36 Spicy Recipes That Really Bring the Heat

For those who absolutely love spicy food, you have to try these incredible recipes that are sure to set your taste buds ablaze!

Spice can be hard to handle for some, but some of the most delicious dishes are packed full of it! So, grab a glass of milk and give one of these 36 spicy recipes a shot. You might discover your next favorite food!

1. Spicy Touchdown Chili

This Spicy Touchdown Chili was made to be enjoyed on game day! Cool weather, football and this recipe really are the perfect combination.

Made with standard chili ingredients and an extra spicy kick, this chili recipe is bound to get you fired up. Whether you’re eating dinner before the big game or bringing a dish to the local tailgate, this recipe will always be a winner.

2. Spicy Shrimp with Rice

This delicious recipe makes for a light lunch while still packing a punch!

This Spicy Shrimp with Rice dish features juicy shrimp that are seasoned well with garlic, pepper, and hot sauce for a brilliantly spicy meal in a bowl. Place the shrimp on a bed of fluffy rice and you have yourself the perfect lunch.

3. Spicy Corned Beef Tacos

Is your pantry looking a bit bare? Well, not to worry! These Spicy Corned Beef Tacos are perfect for making great use of leftovers!

These fun tacos are so easy to make and are deliciously spicy. You can turn any leftovers or unused food into a fantastic meal.

4. Spicy Crab Salad Tapas

For a spicy, bite-sized snack you can serve at your next party, try this Spicy Crab Salad Tapas recipe!

These little pastries are absolutely delicious. They are filled with sweet crab meat that is perfectly creamy with a spicy kick to the sauce. They are amazing to bite into and are sure to please your guests who are looking for a spicy snack.

5. Spicy Chicken and Bacon Mac and Cheese

Get ready for the ultimate mac and cheese for spice lovers! 

This Spicy Chicken and Bacon Mac and Cheese recipe is packed full of smoked bacon, rotisserie chicken, jalapenos, and spicy cheese. We are certain that this mac and cheese will be the best you’ve ever made! 

Both creamy and spicy, this dish is bound to satisfy your need for amazing flavor and spicy heat.

6. Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

This Spicy Cheeseburger Soup is incredible for a quick family meal that’s still packed full of flavor!

This creamy and spicy soup is warmed by plenty of cayenne pepper and made delicious with all the ingredients you’d find in your favorite cheeseburger recipe. 

With the addition of a few side dishes, like a crusty garlic baguette, this soup can be a full meal for you and your family to enjoy.

7. Spicy Cajun Potato Salad

What a great dish for a cook-out! This Spicy Cajun Potato Salad is a perfect accompaniment to your BBQ spread or a show-stopping dish to bring to your neighbor’s get-together.

This flavorful spin on a traditional potato salad is a great side dish that everyone will enjoy. The Cajun spices give the dish the heat you like without being too overwhelming. 

8. Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Chicken

This Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Chicken combines sweet flavors and spicy heat perfectly!

It includes peach preserves for a touch of sweetness, and the tasty taco seasoning we all love gives the dish an extra kick. All of these flavors come together remarkably well with tender chicken and hot salsa.

9. Spicy Turkey Quesadillas

This recipe is the perfect way to eat your Thanksgiving leftovers!

These Spicy Turkey Quesadillas breathe new life into your Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce from the day before. It’s an easy dish that is rounded out with deliciously creamy full-fat cream cheese.

Give this dish a try and taste the bold and spicy flavors of these post-holiday quesadillas.

10. Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno Poppers

These delicious Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno Poppers are a great way to kick off your party buffet!

They are so simple to make and just take a little preparation before you need to bake and serve them. 

These jalapeno poppers are great for those who don’t have the highest spice tolerance but still have a good enough kick to satisfy your need for heat! The best part is that these snacks are wrapped in bacon! What more could you ask for?

11. Spicy Tomato Pork Chops

Simmered in spicy tomato sauce, these Spicy Tomato Pork Chops are rich in flavor and leave a fiery taste in your mouth!

This dish is made spicy with a mixture of garlic powder and Cajun seasoning that’s used to brown the pork chops. Doing this gives this recipe that extra spicy punch that you’re looking for!

12. Spicy Veggie Pasta Bake

This recipe is perfect for vegetarians looking to add a bit of spice to their meals!

This Spicy Veggie Pasta Bake recipe is especially tasty when made in a cast-iron skillet. It’s packed full of vegetables and pasta, making for a satisfying meal. You can use it to spice up dinnertime or to provide a vegetarian option at your next BBQ!

13. Spicy Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry

There’s nothing like a good stir-fry, especially when it’s nice and spicy!

This Spicy Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry is a great way to experiment with spice and heat. You can adapt this recipe easily to suit your preferences, whether it’s mildly hot or all-out spicy!

If you do want to tone down the spice, you can add a splash of coconut milk and a squeeze of lime. Now that sounds tasty!

14. Spicy Goulash

You can spice up any goulash recipe with a few extra ingredients!

This recipe for Spicy Goulash adds ground cumin, chili powder, and Mexican diced tomatoes to the traditional recipe for a dish with an extra punch. It tastes incredible after a long session in the slow cooker, so why not cook it overnight? You won’t be disappointed!

15. Spicy Lemon Chicken Kebabs

These Spicy Lemon Chicken Kebabs are perfect in the summer and are packed full of refreshing and spicy flavors.

This recipe is easy and even better when cooked on a grill! The taste of grilled lemons adds a stunning smoky tang that lifts up the spiciness of the chicken. These kebabs are brilliant finger food for your next cook-out!

16. Spicy Refried Beans

This recipe is brilliant for a quick appetizer at your next dinner. These Spicy Refried Beans are bound to go down a fiery treat!

All you need for this recipe is a can of refried beans, jalapeno peppers, seasoning, and cheese. It’s that simple! Serve with tortilla chips to use as an edible spoon with these beans!

17. Isan-Style Thai Sliced-Steak Salad

This stunning Isan-Style Thai Sliced-Steak Salad is a brilliantly spicy meal and also healthy!

Garlic and chillies are used to make this salad’s spicy dressing, which is then tossed with tender steak, tomatoes, onions, and fried lemongrass.

This dish is the perfect summer meal and is surprisingly refreshing despite the fiery temperature!

18. Korean Spicy Pork with Chillies and Kimchi

It’s simple to make this Spicy Pork with Chillies and Kimchi dish the Korean way!

Thin strips of pork are quickly cooked in a wok with fresh Korean green chili pepper, onion, scallion, and chili paste after spending a few hours marinating in a mixture of chili paste, garlic, Asian pear, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. 

A hefty serving of kimchi is also added to the mix, just to make sure you really work up a sweat!

19. Grilled Mexican Chorizo with Spicy Tomato Caper Sauce

We adore this recipe for Grilled Mexican Chorizo with Spicy Tomato Caper Sauce for a quick meal that is bursting with flavor!

Your kitchen won’t become a hotbox because most of the work is done on the grill, even for the sauce. While your kitchen won’t get too hot, your mouth just might!

20. Wontons in Hot and Sour Vinegar and Chili Oil Sauce

These Wontons in Hot and Sour Vinegar and Chili Oil Sauce are absolutely to die for!

These parcels are stuffed with pork, scallions, and garlic, and served with a fiery sauce made from chilies, peppercorns, and sweet Chinkiang vinegar. Now that’s a flavor sensation if we’ve ever seen one!

This dish is so easy to make with store-bought wonton skins, so you can take all the hassle out of making this amazing recipe.

21. Kofte Lamb Kebabs

Made with moist minced meat and tons of spices, these Kofte Lamb Kebabs are a brilliant dish for you to try at your next BBQ!

Cumin, coriander, ginger, and fresh herbs are mixed with the minced meat so the kebabs are flavored completely throughout! Pair them with some deliciously spicy but cool harissa yogurt sauce for a perfectly balanced, flavorful meal.

22. Extra Crispy Fried Chicken with Caramelized Honey and Spice

This fried chicken recipe really is the greatest of all time! If you’re serious about fried chicken, then you need to give this dish a try.

This Extra Crispy Fried Chicken with Caramelized Honey and Spice recipe leaves you with perfectly crunchy chicken, while still keeping the meat moist and juicy. With a drizzle of honey butter and a coating of spice, this final product is fried chicken that is all parts sweet, rich, and spicy!

23. Kung-Pao Chicken

Make a homemade take-out meal with this Kung-Pao Chicken recipe! 

This amazing chicken dish is potently spicy thanks to the toasted Sichuan peppercorns and chili bean paste in this recipe. The result is an incredibly fiery dish that can numb the taste buds. You’ll be putting your local Chinese take-out to shame with this dish!

24. Spicy Thai Duck Salad

Duck is a wonderful meat with its moist and smoky flavors. And it works perfectly in this Spicy Thai Duck Salad dish!

This salad is made with sweet pineapple, refreshing cilantro, strong red onion, and nutty cashews, which complement the tender duck meat incredibly well.

Topped off with a tangy dressing made with sesame, lime, fish sauce, and Thai chillies, you’re left with an absolute winner of a meal!

25. Vegan Dan Dan Noodles

These Vegan Dan Dan Noodles are brilliant and have unlimited potential! This versatile recipe is usually made with pork, but if you substitute the meat with fried mushrooms, you have an amazing vegan meal that’s a delicious, healthy alternative.

The fried mushrooms that have been marinated in chili oil sauce are incredibly tasty and still provide meat-eaters with a pork-like texture. This quick and simple dish can be made in just twenty minutes and is great if you want a fast and spicy lunch.

26. Penne Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce

This Penne Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce is a well-loved Italian classic. It’s perfectly simple and easy to master with the right ingredients.

This Italian dish is usually made with al dente pasta tossed in basic tomato sauce and red pepper flakes. By all means, you can do this too! But why not spice it up with a bit of chili?

27. Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

This Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad recipe is packed full of vegetables, giving the dish some crunch alongside the soft texture of the noodles. 

This noodle dish can be served hot or cold, it’s completely up to you! Made with cucumber, pepper, and bean sprouts and topped with fresh herbs and a rich peanut sauce, this dish will definitely end up being one of your favorites! 

For a meal that’s sweet, spicy, and salty, give this delicious recipe a try!

28. Spicy Chicken Pad Thai

Add some extra spice at dinner time with this Spicy Chicken Pad Thai recipe!

This recipe is a twist on the traditional chicken pad thai recipe, using sriracha to add that extra spicy kick you’re looking for! For an even spicier dish, you can add some bird’s-eye chilis. That will really blow your mind!

This delicious recipe is balanced with brown sugar to even out the spices in this dish before you really start turning up the heat.

29. Alabama Firecrackers

For that mouth-numbing feeling, you have to try these addictive Alabama Firecrackers!

All you need for this amazing snack is a pack of saltines and some hot spices. You’ll really feel the heat after spicing up these crackers with chili pepper flakes and powdered ranch dressing mix.

They make a great party snack, but you’ll have to make sure you have plenty because we’re sure the bowl will be empty before you know it!

30. Crispy Chili Beef

This Crispy Chili Beef recipe is a surefire way to warm yourself up during the winter months.

Using thinly-sliced sirloin steak and a delicious spicy sauce, you can create an incredible meal that is sure to sate your hunger. Make sure you get that steak extra crispy before smothering it with as much sauce as you like!

31. Jambalaya

This Jambalaya dish is incredible and a hugely popular Creole dish. There are so many ways to make it, but this recipe is one that packs a real punch!

This recipe combines delicious proteins into one perfect dish. It contains andouille sausage, shrimp, and chicken, which are sure to satisfy your meat cravings!

The great thing about this dish is that it is completely customizable! You can throw in any meat you like, and you’ll still have a phenomenal meal with plenty of spice.

32. Spicy Chicken and Corn Chowder

We can all appreciate a nice chowder at any time of year. It is soothing and creamy, with the occasional sweetness!

This recipe for Spicy Chicken and Corn Chowder is particularly wonderful! After tasting this dish, nothing else will satisfy your yearning for something salty, spicy, and creamy!

It’s loaded with chicken, vegetables, and just the right amount of heat. You’ll undoubtedly gobble up every last bite!

33. Ropa Vieja

There are many fantastic authentic cuisines and home cooks who are skilled at using spices. That list includes this recipe!

Ropa Vieja is a Cuban dish and is regarded as being among the nation’s culinary traditions, and this recipe is a fantastic interpretation!

It’s a flavorful, spicy, and aromatic dish with beef as the lead ingredient.

Even though the ingredient list is lengthy and a little scary, any spice lover can recognize the good going on here.

34. One-Pot Spicy Eggs and Potatoes

If you’re looking for a savory breakfast dish that’s both flavorful and spicy, then look no further! This One-Pot Spicy Eggs and Potatoes recipe is sure to please.

It resembles shakshuka, a dish that involves poached eggs in a red sauce.

The distinction is that the sauce also includes kale, potatoes, goat cheese, and a large dose of ancho chili.

It is slightly rustic, garden-fresh, and utterly irresistible.

35. Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wings

When you want spicy cuisine, buffalo wings are probably the first thing that comes to mind. These Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wings are ideal for you if that’s the case. They are mouthwatering, savory, juicy, and an absolute classic!

Better yet, this dish requires only three ingredients and 30 minutes of your time, making it the pinnacle of perfection. 

The finger-licking spicy sauce is to die for! You won’t be disappointed with these chicken wings.

36. Spicy Baked Salmon

Salmon is delicious whatever way you make it, but this recipe really makes it shine!

This Spicy Baked Salmon recipe is simple and quick to make once you find the right balance of ingredients in that all-important rub. To suit your tastes, you should start with brown sugar and chipotle, adding more spice as you see fit!

This recipe brings out all the fantastic flavors of salmon. It’s fresh, zesty, and can be as spicy as you want it to be. There’s no better way to cook this versatile fish.

Final Thoughts

With these spicy recipes, you’ll be able to create a fantastic dish that will satisfy your need for heat. Give one of them a try and see if you can handle the spice!