It’s been a busy year, trying the many spicy foods out there (while throwing back some beers once in a while), but it is a job that someone has to do! Throughout 2022, I have found quite a few items that brought the heat and paired that with good flavor, and I decided to compile my list of the ten best as we head into the new year. All of these are new items for 2022, or I tried them for the first time this year. They were not all necessarily the hottest I tried, but the combination of heat and taste moved them to the top of my list. Some have already headed back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville (please come back soon), while others are available for you to go try whenever you like. Click on the links to read my full reviews for each of these.
Screamin’ Sriracha Doritos
: I don’t know how long this flavor has been around because I only just recently discovered it, but I am sure hoping these start showing up more often on the shelves. Just like the name says, these are heavy on the Sriracha flavor and they bring a nice kick as well. Taste-wise, I would put these up there among my favorites from the many Doritos varieties, and I may have to resort to ordering online in order to have a steady supply. Heat Level: Medium+
Arby’s Diablo Roast Beef: Fast food joints are always promising spicy and rarely delivering, but the diablo selections from Arby’s definitely bring the heat. The sauce and diced peppers added to these make for some scorching sandwiches, and that went particularly well with their roast beef. The chicken sandwich version also worked out well (you can read my thoughts on that here), but it is nice to have some spicy options in the drive thru that are not poultry based. These have ventured back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville, but hopefully Arby’s will get them on the regular rotation and bring them back throughout the year. Heat Level: Hot to Fiery
Ghost Rush Wings from Wing Daddy’s Sauce House: Wing Daddy’s is a smaller wing chain that is slowly building up its presence in the south, and it is worth a trip if you have a location near you. Their Ghost Rush wings (the hottest flavor they have) are particularly nice because they are different from your standard wings. They have a rich sweetness with a very peppery blast and seem like a fiery mix of Caribean Jerk and Korean barbecue. And they definitely deliver on the heat! The menu has plenty more to offer beyond wings, including some spicy burgers that look pretty tempting. But if you are craving wings, this is certainly a good place to check out. Heat Level: Hot to Fiery
Wingstop Atomic Chicken Sandwich: The chicken sandwich wars raged on in 2022, and a place that has been frying up hot chicken for years finally decided it was time to join the action. Wingstop is a favorite of mine to stop for wings, and now I am adding their chicken sandwich to the must-buy list. It measures up well to the competition, and you can get it with any of their sauces or rubs. I went with the Atomic sauce and it definitely lit up the party! Considering that you can get this as a combo with a drink and a very large order of fries for eight bucks, this is one of the best chicken sandwich deals out there. Heat Level: Hot to Fiery
Spicy Alamo Bowl from Gogi Street in San Antonio: For years I had been driving by this local Korean Fusion place thinking that I had to stop in and try it at some point. And in 2022 I finally did just that. And of course I went for the hottest thing on the menu which turned out to be quite a hit. The Spicy Alamo Bowl is piled high with barbecue chicken and beef along with fresh avocados and spicy sauces and more. It was so big that I split it into two meals and was quite full both times. And all of that for right at thirteen bucks. Gogi Street is now Go-To Street for me with plenty of other tasty dishes to try, though I have a hard time getting past the Spicy Alamo Bowl! Heat Level: Hot
Spicy Blackened Chicken from Popeyes: Popeye’s put out another chicken sandwich to keep the competition on its toes this year, and this one is quite a hit. Instead of battered and fried, they went with blackened and fried and that worked out quite well. This one is drenched in Cajun seasoning and really delivers a blast of taste. Then that spicy sauce kicks it beyond the Medium heat level and really sets your mouth on fire. You might think you are saving some calories because it doesn’t have the breading, but it’s not enough to make too much of a difference. Still, I think this one wins in the taste category and it is my go-to sandwich from the Popeyes drive thru as long as it stays on the menu (and it is currently still there now). Heat Level: Medium+
Pringles Scorchin’ Hot Ones Los Calientes Verde
: The chip companies are always promising spicy snacks, especially Pringles with their Scorchin’ line. (And they seem to have the same aversion to having a “g” in the adjective as Lays: Flamin’, Screamin’, what the heck?) Well this year Pringles teamed up with Hot Ones and finally delivered on the heat. Not that these were easy to find as the marketing campaign had them only in select locations. But I did track down a can of the Los Calientes Verde chips (in a pharmacy in New York City of all places), and I rather enjoyed gobbling that down. They had a good salsa verde taste and they really had quite a kick. Sadly these were only around for a very short time and I didn’t get to try the other flavors, but I am hoping Pringles will decide this was a good venture and team up with Hot Ones again in the near future. Heat Level: Hot
Panera Spicy Take Chef’s Chicken Sandwich: It should be no surprise that I have three chicken sandwiches on this list because that is the spicy item of choice from the food industry these days. And this one comes from the fast casual establishment Panera which decided to take its own shot at battling it out in the chicken sandwich wars. Their spicy sammie is not breaded and fried, but the heavy coat of seasoning gives it a crust of sorts. And like the new blackened chicken from Popeyes, this one delivers a nice Cajun kick. Heat-wise it is lacking, but it makes up for that in the flavor department. And you can always give it a kick with one of the packages of Cholula they have in the condiment trays. This is a pretty pricey sandwich at twelve bucks (that includes a bag of chips), so budget accordingly. But it is definitely a good permanent addition to Panera’s menu. Heat Level: Mild
Arby’s Spicy Fish Sandwich: Lent is coming up soon and that means that fast food joints will be featuring their fish sandwiches, some of which are on the menu only for a few months out of the year. And fortunately over the past couple of years they have decided to spice up their fish sammies with good results. Popeyes gave us the Spicy Cajun Flounder (you can read my review of that here), and Arby’s has reeled in its own spicy fish sandwich. Both are good, but of the two I liked the Arby’s sammie the best. It includes a big piece of fish that is well-seasoned and kicked up even more with diced, fire-roasted jalapenos. I love a good fish sandwich and I am certainly hoping they will bring this one back for lent in 2023, or maybe just make it part of the permanent menu. That Diablo sauce would probably go nicely with one of these as well. Heat Level: Medium+
Spicy Lover’s Double Pepperoni Pizza from Pizza Hut: Typically when you are craving spicy food you are not thinking about pizza, but The Hut wants to change that with its Spicy Lover’s line. They kick these up with spicy marinara, sliced red peppers, and “Fiery Flakes” and all of that pairs quite nicely with pepperoni which already has a bit of a kick. The pie is not super hot, but it still brings a nice bit of a burn and delivers a spicy twist on pizza from The Hut. These only stuck around for a few months, but they arrived right around the NFL playoff time in 2022 so I am hoping these will be making a return trip shortly. Heat Level: Mild to Medium