5 Dishes that Taste Better with Heat

If you’re seeking a thrill for your taste buds with your next meal, consider slipping in some heat to your dish.

1. Spicy Pulled Pork

There are many rubs and sauces you can marinate pork in before cooking it, but this one will add a level of heat to the final product.

In a food processor, combine the ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon chile powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon pepper, 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 halved jalapenos, 1 large quartered onion, and blend until a thick paste forms.

Rub this over your pork shoulder before letting it marinate and roast.

2. Grilled Chicken Breasts

There’s a lot you can do with chicken breasts, but adding in some habanero pepper jelly is the solution when you want spice.

Season both sides of 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet and cook chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side over medium-high heat.

Mix together 2 tablespoons of the pepper jelly with ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Add this mixture to the pan, then stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Coat the chicken with the mixture and cook until the sauce is reduced to a glaze.

3. Spicy Beef with Peppers

Spicy beef can go well over both noodles and rice.

Toss thin-sliced sirloin steak with a mixture of 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons dry sherry, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high in a skillet and add 1 green and 1 red pepper, sliced. Fry for 3 minutes and remove peppers, then add beef to the skillet.

Fry until the meat is no longer pink then add the peppers back. Add a mixture of 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons sherry, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce to the pan and bring it to a boil. 

Mix until the sauce is thickened, then serve.

4. Spice Dusted Fried Chicken

Once the fried chicken is done, add a pinch or two of this spice dust for another level of flavor.

To make the spice dust that can be thrown over the just-finished chicken, de-stem and de-seed 10 arbol chiles and 12 Kashmiri red chilies. Toast these over medium heat until they are fragrant and pliable.

Remove them from the pan and then toast 2 pieces of star anise, 1 cardamom pod, and a 2-inch piece of cinnamon for 30 seconds, before adding 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and 1 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns to the pan. 

Again, toast until fragrant, and then add the chilies and spices to a spice grinder to grind until fine.

5. Spicy Roasted Vegetables

Vegetables don’t have to be bland! The next time you’re roasting up a pan, toss them in this mix first: 1 ⅓ tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, paprika, and minced onion; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.