers

Turn Kirby cucumbers into spicy spears perfect for snacking by tossing them with dried arbol chiles and dried guajillo chiles.

Get the Recipe: Chile-Lime Cucumbers

Braised Pork Tacos

Rachael Ray adds chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to her braising liquid before stirring in shredded pork shoulder. When you're ready to serve, put the chipotle pulled pork on a platter and garnish with pickled onions and pickled jalapeno slices. Serve with shredded cabbage, crumbled cheese and tortillas for wrapping.

Get the Recipe: Braised Pork Tacos

Latin Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Jalapeno Relish and Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Add Mexican chorizo to your burger mixture — there's a bit of paprika in the meat that will add a nice spice. Add adobo, a blend of spices you can get at the supermarket, which will give depth and color to the finished burger.

Get the Recipe: Latin Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Jalapeno Relish and Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Spicy Broccoli

Whisk mayonnaise with Sriracha and lemon juice for a simple steamed-broccoli topping.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Broccoli

Quick Spicy Kimchee

Tyler Florence turns napa cabbage into a spicy kimchee with the help of hot chili paste. The kimchee gets spicier the longer it sits, so you can add or subtract chili paste to your taste.

Get the Recipe: Quick Spicy Kimchee

Steak with Spicy Olive Pesto

Add red pepper flakes to parsley and olive pesto and you'll turn a classic steak dinner into a meal with quite the kick.

Get the Recipe: Steak With Spicy Olive Pesto

Spicy Sicilian Chicken

Bake bone-in chicken thighs over a bed of dried chiles like cayenne or arbol plus a few additional ingredients and roast until the skin is crisp and golden.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Sicilian Chicken

Scallion Pancakes

Tyler dips homemade scallion pancakes in a spicy sauce that features soy sauce, rice vinegar and hot chili paste like Sriracha. It's balanced by just a bit of sugar and some toasted sesame oil.

Get the Recipe: Scallion Pancakes

Salsa de Arbol

Before adding dried arbol chiles to this smoky salsa, Aarón Sánchez toasts them in a dry skillet for a few minutes before covering with boiling water and soaking. The chiles and their soaking water are added to the other salsa ingredients before being blended.

Get the Recipe: Salsa De Arbol

Blackened Trout with Spicy Kale

Add a few dashes of Louisiana-style green hot sauce to sauteed kale for just the right amount of kick for a green side dish.

Get the Recipe: Blackened Trout with Spicy Kale

Jalapeno Margaritas

Make your own jalapeno tequila by mixing a sliced seeded jalapeno and tequila in a glass and letting it stand for one hour. Combine the jalapeno tequila with fresh lime juice, orange-flavored liqueur and superfine sugar for a spicy take on the traditional cocktail.

Get the Recipe: Jalapeno Margaritas

Smoked Jerk Chicken Wings with Spicy Honey-Tamarind Glaze

Bobby Flay adds a Scotch bonnet pepper to the brine for these wings before letting them sit in the fridge for up to 8 hours. Dip them in a sweet honey glaze to temper the spiciness of the meat.

Get the Recipe: Smoked Jerk Chicken Wings With Spicy Honey-Tamarind Glaze

Vegetable and Shrimp Frito Misto with Harissa Mayonnaise

The tender, golden crust gives an addictive crunch to your favorite vegetables. Serve with subtly spicy harissa mayonnaise for a dip that's irresistible as a first course.

Get the Recipe: Vegetable and Shrimp Frito Misto with Harissa Mayonnaise

Spicy Mushrooms

Broil plum tomatoes with seeded jalapenos for a sweet and spicy sauce to complement sauteed mushrooms.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Mushrooms

Spicy Cumin Fries

Add spice to frozen crinkle-cut fries by tossing them with dried red chiles, whole cumin seeds and Sichuan peppercorns.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Cumin Fries

Fried Chicken and Artichokes With Salsa Brava

Serve crispy fried chicken and artichokes with a spice-filled pepper salsa.

Get the Recipe: Fried Chicken and Artichokes with Salsa Brava

Sandra's Maple Glazed Chicken With Roasted Country Vegetables

Serve Sandra's glazed chicken with mustard-coated veggies.

Get the Recipe: Maple Glazed Chicken with Roasted Country Vegetables

Rachael's Red Pork Posole With Pickled Onions and Queso Fresco

Rachael's make-ahead meal is chock full of chile peppers, jalapeno peppers and even Fresno peppers.

Get the Recipe: Red Pork Posole with Pickled Onions and Queso Fresco

Peach-Ginger Tart

This 20-minute tart tosses sliced peaches with brown sugar and ground ginger for a dessert with a bite.

Get the Recipe: Peach-Ginger Tart

Spicy Lentil Soup

Combine lentils with chile pepper, ginger, garlic and turmeric for a spicy and warming meal. Serve with naan.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Lentil Soup

Thai Chicken Soup

This easy Thai soup is chock-full of tender chicken, rice noodles and sweet bell peppers. The comforting broth gets a creamy boost from rich coconut milk, and the green curry paste adds a satisfying dose of heat.

Get the Recipe: Thai Chicken Soup

Grilled Red Chile-Buttermilk Brined Chicken with Spicy Mango-Honey Glaze

Bobby uses a buttermilk brine to ensure tenderness and moisture in his chicken. Brush the grilled breasts with a sweet and spicy marinade during the last few minutes of cooking.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Red Chile-Buttermilk Brined Chicken With Spicy Mango-Honey Glaze

Classic Tortilla Soup

Cook tomatoes, onions and a dried chile in a dry cast-iron skillet until they are a bit black to give your soup smoky flavor and depth. Add a tortilla to the blended soup to thicken it and give it added flavor.

Get the Recipe: Classic Tortilla Soup

Hot-Pepper Wings

These zesty wings are the ultimate party snack, and best of all, they require only 10 minutes of prep work. They're baked at high heat, then tossed in green hot sauce and butter, then baked again to ensure crispy texture. Top the finished wings with scallions and pickled jalapeno for extra heat and crunch.

Get the Recipe: Hot-Pepper Wings

Spicy Cilantro-Scallion Salad

This salad is both beautiful and healthy, thanks to a variety of greens. A serrano chile adds heat to the dish while an English cucumber gives it crunch.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Cilantro-Scallion Salad

Spicy Chorizo Pockets

Chorizo is naturally spicy, and these loaded pockets amp up the heat even further with the help of cumin, pickled jalapeno and Monterey Jack cheese.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Chorizo Pockets

Spicy Watercress with Ginger

Toss fresh watercress in a simple dressing of peanut oil, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar and, most importantly, Sriracha, for a satisfying hint of heat.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Watercress With Ginger

Spicy Micheladas

This traditional Mexican cocktail is made extra spicy with a dash of adobo sauce. Top it off with cold, dark Mexican beer and you'll be amazed by the refreshing combination.

Get the Recipe: Spicy Micheladas

Sweet and Spicy Short Ribs

Apple butter is the secret ingredient to these fall-apart-tender short ribs. Ancho chile powder brings just the right amount of heat to balance the sweetness.

Get the Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Short Ribs

Moroccan Red Harissa Chicken

Rachael turns the classic condiment harissa into a full-on sauce. She simmers boneless chicken thighs in a chili sauce of mild peppers and sweet peppers. Add a chunk of ginger root and a cinnamon stick to really bring out the flavors of the dish.

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