Spicy Recipes – Page 51

Spicy Creole Sauce

Butter and spice…

This butter-based spicy Creole sauce is plenty rich with a whole lot of Southern charm. It uses a wide variety of spices off the spice rack – most of which are part of a typical Creole spice mix. So if you have a premade Creole seasoning at the ready, you could swap out the dried seasonings below for a comparable amount of seasoning (approximately three tablespoons). Note – Creole seasonings differ slightly in ingredients, so there may be a slightly different end flavor if you choose this option. Our homemade Creole seasoning recipe, for instance, includes basil and thyme in the mix.

Cayenne pepper is the spicy star here (and would also be present in a pre-made seasoning mix), but the sauce also gets a little heat from a few dashes of Tabasco sauce. Adjust both to your liking (up or down). Try this sauce with fish, particularly shrimp and catfish. Or add some delicious spice to your breakfast. This sauce is oh so tasty drizzled over scrambled eggs.

Cajun Meatloaf

by Matt Bray

Cajun comfort food…

Looking for a comfort food recipe that has something to say in the spice department? Meet Cajun meatloaf. This Southern-inspired recipe is plenty filling with a delicious Cajun bite.

The oomph behind this meatloaf are three Southern staples: Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and Tabasco sauce. It’s not overkill in terms of spiciness here – most in the family can enjoy this dish even if they aren’t normally fans of spicy food. Really, Cajun cuisine is all about the flavorful spices, not just the spiciness. Though, if you prefer some extra heat, feel free to go heavy-handed on the cayenne. An extra half teaspoon (or more to your taste) brings some extra edge for those more die-hard spicy food fans. Or try adding a touch of cayenne to the honey ketchup that tops the meatloaf.

Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa

by Matt Bray

Tangy and sweet with fresh bite!

Your turkey may never be the same when you add a little cranberry jalapeño salsa to the table. It’s tangy and sweet with a fresh bite – a bold holiday appetizer or side. But don’t save it just for holidays! It’s perfect served atop turkey or chicken any time of year, providing lots of zing to the meal. And it’s so delicious simply poured over cream cheese and served with tortilla chips or crackers.

Jalapeño pepper is obviously the spicy star of this recipe, but you could go even bolder by using serrano peppers instead. They often deliver double the heat of the jalapeño, and sometimes more, with a comparable fresh and bright flavor that pairs well with cranberry’s sweet zing. And to get the most from the heat, allow this salsa to rest for an hour in the refrigerator for the best possible flavor. It takes a little time for that jalapeño spiciness to truly permeate throughout the salsa.

Chipotle Pumpkin Seeds

by Matt Bray

Smoky snacking…

Pumpkins are the vegetable gift that keeps on giving. Not only do you have the delicious pumpkin flesh to partake in for spicy pumpkin pies, you also have those fresh pumpkin seeds that are oh so good for snacking. You can spice up pumpkin seeds in many ways, but one of our faves is via chipotle powder. Roasted chipotle pumpkin seeds have that earthy flavor you expect. Plus that chipotle pepper provides a tasty hint of smokiness along with a very eatable medium heat.

If you don’t have chipotle powder around the house, you can purchase some from our spicery. Or you can opt for using cayenne powder. See a good spicy pumpkin seeds recipe here that will serve. It won’t provide the smokiness, but it doubles down on the spiciness due to the extra heat of cayenne pepper.

Spicy Red Enchilada Sauce

by Matt Bray

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).

Jalapeño Arugula Aioli

by Matt Bray

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.

Jalapeño Cheddar Popcorn

by Matt Bray

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.

Six Spicy Popcorn Recipes That Bring The Boom!

by Matt Bray

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.

Spicy Mexican Rice

by Matt Bray

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.

Cajun Ranch Dipping Sauce

by Matt Bray

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.