Ten Spicy Food Favorites from 2024

2024 has come and gone, but I enjoyed a lot of spicy eating through the year, so now is a good time to take a look back and pick out my favorites. Below are the ten items that I reviewed over the past twelves that stood out among the rest. These are all items that are pretty widely available (at least across the state of Texas), and I will be doing a look at local finds in an upcoming post. The selections on this list are not necessarily the hottest items that I tried during the year, but the ones that came closest to that perfect junction where Fire with Flavor, which is what I look for. And since its hard to say which is best I’m going to list them in the order that I reviewed them, starting with the furthest back. Click on the links for each to read my full reviews.

Caroline Reaper Tacos from Dairy Queen: This fast food establishment may be know for their burgers and soft-serve ice cream, but they make tacos as well and they kicked those up in 2024 by adding Reaper-infused Monterey Jack, and a cool cilantro-lime crema sauce. The shell on these tacos is crispy and not over-fried. The meat is well-seasoned and not greasy, and the lettuce and tomato are fresh and plentiful. The spicy cheese added to the new version (and placed at the bottom) brings some sharpness, and while it doesn’t have much Carolina Reaper flavor, it definitely brings some heat. Then, that cilantro-lime crema brings a little bit of tang and some cooling creaminess. And these tacos are stuffed pretty full, so much so that I had a mini taco salad left from everything that fell out. (Be sure to ask for a fork!) Heat-wise, these went to above Medium on my scale which is pretty good for the drive thru. Sadly, this was a limited-time-only item, but I do hope they bring these back at some point.

Savory Chili WcDonalds Sauce from McDonalds: The Golden Arches added a sauce inspired by Japanese Anime this past year because WcDonald’s is the stand-in for that chain in many of those shows. The sauce has an immediate sweetness followed by a funkiness similar to Gochujang. The fermented soybean paste is part of the reason for the similarity because that is also a main ingredient in that Korean condiment. There are definite notes of ginger as well, along with garlic and soy sauce. It is basically a nice mix of Asian flavors and delivers a more adult version of sweet and sour sauce that is well-balanced and does not go overboard on sweetness. The heat is somewhat of a slow burn, but it gets up close to Medium on my scale, and I found that this went really well on their McChicken Sandwich. It has since disappeared from their condiment drawer but could make a return appearance in 2025.

Fiery Big Fish from Burger King: I am a lover of a good fried fish sandwich, and the King offered a kicked up version in 2024. The The fish filet on this one is a nice-sized piece with a crispy crust, and the “spicy glaze” isn’t so much a glaze as a good coating of spices. The filet is mild in taste but the crust is well-seasoned with a peppery kick and some nice heat. The tartar sauce is fairly standard, but it adds some creaminess and tang if not much sweetness (even though they call it “sweet” tartar sauce). The lettuce adds some crunch and freshness and always goes well with a fish sandwich (the one thing I would add to McDonald’s classic Filet-O-Fish). The pickles are an unexpected addition for this type of sandwich, but they work well enough. The brioche bun is above average for the drive thru with a nice sheen to it and some sweetness, making up for what is lacking in the tartar sauce. This got up to Medium on my scale, so it packed some notable heat for the drive thru. They added it to the menu during Lent season and will hopefully do that again in 2025.

Late July Scorchin’ Sauce Chips: Late July Snacks are made with the “finest organic and Non-GMO ingredients” and they offer a slightly healthier snacking option. The tortilla chips have a rustic, earthy flavor that comes from the natural ingredients, and they deliver a nice crunch. I have enjoyed other flavors I have tried from this brand like Jalapeno Lime, though those don’t have much heat. But now Late July is really kicking things up with their Scorchin’ Sauce chips. These have the richness and tang you expect from a salsa, even though tomatoes are not part of the ingredient list. They also have a bold peppery flavor along with a nice kick that immediately lets you know you are eating something with some heat. There is also some sweetness to balance things out. These go beyond Medium and are approaching Hot on my scale, so they definitely offer some spicy munching. They appear to be a permanent addition to the lineup, and you can find them at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and other places they sell healthy snacks.

Hot Ones Apollo The Last Dab Sauce: The Hot Ones sauces are more widely in available in stores now, and the Apollo The Last Dab definitely cranks up the heat. This one is basically just the Apollo chili (in mashed, powder, and extract form) and vinegar, but that is one hot pepper! It has that intense, peppery taste similar to Dave’s Insanity Sauce, but not quite the insane heat you get from that one. It’s pretty close, though, as I would put this between Fiery and Insane on my scale. You still get some of the flavor from the hot sauce without getting completely overwhelmed by the heat, but you are not going to use more than a drop or two of this one. I would put it very close to Dave’s in both flavor and heat, but a little more tolerable. I also really like the Verde and Rojo sauces they have available, which are lower on the heat at around Medium (more on those here).

Mi Tienda Roja Salsa Taquera: You will find this salsa in the squeeze bottle on the shelf with the other sauces in HEB throughout Texas. It is very much a taco sauce along the lines of what you get at Taco Bell in little packets but with a little more tang and more flavor. You detect some of the acidity of the tomatoes, but the slight sweetness cuts that to a degree. And there is an earthiness and slight smokiness, likely from the Guajillo, though not too much. It has decent heat, approaching Medium on my scale, and I quickly found myself putting this on quite a few items. It goes particularly well with breakfast tacos because it brings a nice kick but does not set your mouth on fire (I don’t usually want too much heat with my morning coffee). This, along with the Mi Tienda Habanero Salsa Taquera, have since become go-to sauces for me (you can read about the latter sauce here), and you can find them at all HEB locations.

Buldak Sriracha Sauce: Buldak is best known as a brand of Ramen noodles by Samyang, and they have several very spicy versions available (more on that here). These noodles typically include a hot sauce packet, and those sauces are also sold in bottles. Just recently, they came up with their own Sriracha, and I stumbled upon it at World Market. This one has a richness to it and a nice depth of flavor, making it a more complex Sriracha. It has a little bit of funkiness to it and a good sweetness along with hints of garlic. There is also a little bit of sourness, but that is not overpowering. Most notable for this sauce, it really delivers on the heat! It goes beyond Medium on my scale and is approaching Hot, and that is pretty high for a Sriracha considering the sauce is generally in the Mild range.

Chile Rellenos con Queso from Trader Joe’s: This item from the Trader Joe’s frozen section offers a quick, easy meal along with an authentic taste. The batter is not too crispy but still has good texture, and the crust of a Chile Relleno does not typically have much crunch to begin with. The poblano pepper has some chew—it isn’t mushy as you might expect from a frozen meal—and offers a good roasted pepper taste with a bit of a kick. The cheese inside is thick and gooey with some sharpness and just a slight pungent touch. The sauce is rich, with a salsa-like taste and a bit of sweetness, pairing well with the Chile Relleno without overpowering it. The heat is right around Mild on my scale, which is about what you would expect from a Chile Relleno. But the flavor really wins out and this offers a quick and easy substitute for what you might get from a local Mexican food joint.

Lay’s Cajun Spice Kettle Chips : Lay’s added a bold new flavor to its Kettle Chips line in 2024, and this one brings a nice Louisiana kick. The taste of Cajun spice hits right away as you bite into the chip, delivering that peppery, creole twang. This uses a robust mix of spices which includes paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and more. There is also just a touch of smoke and not much sweetness, but the chips are definitely quite savory. And they have quite a good crunch, with the combination of spices helping to bring everything together. The heat is not too high, somewhere between Mild and Medium on my scale, but the boldness makes this a chip that spice lovers should enjoy. And as an added bonus, they have been elevated to the permanent Kettle Chip lineup.

Big & Wicked Chicken Sandwich from Golden Chick: This Texas-based chain has been expanding beyond its home state, and it is also making some inroads into the Chicken Sandwich Wars. Its Big & Wicked sammy includes a big piece of chicken, comparable to what Popeyes used to offer before shrinkflation hit that company (as I found with their Ghost Pepper Chicken Sandwich, more on that here). The crust has a good crunch, and it’s well-seasoned, while the thick filet is flavorful and juicy throughout. The Lotta Zing spice definitely kicks up the flavor, while the sauce delivers sweetness, creaminess, and a bit of a bite. The pickles add the expected tang, and I got my sandwich with cheese (for a sixty-cent upcharge), which brings extra creaminess and sharpness. But most importantly, that fresh-baked bun is soft, pillowy, buttery and oh so luscious. It definitely elevates an already excellent sandwich to the next level. The heat only gets to about Mild on my scale, but that’s okay because, taste-wise, this is one of the best clucking chicken sandwiches available in the drive thru.