Are spicy dishes one of your passions, and you can’t imagine a festive feast or even an ordinary meal without them? If so, you’re on a great path, because hot dishes can work wonders for our health and even extend our lives.
Dishes containing chilli peppers come from many different countries. The best-known fiery dishes originate in Mexico, India, China and Thailand, but also in Spain, Italy and Hungary. It’s easy to play around with the level of heat: simply add as much strong spice, such as chilli, as you like.
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When is it better to skip spicy food?
Although eating hot dishes does not harm your health (quite the opposite), these foods should be eaten in sensible amounts and with attention to how you feel. They are not suitable, for example, for young children, whose food is only very lightly seasoned during the first years of life. Very spicy dishes are also not recommended for pregnant women or people with stomach and digestive problems.
However, if you don’t belong to any of these groups, there’s no need to be afraid of spicy food, and you can spice up your life and your foodie moments with a clear conscience. So give your body a boost and treat it to healthy disease prevention with these spicy recipe ideas.
1. Chilli con carne
This spicy stew is one of the best-known and most popular hot dishes. The main roles here are played by meat (usually beef or lamb) and chilli peppers. If you know a little Spanish, you’ve surely guessed it, because the name chilli con carne comes from Spanish and means chilli with meat.
You will need
- 500 g minced beef
- 2 onions
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tomato purée
- 2 tins of red chilli beans
- 1 tin of sweetcorn
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 to 3 squares of dark chocolate (chilli chocolate works brilliantly)
- 1 teaspoon of chilli
- 1 tablespoon of oregano
- oil
- salt and pepper
Finely chop the onion and fry it in oil until golden. Add the meat and let it brown, stirring constantly, then season with salt and pepper. Next, add the tomato purée, the tomatoes with their juice, the chocolate and the garlic. Cook for 15–20 minutes, then add the drained beans, sweetcorn, oregano and chilli, and adjust the seasoning. Serve with rice, tortillas or bread.
2. Homemade spicy sauce
For many lovers of hot food, this sauce is a true love that they can enjoy with all kinds of dishes. The great thing about it is that you can adjust the heat exactly to your own taste, and you also have control over the quality of the ingredients. So your body gets a really healthy boost.
You will need
- 200 g soured cream
- 150 g plain yoghurt
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of chilli ketchup
- 1 teaspoon of Kremže mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Mix the soured cream and yoghurt thoroughly with the crushed garlic, salt, pepper, mustard and ketchup. That’s all. Isn’t this sauce simple? It’s also a great quick recipe that you can use as a dressing or dip with various cold and hot dishes.
3. Garlic spread with chilli
Among spicy spreads, garlic flavours stand out. Celebrations and festive occasions rarely go by without canapés or open sandwiches with a spicy spread. They are also often the first to disappear from the plates. They don’t take long and aren’t complicated to make. With added chilli, they move up another level in flavour.
You will need
- 200 g soured cream
- 250 g low-fat quark (in a tub)
- 100 g grated cheese
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of Kremže mustard
- 1 teaspoon of chilli
- salt and pepper to taste
Simply mix all the ingredients thoroughly and ideally leave to chill in the fridge for at least a few hours (preferably overnight). It’s perfect for any festive occasion, but also just for snacking at home with close family or friends during a film or games night.
♨️ Tip: Do you know how to support your health without unnecessary pills or other chemicals? Take a look at 12 tips for boosting your immunity naturally.
4. Fiery scrambled eggs
Hellishly good, or rather downright devilish food? This description fits these chilli scrambled eggs perfectly. With this mixture, you can treat yourself to a healthy but also nicely peppery breakfast or another meal during the day. It will chase away all your gloom and any cold, which always comes in handy, and not only in the winter months.
You will need
- 6 eggs
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of chilli
- 2 tablespoons of chilli ketchup
- salt and pepper to taste
Finely chop the onion and get the garlic ready for crushing. Fry the chopped onion in a drop of oil, then add the crushed garlic, ketchup and chilli, and season with salt and pepper to taste. How spicy it is depends entirely on you.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs separately. Then pour them into the spicy mixture and let them thicken, stirring constantly. Serve the devilish scrambled eggs with toasted bread, ideally while still warm, and sprinkle with grated cheese.
5. Spicy chicken risotto
How about spicing up a healthy dish such as chicken risotto? It’s a really easy and quick dish that will delight anyone who loves that burning sensation in the mouth after the first bite. Just gather a few ingredients and you can serve a good lunch or dinner.
You will need
- 200 g uncooked rice
- 200 g chicken breast
- 1 large tin of peas
- 2 tablespoons of ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon of chilli
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 onion
- salt and pepper to taste
First, cook the rice. Meanwhile, fry the finely chopped onion with the chicken breast. Then season the mixture with salt and pepper and let it braise until tender. Add the rice, crushed garlic, drained peas, chilli and paprika to the braised meat.
Bring to the boil and it’s ready to serve. The risotto tastes wonderful with grated cheese and pickled gherkins. You can also improve it by adding a tin of mushrooms while cooking.
6. Devilish spaghetti
If you love pasta in all its forms and don’t mind a bit of heat, try this spaghetti. It’s one of the quick and easy recipes for spicy food that even a beginner can manage with ease. It’s also a healthy, low-calorie dish, so you don’t have to worry about your waistline.
You will need
- 500 g uncooked spaghetti
- 1 onion
- 200 g chicken breast
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of Tabasco sauce
- 2 tablespoons of chilli ketchup
- 1 large tomato purée
- salt and pepper
- cheese for serving
Cook the spaghetti and set it aside for serving. Fry the peeled and finely chopped onion together with the chicken breast. Add the crushed garlic, sauce, ketchup and tomato purée to the mixture, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated cheese.
7. Spicy chicken wings
Spicy thanks to the chilli and honey-sweet at the same time, these chicken wings will charm your whole family and your guests at festive and other occasions. On top of that, you’ll get a good dose of protein, which supports muscle growth and helps you feel full for longer, and which your body really needs.
You will need
- 100 g honey
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 small chilli pepper
- 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 1 kg chicken wings
- salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, make a marinade by mixing the honey, crushed garlic, ginger, lemon juice, crushed chilli, soy sauce and oil. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Then put the meat in it, mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Take the wings out of the marinade, place them in a roasting tin and bake for 25–30 minutes until golden. Turn them every 5 minutes so they cook through nicely. Finally, pour over the remaining marinade, raise the temperature to 220 and bake for about another 5 minutes. With suitable adjustments, you can also enjoy spicy wings on a keto diet.
🧀 Tip: If you want to make the dish even better, the wings taste excellent with a dip of soured cream mixed with grated blue cheese.
8. Spicy savoury strudel
Do you also enjoy a savoury strudel or other puff pastry variations, which are often part of the refreshments at celebrations? If you answered yes, get your ingredients ready and start cooking this recipe. The spicy flavour is the cherry on top that only makes the strudel better.
You will need
- puff pastry
- Tabasco sauce (or another spicy alternative)
- ham
- cheese
- pizza seasoning or other spices
- egg for brushing
Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle (unless you already have chilled, ready-rolled pastry from the shop). Spread it with Tabasco sauce, which you can happily combine with spicy ketchup or Kremže mustard. Sprinkle with spices and lay slices of ham and cheese on top. Roll up and brush with beaten egg.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C for about 20 minutes until golden. If you prefer bite-sized pinwheels, simply cut the strudel into thin slices before brushing it with egg and continue in the same way.
9. Spicy Chinese-style stir-fry with pork and vegetables
Do you like going to Asian bistros and restaurants? Are noodle stir-fries among the dishes you always order with pleasure and simply can’t resist? Then these spicy noodles are sure to appeal to you. A hotter flavour suits them perfectly and turns them into a bigger and healthier treat.
You will need
- 300 g pork
- 1 small leek
- 250 ml cream
- 300 ml stock or water
- 1 pack of frozen Chinese-style vegetables
- 2 teaspoons chilli
- Chinese seasoning
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- oil
- salt, pepper
- rice noodles
First, cook the noodles and set them aside. Fry the pork, cut into strips, in a drop of oil. Add the leek, sliced into rings, and the Chinese vegetable mix. Then pour in the stock or water, add the chilli, season with salt and pepper and simmer until tender.
Once the meat is cooked through and tender, pour in the cream, season with soy sauce and spices and bring to the boil. Finally, stir in the cooked noodles and serve. If you are not a fan of rice noodles, feel free to swap them for rice or another type of pasta.
10. Lentil patties with a fiery kick
Spicy dishes can also be suitable for vegetarians. But meat eaters will not turn them down either. If you have cooked lentils left over from a previous lunch and do not know how to use them up, you can try this recipe. Believe us, the combination of this pulse and a spicy kick will send you into taste ecstasy.
You will need
- 2 cups cooked lentils
- 1 cup rolled oats
- a medium carrot
- a crushed garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon chilli ketchup
- 2 eggs
- 1 onion
- oregano
- salt, pepper
- a little breadcrumbs
- oil for frying
Soak the oats in water for at least an hour beforehand. Blend one cup of lentils with a stick blender, then add the second cup of lentils, which you do not blend.
Finely grate the carrot and add it to the lentil mixture. Peel the onion, chop it finely, fry it and stir it into the mixture. Then stir in the remaining ingredients.
Mix everything together and shape the patties by hand. Bake them in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for about 20 minutes, 10 minutes on one side, then turn them over for the remaining 10 minutes.
Serve with mashed potatoes or simply on bread with mustard and a gherkin.
And did you know that so-called red lentils are even healthier than ordinary lentils? Do not hesitate to add them to your diet.
🔥 Tip: You can fry the patties the healthy way, without oil, in an air fryer. Food made in it tastes great, is better for our health than conventional frying and is quicker than baking in the oven.
11. Homemade devil’s sauce
Devil’s sauce makes an excellent dressing for all kinds of meat dishes, however they are cooked, as well as for chips or other foods that go well with a dip. Are spicy dishes your favourite? Then you will love devil’s sauce, because it adds just the right amount of heat to any dish.
You will need
- 6 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 chilli peppers
- 2 garlic cloves
- 125 g tartare sauce (half a jar)
- salt, pepper
Mix the ketchup with the soy sauce and sweet paprika. Finely chop the chilli peppers and crush the garlic. Then add them both to the mixture and finally stir in the tartare sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then simply serve and enjoy the spicy flavour.
12. Chilli chicken curry
Discover the magic of curry, which originates from India. This properly spicy sauce can help you fight off winter colds, and it also contains turmeric, which has great health benefits. The dish stands out for its quick preparation and spicy flavour, so it will pleasantly surprise you. Pieces of juicy meat and a bold sauce make a brilliant pair and are perfect for lunch or dinner.
You will need
- 400 g chicken breast
- 1 large tin of coconut milk (can be replaced with soured cream)
- 3 teaspoons potato starch (Solamyl)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small chilli pepper
- 3 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- chicken or vegetable stock (optional)
Cut the chicken breast into large pieces and slice the garlic and chilli pepper. Briefly fry the chicken pieces in olive oil until sealed. Then add the chilli pepper and some of the garlic and fry for a little longer. Next comes the curry powder and turmeric, stirring the mixture constantly so that the spices do not burn.
If you want more sauce with a slightly richer flavour, add chicken or vegetable stock, and only then the coconut milk. Mix the starch with water, pour it into the sauce and bring to the boil. Serve with rice, noodles, pasta or Indian bread.
If you want to make preparing a spicy Indian sauce a little easier, you can use the ready-made Tikka Masala sauces sold in many supermarkets, or the even hotter Vindaloo. All you need to do is fry the chicken and add the sauce.
People either love spicy food or hate it. However, it is worth considering, because spicier dishes containing chilli, pepper and other hot spices are a great help with weight loss, as well as with maintaining good health, a slim figure and inner well-being. So treat yourself to a little devilish heat with a clear conscience.
