Matt Bray

Founder of PepperScale and Cindermint LLC. Sucker for a good scotch bonnet. Spicy food super-fan. Current fiery fascination: Datil hot sauces.
spicy red enchilada sauce

Spicy Red Enchilada Sauce

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Smoky and bold…

You can’t go wrong with a delicious smoky and spicy red enchilada sauce. Whether you want to layer it atop of your enchiladas prior to baking or simply use it as a dipper side to the plate, it provides a ton of flavor to any enchilada type. This recipe makes enough sauce for four enchiladas (1/2 cup each of sauce) if you’re going the baking route. Adjust up if you’re baking more.

Chipotle peppers provide both heat and smokiness here, with additional spiciness coming from cayenne pepper. Of course, adjust as you need based on your spicy food tolerance. The cayenne pepper can be removed completely without a change to overall flavor (beyond the spiciness).

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jalapeno arugula aioli

Jalapeño Arugula Aioli

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A fresh tasting dip or spread…

When you first think arugula and jalapeño, you may not think there’s much in common. But there’s a lot more “there” there than you may think. Arugula, with its fresh peppery taste, pairs so well with the bright, grassy flavor of jalapeño peppers. It makes for one delicious aioli that’s perfect either as a dip or a spread. It’s particularly good on veggie sandwiches or go hearty and try it as a side to steak. It’s a fresh (and lightly fiery) sauce that’s pretty versatile even with its unique flavor.

Jalapeño peppers are typically hot enough for most. But, if you’re like us, you may want to increase the heat up a notch. We recommend adjusting the chili pepper used instead of increasing the amount of jalapeños used. Serrano peppers have a similar (though not exact) bright flavor, but they are a notch up on the pepper scale – often twice as hot (or even more) than a jalapeño.

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jalapeño cheddar popcorn

Jalapeño Cheddar Popcorn

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A snack time favorite turned up a notch…

Mixing sharp cheddar flavor with bright and spicy jalapeño pepper is a great way to boost the presence of a snack time favorite. Jalapeño cheddar popcorn won’t overwhelm you on heat (unless you want it to), so this is still a pretty family-friendly cheese popcorn option for movie night or parties. Jalapeño powder may be difficult to buy at your local grocer, but we offer it at our spicery so get ready to add this delicious green powder to your spice rack.

Of course, you can add additional jalapeño powder if you want to boost up that spiciness (or more cheddar cheese powder for some more sharpness), but we let the choice be yours here. If you like this recipe, be sure to check out some of our other spicy popcorn recipes that’ll totally elevate your snack game.

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Six Spicy Popcorn Recipes That Bring The Boom!

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Let’s get ready for some snacktime sizzle…

What an amazing snack popcorn is. You can go simple with a little salt and butter and be perfectly happy. You can dress it up with chocolate, caramel, and other sweets. Or you can fire it up with bold spices to bring the boom to your snack bowl. We love spicy popcorn recipes, and these five from our recipe archives are sure to bring the boom at snack time.

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Spicy Mexican Rice

Spicy Mexican Rice

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A simple staple for Mexican meals…

Whether it’s tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas, you’re going to want a side of spicy Mexican rice to complete that Mexican meal. It’s a simple recipe – and on its own rather plain. But when you pair it with beans and your Mexican dish of choice, the tomato sauce tang and simmering heat (thank you cayenne) bring a nice bit of extra flavor to your meal.

That’s not to say you can’t dress this spicy Mexican rice recipe up a bit. This is the kind of side, like most rice sides, that expand their role on the plate with just a little culinary experimentation. For instance, mix in your bean of choice, fresh chopped tomatoes, and/or cooked peas (just to name a few options) to make things more memorable. With enough added extras, spicy Mexican rice can turn into a delicious light lunch on its own too.

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Cajun ranch dipping sauce

Cajun Ranch Dipping Sauce

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A simple Southern dipper…

Like mayonnaise or sour cream, ranch dressing is a perfect base for a mix of fiery spices. It makes it so simple to pull together something with a little Cajun flair. This Cajun ranch dipping sauce has three ingredients only, but the flavor is a whole heck of a lot more than what you’d expect. Cajun seasoning has a wide world of spices in it that give this dipping sauce its Southern charm.

We add additional fieriness to this simple recipe via a pinch of cayenne pepper. You can opt for it or drop it completely if you want a milder overall flavor. We like it even hotter than a pinch (think 1/4 teaspoon) if you’re one for extra-spicy in everything. Use this Cajun ranch dipping sauce with fried foods (it’s so yum with fried pickles – try it with this recipe). It’s also delicious with a simple vegetable platter – it beats the heck out of a plain ranch salad dressing dip with crudites.

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habanero peach

Peach Habanero Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

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What are peach habaneros? Like many chili peppers, habaneros come in a surprising amount of colors. Orange may be the most common, but there’s chocolate, red, and even more uncommon colors like peach. The peach habanero is a beauty of a pepper – with a …

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Salt-Free Cajun Seasoning

Salt-Free Cajun Seasoning

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A Cajun seasoning with no salt in it at all. Chipotle powder takes the salt’s place, adding smoke and extra heat, with white pepper filling out the traditional profile. Makes about six tablespoons in five minutes.

Curried Potato Soup

Curried Potato Soup

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Potato, leek and garlic blended smooth with curry powder and a half teaspoon of cayenne. Creamy and mild until the warmth catches up. A light supper with bread.

A bowl of orange chipotle sauce with a basting brush, halved oranges, chipotle powder and glazed pork ribs

Orange Chipotle Sauce

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Orange juice and marmalade against chipotle powder, blended in ten minutes with nothing cooked. Sweet and tangy up front, smoky underneath, and mild enough that the cayenne is there if you want it.