2023 is wrapping up and there's a lot of spicy eating on the way in the coming year, but now is a good time to take a look back and pick out my favorites among the items I have reviewed over the past twelve months. I tried quite a few spicy items during that time (it's a hard job, but somebody has to do it), and several of those stood out among the rest. Some are local finds, some are available at the chain restaurants or national grocery...
Bottom Line: The new Pork Carnitas tacos from El Pollo Loco are quite tasty and pair well with their spicy Salsa Roja.
El Pollo Loco is a Mexican-American fast food chain that specializes in chicken, but I usually seem to find myself trying the non-poultry items on the menu. I previously tried the birria beef tacos (more on that here) and just recently stopped in to sample their Pork Carnitas Tacos. Their fire-grilled chicken--which is their...
It's just a few days before Christmas and you may still be looking for a last-minute gift option for someone you know who loves spicy food. Might I suggest Fuego Box which is a hot sauce of the month club that offers carefully selected craft sauces from across the world. These are not the generic concoctions made in places like China and thrown together in a cheap set, these are mostly small-batch sauces made by people who care about the...
Bottom Line: Dave’s Hot Chicken takes tenders to that next level while also amping up the heat.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is a new chicken-focused chain that has been taking the country by storm, and if you have one near you I highly recommend trying it out. Two locations have opened in San Antonio, but neither are very convenient to me, so I had not gotten around to sampling their poultry offerings. But I happened to be on the south side of town...
Bottom Line: The Tabanero Hot Sauce Challenge makes for a good gift with quality sauces that range from Medium to Insane levels on the heat scale.
As Christmas Day approaches and you find yourself doing some last-minute shopping, you might be tempted to grab one of those generic hot sauce gift sets for someone who enjoys spicy foods. But don’t do it! (More on that here.) Instead, seek out hot sauces that are not cheaply made in China or...
New Hot & Spicy Fire Wok Ramen Packets from Nissin
Nissin has come up with two new flavors in its Hot & Spicy Fire Wok line and these will be sold in packets instead of bowls. The new offerings are Torched Teriyaki Chicken and Screamin' Sichuan Beef, and these come with chili-infused noodles and seasonings along with hot sauce packets. The company rates the heat level based on a scale of one to six chili peppers with the Teriyaki...
This twist on the classic snack mix recipe delivers a holiday favorite with a quite a kick.
Ingredients: 2 Cups Chex Mix or Broken Up Triscuits 2 Cups Pita Chips (Broken Up) 2 Cups Cheese Crackers 2 Cups Pretzels ¾ Cup Unsalted Peanuts 2 Tablespoons Butter 1/3 Cup Sriracha Sauce 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 to 2 Drops Extract Sauce (i.e., Dave’s Insanity Sauce) 2 Teaspoons Seasoned Salt 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder Directions: Preheat the...
We are in the thick of the gift-giving season, and there are plenty of those generic hot sauce sets on the shelves this time of year. But pass those on by (as I discuss in more detail here) and look for craft hot sauces or sets from known brands. Following are several that I have seen of late that should certainly make good gifts for lovers of spicy foods.
Hot Ones Party Pack
This is from the guys behind the Hot Ones YouTube channel and has a...
You will likely have plenty of leftover turkey (or other types of poultry) in the fridge this time of year, so this recipe is a good way to put that to use and add some heat. Ingredients 2 Cups Cooked Turkey (White Meat, Dark Meat, and Skin), Chopped
⅓ Cup Sweet Onion, Diced
⅓ Cup Bell Pepper (or 2 Mini-Sweet Peppers), Diced
1 Jalapeño, Diced
1 Serrano, Minced ((Optional)
1 Tablespoon Oil
¼ Cup Salsa
1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning or Chili...
Bottom Line: The Blazin’ Knockout Sauce from BWW packs a lot of heat but may be taking things a bit too far as the flavor gets lost in the mix.
Buffalo Wild Wings has long been one of my favorite wing destinations, and they have what I consider to be the best of the superhot sauces among the chains which is their Blazin’ option. The original version of that delivers plenty of heat along with good taste, and is definitely something that fans...