30 Super Spicy Dinners

Spicy Shrimp Noodles Recipe

These superfast, super spicy shrimp 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.

Spicy Zucchini Salad Recipe

This spicy salad is wonderfully light and fresh, but satisfyingly filling. Fiber and protein-packed chickpeas bulk up this late-summer salad. Roasted pepitas bring the whole thing together.

Spicy Eggplant With Plums Recipe

This delicious and healthy combo of spicy char, sweet fruit, and creamy yogurt will be a surefire hit. For a tasty and unexpected swap, try mixing in halved pitted cherries in place of plums.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Spicy Tofu Curry Recipe

The richly aromatic coconut-curry mixture infuses the tofu with flavor as it slow-cooks in the broth. Cutting the tofu into slices shortly before serving (instead of at the beginning) ensures that the tofu holds together over the long cooking time but still gets an extra boost of flavor at the end. Look for lemongrass—a long, slender, woody herb with an herbal lemon flavor that’s common in Thai curries—near other herbs in well-stocked markets or at an Asian market. Leftover lemongrass will keep the the refrigerator for at least a month or in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe

This is one of our highest rated recipes, and for good reason: It's relatively quick and easy, and coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with shredded chicken breast in Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

Spicy Red Curry with Chicken Recipe

Transform your basic slow-cooked chicken into a rich, exotic dish with a spicy red curry sauce and fluffy jasmine rice. An aromatic blend of lemongrass, ginger, and garlic gets a creamy, spicy kick from coconut cream and sliced red Fresno chiles. You’ll warm yourself from the inside out with this hearty, flavor-packed chicken supper recipe.

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.

Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots Recipe

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a sheet pan supper that’s high on flavor and low on cleanup. This tangy sheet pan chicken supper gets a little kick from cayenne pepper that’s balanced in the sauce with caramelized grapes. Roasted cauliflower and carrots offer a savory touch to the dinner, while couscous makes it hearty and healthy. Since the chicken is bone-in, it takes a little longer to roast than thin filets; but the amount of flavor in the end is more than worth it! The seedless grapes are definitely the secret ingredient in this dish. They melt and caramelize while roasting, adding a subtle hint of sweetness to the sauce.

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup Recipe

This sinus-clearing soup is inspired by classic Szechuan beef noodle soup. Because some of the ingredients to make the traditional version require a trip to an Asian market (namely Szechuan peppercorns and chili bean paste), we approximated the flavors with supermarket items. Black pepper and coriander get at the Szechuan peppercorn flavor (but, admittedly, not the tongue-tingling effect), and miso and sambal oelek approximate the flavor of chili bean paste.

Zucchini Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe

Precut produce helps this staff favorite come together in a flash. Spiralized zucchini and summer squash are in the prepared produce section of many supermarkets; you can also spiralize your own or make ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Squash takes the place of noodles in these bowls, so you'll need a hefty amount for each serving. The zucchini noodles don't require cooking—they'll add freshness and crunch to the finished dish. Make the sauce while the tofu cooks and have the other vegetables at the ready so you can toss and serve immediately.

Penne with Spicy Vodka Cream Sauce Recipe

This is simple and delicious, and comes together in under 30 minutes. Penne with Spicy Vodka Cream Sauce is perfect with a simple salad and a glass of red. "This was an excellent dish and easy to make," one reviewer raved.

Spicy Chicken Cacciatore  Recipe

Serve this simple, saucy, slow cooker chicken dish over pasta. Transform any leftovers (if you have any) into soup by shredding the chicken and combining the sauce with chicken stock, diced zucchini, and carrots.

Spicy Asian Chicken Thighs Recipe

Serve these saucy chicken thighs over cooked noodles with a side of steamed broccoli for a well-rounded meal. Thanks to the Instant Pot, this meal comes together in under 40 minutes. 

Spicy Chicken and Butternut Squash Tortilla Soup Recipe

It's time to spice things up with this flavorful slow cooker soup recipe. Pro tip: Stirring tortilla strips into the soup helps thicken the broth and lends an earthy flavor to the dish--you won't regret it.

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo Recipe

This spicy soup recipe requires little attention or effort with the slow cooking power of your Instant Pot. Tip: Dried beans don't have to be soaked—just toss them into the Instant Pot®.

Spicy Steak Salad Recipe

Dinner: Tuck into these low-cal feasts, and you'll forget you're even on a diet! 250 calories & under. This healthy, quick and easy recipe is featured in the dinner section of the new 5:2 Starter's Guide to The 2-Day Diet. The book provides a selection of over 100 tasty recipes to help you meet the daily 500 calorie allotment for the 2 days of intermittent fasting, as required by the 5:2 Diet.

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs Recipe

One of the most popular Cooking Light chicken recipes of all time, these sweet and spicy broiled chicken thighs are flavored with chili powder, cumin, garlic and cider vinegar. "Quick and easy with a dash of delicious," commented one reviewer.

Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Fried Walnuts Recipe

This side dish gets a sprinkling of nutty flavor from walnuts that are lightly dusted with powdered sugar and fried. The sweetness of the nuts plays off the bitter personality of the broccoli rabe. If you prefer a less bitter taste, substitute Broccolini.

Spicy Chicken Shawarma Recipe

This chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern version of a gyro and features thin slices of chicken mixed with yogurt and wrapped in pita bread spread with a tahini mixture. The sandwiches are then topped with fresh cucumber, tomato and onion.

Nashville Hot Chicken Bake Recipe

If you’re craving hot chicken but don’t feel like doing the work, try this quick and fun dish. It’s spicy with hints of sweetness, with juicy and flavorful chicken and crunchy bread topping. 

Red-Hot Currant-Glazed Pork Chops Recipe

If you want to use up some of the preserves languishing on the door of your fridge, you can sub them in for the red currant jelly--which offers a sweet-tart element here. Seedless raspberry or apricot jam will work well; to balance the sweetness, add a little lemon juice to the sauce. Orange marmalade will work, too, putting a mild, pleasantly bitter spin on the dish.

"Some Like It Hot" Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches Recipe

Made with pimiento cheese, bacon, and strawberry preserves, "Some Like It Hot" Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches are the mother of all pimiento cheese sandwiches. Grill up slices of comfort for lunch or dinner today.

Jalapeño-Glazed Pork Chops and Rice  Recipe

Jalapeño jelly makes a quick glaze for any type of meat from chicken to pork. Add chopped tomatoes to the rice for a balanced meal.

Skirt Steak and Cauliflower Rice with Red Pepper Sauce Recipe

No longer just a trend, cauliflower “rice” crumbles can be found in many grocery stores and you no longer have to make your own. They make a tasty (and low-carb) substitute for grains. Five minutes should be plenty of time for the cauliflower rice to cook. Make sure it’s tender, not mushy or al dente; taste it to check for doneness. Paired with skirt steak and a flavorful red pepper sauce, this meal is great for any night of the week. It all comes together in 40 minutes. Your family will love this one-bowl meal and request it for dinner often.

Red Pepper Soup with Gouda Recipe

Red pepper meets gouda cheese for the perfectly balanced dinner or lunch option. This vibrant, spicy soup recipe comes together super quickly (under 20 minutes!) with the help of your Instant Pot.

White Lightning Chicken Chili Recipe

White Lightning Chicken Chili gets its name because it only takes 30 minutes from start to finish to get this one-dish meal to the table. Don't drain the chopped green chiles or navy beans. Serve chili with cornbread.