Most people think kids hate spicy food. I'm not most people. I love hot stuff. My dad and I have a habit of seeing who can handle the spiciest thing without crying. He usually wins because he's been at it longer, but I'm catching up.
So I made a bunch of recipes that go from "kinda spicy" to "you might need milk." Pick your heat level. Here are 10 of my favorites:
Maximum heat. Crispy wings tossed in a ghost pepper honey glaze. Ghost peppers are about 100× hotter than jalapeños. My brother cried. I ate four. Have milk standing by. Full recipe →
Mini fried chicken sliders coated in Nashville hot oil (cayenne + paprika + brown sugar). Sweet at first, then BAM. Full recipe →
Loaded burrito wrapped in a hot tortilla, topped with sriracha cheese sauce + jalapeños. It looks like a volcano. It tastes like an eruption. Full recipe →
Easy weeknight win. Ramen + sriracha + soft egg + green onion + sesame. Add as much sriracha as you can handle. Full recipe →
Korean gochujang + ground beef in soft tortillas, topped with kimchi slaw. Sweet + spicy + crunchy. Full recipe →
Crispy chicken tenders drizzled in honey-cayenne glaze. Sweet, sticky, and surprisingly spicy. My dad's go-to lunch. Full recipe →
Movie night upgrade. Popcorn tossed in cayenne + nutritional yeast + butter + smoked paprika. Easy to eat by the handful. Full recipe →
Mango on a stick, dusted with Tajín (chili-lime salt). Sweet + spicy + tangy + refreshing. Full recipe →
Soft pretzel bites tossed in butter + sriracha + honey. Spicy + salty + sweet at the same time. My new favorite snack. Full recipe →
For the brave only. A cold brew coffee with a ghost pepper tincture stirred in. Burns going down, burns staying down. My dad says this is how he survives Mondays. Full recipe →
If something's too spicy, drink milk, not water. Water spreads capsaicin (the spicy chemical) around your mouth. Milk has casein, which sticks to capsaicin and washes it away. Yogurt works too. Ice cream is even better. Bread also helps soak it up.
And honestly — start slow. Ghost peppers are no joke. Try the Spicy Mango Pops first, then work your way up.
Got a friend who claims they can handle heat? Tell them to try the Ghost Pepper Wings and watch them suffer 😂
🦊 Back to all recipes