60 of Our Favorite Spicy Recipes 

February 18, 2016
Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
These spicy recipes feature everything from chipotle peppers to the best homemade sriracha sauces you'll ever try. You'll be fanning the flames in no time with these untameable fiery flavors. 
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Spicy Hungarian Tilapia Stew

Photo: Squire Fox; Styling: Kaitlyn Du Ross 
Spicy Hungarian Tilapia Stew Recipe
Talk about packing some heat: This stew is fiery-fantastic, and we absolutely love it. You can alter the spiciness by using a milder pepper (such as banana pepper or Anaheim chile) or adjusting the amounts and types of paprika.
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Spicy Shrimp Noodles

Caitlin Bensel
Spicy Shrimp Noodles Recipe

These superfast bowls satisfy with filling brown rice noodles and fresh shrimp. If you can’t find brown rice noodles, substitute your favorite whole-grain linguine or fettuccine.

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Spicy Chorizo Monkey Bread

Time Inc. Video Studios 
Spicy Chorizo Monkey Bread Recipe

Slightly spicy, cheesy and rich, this savory twist on monkey bread is tender on the inside and crispy on top. Fresh chorizo can be found at the grocery store or Mexican market, and the drippings are a perfect binding agent in the bread. 

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Kickin' Orange-Glazed Chicken

Photo: Greg Dupree Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Kickin' Orange-Glazed Chicken Recipe
Don't be deceived, although citrusy-glazed, this kickin' chicken packs a major punch.

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White Bean and Chorizo Soup

Photo: Greg Dupree Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
White Bean and Chorizo Soup Recipe

Fresh chorizo sausage gives this soup its vibrant red-orange hue and fiery flavor.

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Spicy Zucchini Salad

Caitlin Bensel
Spicy Zucchini Salad Recipe

Fiber- and protein-packed chickpeas bulk up this late-summer salad.

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Spicy Eggplant With Plums

Caitlin Bensel
Spicy Eggplant With Plums Recipe

This combo of spicy char, sweet fruit, and creamy yogurt is a surefire hit. For a tasty swap, try halved pitted cherries in place of plums.

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Korean Steak Sandwiches

Photo: Annabelle Breakey
Korean Steak Sandwiches Recipe
Spicy slaw made with Korean chili paste gives this steak sandwich it's heat.

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Roasted Red Pepper Hot Sauce

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower  
Roasted Red Pepper Hot Sauce Recipe
Roasted 3 pepper sauce adds a delicious warmth to any dish. It's so good, we're considering toting around the entire bottle.
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Spicy Tomato-Cucumber Salad

Caitlin Bensel
Spicy Tomato-Cucumber Salad Recipe

This elegantly simple salad is summer in a bowl. Sunshine-yellow and ruby-red wedges of juicy tomato anchor this dish with a hefty dose of lycopene, a heart-helping, cancer-fighting antioxidant. Cucumber and bell pepper bring their crunch to the party, while lemon and chile keep things lively with heat and zing. Remember—summer tomatoes are extra juicy, so plan to serve this salad soon after making it for the most concentrated flavor.

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Chicken Kebabs with Spicy Sauce

Jennifer Causey
Chicken Kebabs with Spicy Sauce Recipe

That jar of salsa hanging out in the back of your fridge has more in store for it than a date with a bag of tortilla chips. This easy chicken kebabs recipe will help you teach that lycopene-rich salsa some tasty new tricks.

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Toasted Chile Salsa

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
Toasted Chile Salsa Recipe
Using toasted chiles is a must. It adds a smoky complexity to this dunkable salsa that fresh chiles can't.
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Spicy Chorizo Corn Chowder

Photo: Annabelle Breakey
Spicy Chorizo Corn Chowder Recipe
Some of corn's best partners--medium-hot chiles, chorizo, and basil--join up in this simple dish. It's substantial enough to call a chowder, but light enough for summer.

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Spicy Scallops with Watermelon Salsa

Caitlin Bensel
Spicy Scallops with Watermelon Salsa Recipe

Here we season quick-cooking scallops with inspiration from Caribbean pepper pot recipes. To get a nice sear on the scallops without any sticking, be sure to thoroughly pat your scallops dry and preheat the skillet until it’s nice and hot. The spicy scallops are cooled by the sweet, minty watermelon salsa. Ask for “dry” sea scallops at the fish counter. Other scallops have been treated with a sodium solution that prevents them from browning nicely and can make the texture of the meat less pleasant.

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Spicy Veggie Hash

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Spicy Veggie Hash Recipe

Cumin, cinnamon, and red pepper add warmth to this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato hash.

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Spicy Thai Shrimp Cakes

Jennifer Causey
Spicy Thai Shrimp Cakes Recipe

If you’re a fan of crab cakes, you’ve got to try these Thai-flavored shrimp cakes. The sweet, salty taste of shrimp really shines through when seasoned with the classic Thai trifecta of flavor: fish sauce, lime juice, and chili sauce. To ensure even cooking and cakes that hold together well, be sure to take an extra minute to finely dice all the veggies. To turn any leftovers into lunch, serve shrimp cakes on a toasted whole-wheat English muffin with a smear of Sriracha mayo, lettuce, and tomato.

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Spicy Sausage and Portobello ‘Pizzas'

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
Spicy Sausage and Portobello ‘Pizzas' Recipe
Top baked portobello mushrooms with sausage, onions, tomatoes, and mozzarella for a delicious "pizza" appetizer or side dish.

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Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford
Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe

Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with shredded chicken breast in Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

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Sweet and Spicy Pepperonata

Photo: Johnny Miller; Styling: Sarah Smart 
Sweet and Spicy Pepperonata Recipe
Use a variety of hot and sweet peppers in red, orange, and yellow for superior flavor and color in this dish. Serve as a side with grilled meat or fish, or as an appetizer spooned over grilled bread.

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Spicy Jalapeño-Red Pepper Jelly 

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Ivy Odom; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Spicy Jalapeño-Red Pepper Jelly  Recipe

This sweet heat jam is perfect for gifting and is delicious served over soft, creamy cheeses (like goat cheese, cream cheese, or Brie), whisked into salad dressings, and used as a glaze for grilled meats. If you want to kick the heat up a notch (it’s a gentle warm, as is), use 2-3 more jalapeños.  

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Kickin' BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr    
Kickin' BBQ Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
Most people use 6-inch tortillas for tacos, but we apply healthy new math and use them for quesadillas. Upsizing to an 8-inch tortilla nearly doubles the surface area, meaning twice as much cheesy filling. Suddenly, your sensible meal becomes an 800-calorie heavyweight. Start with a 6-incher, and pile on the lean meats, veggies, and cheese. Crisp in a hot skillet with cooking spray instead of butter to save 7g sat fat.
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Spicy Jalapeño-Red Pepper Jelly 

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Ivy Odom; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Spicy Jalapeño-Red Pepper Jelly  Recipe

This sweet heat jam is perfect for gifting and is delicious served over soft, creamy cheeses (like goat cheese, cream cheese, or Brie), whisked into salad dressings, and used as a glaze for grilled meats. If you want to kick the heat up a notch (it’s a gentle warm, as is), use 2-3 more jalapeños.  

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Spicy Moroccan Chicken Skewers

Photo: Johnny Autry; Food Styling: Charlotte Autry; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr
Spicy Moroccan Chicken Skewers Recipe
Serve with hot cooked couscous. Give the couscous nutty flavor by toasting it in a hot pan before you rehydrate it.

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Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon

Hector Manuel Sanchez
Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon Recipe

Season the bacon a day ahead so it can absorb the rub.

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Fiery Chicken Thighs with Persian Rice

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Fiery Chicken Thighs with Persian Rice Recipe
Although the ­buttery rice cuts through the heat of the chicken, use less chile paste if you are not a huge fan of spicy foods for a less-fiery experience.

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Spicy Clam, Chorizo, and White Bean Soup

Jennifer Causey
Spicy Clam, Chorizo, and White Bean Soup Recipe

The classic Spanish combination of briny littleneck clams—the smallest and most tender of the clam clan—smoky chorizo, and tender white beans come together in seamless soup harmony. Turn this liquid lunch into a robust meal with our quick and easy garlic bread—perfect for sopping up every last drop.

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Chunky Hot Sauce

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Harget
Chunky Hot Sauce Recipe
Fermentation is the secret to this robust, piquant sauce. Use your favorite chiles here, or blend fiery ones with sweet ones to customize your own. As for the consistency, we love the sauce in all of its chunky glory, but if you want a smooth, looser take, press it through a wire-mesh strainer.
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Spicy Breakfast Taquitos

Photo by Kelsey Hansen
Spicy Breakfast Taquitos Recipe
Plus, the easiest creamy hot sauce

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Spicy Sausage and Chard Pasta

Photo: Alex Farnum; Styling: Kevin Crafts
Spicy Sausage and Chard Pasta Recipe

Willy and Sandy Hermann, readers from Orinda, California, shared this easy one-dish meal with us. They like to use hot sausage, but mild is good too. You can use the chard stems for soup if you like.

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Make Spicy Home Fries in Under 30 Minutes

Photo by Hector Manuel Sanchez
Make Spicy Home Fries in Under 30 Minutes Recipe
Go big or go home fries
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Fiery Tofu and Coconut Curry Soup

Photo: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr
Fiery Tofu and Coconut Curry Soup Recipe
This spicy tofu soup incorporates common Thai cuisine ingredients, such as ginger, soy sauce, red curry paste, coconut milk, and cilantro. 

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Make Spicy Home Fries in Under 30 Minutes