Last updated December 19th, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. As Amazon Associates and through other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a link – at no extra cost to you. We only promote products we actually use and truly love!
We’re bringing the heat with these 29 spicy dinner recipes! If you like a little glow in your mouth, these recipes are for you.
If you scroll through this whole page, you’ll notice a color scheme that stands out among these recipes: a bright and vibrant reddish orange. A great signal that you’re in the right place if you are looking for some spicy dinner ideas and recipes!
A good spicy dish has the right balance of flavor and heat. So with these dinner recipes, you’ll get tons of delicious flavor without it being overshadowed by spice. And if you’re cooking for someone who has less of a spice tolerance than yourself, you can easily adjust the amount of spicy ingredients – or make easy substitutions – to make these dinners more palatable for everyone.

1. Shakshuka For Two
Shakshuka is the definition of comfort food. This saucy, spicy, flavor-packed stew is made for a cozy night. So grab some fresh bread to scoop up all of that deliciousness, settle in, and enjoy a wonderful evening. And if you are looking for some solo shakshuka, check out our recipe for shakshuka for one.

2. Spicy Szechuan Dumpling Soup
This spicy Szechuan dumpling soup is one of our readers’ favorite dinners. And why wouldn’t it be? With some homemade pork dumplings in a spicy broth that’s honestly closer to a sauce, this soup makes for a warm, cozy, comforting meal any time of year.

3. Chicken Bacon Ranchero Pizza
We’ve spiced up a classic with this specialty pizza. You’ve likely heard of chicken bacon ranch pizza, but we want to introduce you to our fiery version: chicken bacon ranchero pizza. By replacing the ranch dressing with our homemade ranchero sauce, we’ve created a base of spice. And while that wouldn’t be enough to make this a truly spicy pizza, we’ve added jalapeno slices to truly take it up a notch.

4. Spicy Butter Chicken
If you’re looking for heat, Indian cuisine is always a safe place to start. While butter chicken isn’t always spicy, we like to give ours a kick with some extra kashmiri red chili powder. We recommend serving this dish with some basmati rice and homemade naan to help cool your mouth down. Or if you want all of the heat, the rice and naan make perfect vessels to sop up all that extra curry.

5. Creamy Gochujang Pasta
Korean Italian fusion isn’t something you see every day. But the wonderful heat and flavor of gochujang just makes such a great addition to a pasta sauce. This dish is very similar to a penne alla vodka, but with the addition of spice from the previously mentioned gochujang. Together they create a creamy, comforting, spicy pasta dinner that is sure to keep you on your toes.

6. Gochujang Chicken Rice Bowl With Pickled Cabbage
This gochujang chicken rice bowl with pickled cabbage is perfect meal prep for lunches and dinners all week long. Each major part of this recipe (grilled chicken, rice, pickled veggies, and bibimbap sauce) can be made ahead of time for easy reheating. So when you know it’ll be a busy week and plan ahead, you’ll be thanking yourself all week long as you enjoy this spicy, saucy, comforting chicken and rice recipe.

7. Spicy Sausage And Pepper Pizza
Are you looking to spice up your next pizza night? Then we have the perfect recipe for you. This fiery take on the classic sausage and pepper pizza features hot Italian sausage, fresno peppers, and hot cherry peppers. Add that heat to a spicy pizza sauce and a three cheese blend, and you’re sure to find a little fire in every bite. (Note: this pizza should probably come with a warning label.)

8. Spicy Indian Tomato Soup
Tomato soup is a classic for a reason, but we wanted to put a spicy twist on it. Inspired by our favorite Indian flavors (and hot peppers), this spicy Indian tomato soup will be sure to warm you up on even the coldest of nights. We recommend serving this with some cheesy naan to replicate your favorite tomato soup and grilled cheese meal.

9. Roasted Vegetable Risotto
We know risotto can be a daunting recipe to make. But it really isn’t that hard. We have a whole post on how to make risotto, where we walk you through each and every step. Use it as a guide to attack this roasted vegetable risotto, which takes it up a notch by adding some extra flavors and spices. Once you make this recipe you’ll wonder why you haven’t been enjoying risotto at home your whole life!

10. Buffalo Chicken Dip Sliders
These buffalo chicken dip sliders are everything you’re looking for. Cheesy? Yup. Easy to make? Of course. Comforting? Duh. Saucey? Absolutely. Spicy? You betcha. Like we said, these have it all. Make these buffalo chicken dip sliders next time you’re looking for some spicy comfort food for dinner and they’ll hit the spot 100% of the time.

11. Vegetarian Black Bean Southwest Sliders
Did you just read about how amazing those buffalo chicken dip sliders are and wish there was a vegetarian version? While this recipe isn’t quite the same, these vegetarian sliders still check all of the boxes. Made with store-bought spicy black bean burgers, your spicy saucy comforting dinner will be ready in just 20 minutes.

12. Grilled Chicken Sandwich With Roasted Red Peppers Spread
Grilled chicken sandwiches are always one of our favorite dinners, partially due to how many different ways you can dress them up. One of our favorite grilled chicken recipes is this one. Featuring a roasted red pepper spread inspired by our patatas bravas sauce, this chicken sandwich packs a flavorful and spicy punch. Add in pepper jack cheese, lettuce, and tomato and you have yourself one awesome sandwich.

13. Crockpot Chipotle Chicken
Who doesn’t love letting dinner cook itself? This spicy chicken can cook all day long while you’re at work or taking care of other tasks. And when you’re ready, you’ll have dinner for the night and plenty of leftovers for the week. Serve it with rice, turn it into tacos, or make it into a sandwich (check out the next recipe below!).

14. Shredded Chipotle Chicken Sandwich
Once you make some of this delicious crockpot chipotle chicken, you’ll have to make it into a sandwich. Take this sandwich to work for the perfect lunch, or more fun, take it on a picnic! Easy to make, pack, and enjoy anywhere, this saucy, spicy sandwich is great for any occasion.

15. Spicy Calabrian Chili Gnocchi
Looking for a spicy date night dish? Then look no further. This decadent gnocchi is made with a sauce primarily composed of Calabrian chili peppers. And since it only takes 10 minutes to whip up, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy dinner along with whatever else your spicy night has planned.

16. Cauliflower Tikka Masala
Cauliflower tikka masala is the perfect recipe for enjoying this rich and flavorful curry for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. Packed with tons of flavors and no lack of heat, you won’t want to let any sauce go to waste. So make sure to enjoy this delicious dinner with some basmati rice and freshly made naan for the best experience.

17. Shakshuka Pasta
We love shakshuka so much, we decided to turn it into a pasta recipe. This was surprisingly easy to do as the brunch stew is almost like a tomato sauce on its own! But instead of enjoying shakshuka with fresh bread, now you get a fun new dinner recipe of spicy shakshuka and pasta.

18. Restaurant Style Thai Drunken Noodles
Next time you’re craving takeout, make these restaurant style Thai drunken noodles instead! We love making takeout dishes at home because it allows us to make them healthier, cheaper, and tailor them to our tastes. Whether that’s changing up the veggies used or making it extra spicy, we can make the dish exactly how we want it. So next time you’re in the mood for some drunken noodles, give this recipe a try!

19. Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga
Chicken tinga is the perfect saucy, spicy chicken for so many different dinners. From tacos to tostadas to burrito bowls, this chicken works in any Mexican recipe. You can even mix it up and make a chicken tinga sandwich or simply enjoy it with some rice and beans. And thankfully, since this slow cooker recipe makes so much, you’ll get the chance to enjoy it all week long in all your favorite recipes.

20. Shredded Buffalo Chicken Tacos
We love adding spice to our tacos, but these are a little bit different from traditional tacos! We’ve taken one of our favorite flavors and turned it into one of our favorite meals: buffalo chicken tacos. These saucy, spicy, cheesy, tacos will keep you coming back for more. Flour tortillas stuffed with shredded buffalo chicken, lettuce, red onion, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing creates a recipe you just can’t get enough of.

21. Carnitas Burritos Verde
Our carnitas burrito features our spicy verde sauce that’s made with the leftover cooking liquid from our slow cooker carnitas. And by features, we mean that the burrito is absolutely smothered in this spicy flavor-packed sauce. But don’t let the green sauce fool you! Just because these burritos aren’t bright red like the rest of this list doesn’t mean they won’t have you sweating by the end of the meal. If you are truly a heat lover, we recommend adding a habanero or two to the spicy verde sauce for extra flavor and spice.

22. General Tso’s Chicken
Another classic takeout dinner that can be made at home is General Tso’s chicken. We love making this spicy, crispy chicken recipe for Friday date nights at home. After all, what’s better than some delicious home cooked Chinese food and a movie?

23. Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Our chicken tortilla soup has a secret that we think you love… Instead of using a chicken broth as the base, we opted for something a little more flavorful: Modelo Especial or your favorite Mexican lager. We highly recommend this slow cooker meal for whenever you’re craving a warm and cozy meal, or if you’re expecting company.

24. Vegetarian Sweet Potato And Black Bean Enchiladas
These vegetarian enchiladas are stuffed with sweet potatoes, black beans, and pepper and then smothered with spicy ranchero sauce and Mexican cheese. Thanks to the tender sweet potatoes and beans, you’ll never even realize they’re vegetarian. Make a whole batch for dinner and you’ll have delicious leftovers for lunch all week long.

25. Firecracker Burger
Topped with habanero jack cheese, ghost pepper hot sauce, and jalapeno bottle caps, this firecracker burger sure lives up to its name. We wanted to use three kinds of hot peppers to make sure the heat just keeps on coming. Plus, this burger comes with a nice topper – a cheddar-stuffed jalapeno popper! While this specialty burger requires a good amount of work, it’ll be sure to impress all of your heat seeking friends.

26. Chicken Burritos Ranchero
If you love going to Mexican restaurants like us, then you’re going to love this chicken burritos ranchero recipe. Based on one of our favorite restaurant meals, this burrito is stuffed with shredded salsa-marinated chicken, cilantro lime rice, refried beans, and Mexican cheese and then smothered with our homemade ranchero sauce. Serve with a side of guacamole and a spicy mezcal margarita and you’ll have a fiery restaurant dinner in the comfort of your home!

27. Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
Is there anything cozier than a warm bowl of chili on a cold fall or winter day? We sure don’t think so. And this vegetarian chili packs a good amount of heat, only adding to that cozy factor. We made this recipe a slow cooker meal so that you can get it started in the morning before work, or perhaps on a snow day, so that when you come in from the cold, there’s a nice big pot of warm chili waiting for you.

28. Spicy Udon Noodle Vegetable Stir Fry
We love making udon stir-fry because it allows us to use up any extra produce we have laying around before it goes bad. This means that our stir fry is a little different every time we make it. Generally we love to add hot peppers, onion, and baby bok choy as our base, then add in whatever else we’re feeling like carrots, snap peas, or even meat for added protein. But if you don’t know where to start, follow our recipe and then ad-lib from there! The key to this delicious recipe is the spicy sauce, so don’t skip out on that.

29. Easy Vegetarian Bibimbap
Bibimbap is another one of our go-to recipes when we need to use up produce that’s on its last legs. In case you aren’t familiar with bibimbap, it is a crispy rice dish served in a hot stone pot (we use a cast iron skillet for our recipe) with an assortment of fresh produce, proteins, and sauce. And since this dish is Korean, you know it’s going to bring the heat thanks to a gochujang sauce! Make this easy vegetarian bibimbap for a delicious and fun family-style dinner when you’re craving some spice.
To browse more of our latest recipes and seasonal dishes, visit our homepage here.
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
Looking for kitchen inspiration? Head over to our shop to see what we cook with every day, plus recommendations for foodie gifts and eco-friendly products.