Welcome to Chili Pepper Madness, where spicy food is always on the menu. We are here to bring you easy-to-follow recipes you can make at home whenever you want, and as SPICY as you want, too.
Hey there, I’m Mike! (Also known as the guy behind Chili Pepper Madness!)
I’m a 2-time cookbook author and lifelong chilihead who’s been obsessed with bold, spicy flavors for as long as I can remember. Together with my wife, Patty, I’ve built Chili Pepper Madness into a go-to resource for anyone who loves adding a kick of heat or bold flavor to their cooking.
My goal is simple: to show you how to take everyday ingredients and turn them into exciting, flavor-packed dishes you’ll love to make and share.
Whether you’re a fan of fiery heat or just a hint of spice, I’ve got recipes, pro tips, and proven techniques to help you bring bold flavors to life in your kitchen. I’m here to help you grow as a cook and maybe as a chilihead, too!
I’m constantly inspired by the incredible ways chili peppers and other vibrant ingredients are used around the world, from comforting American classics with a spicy twist to global cuisines like Thai, Sichuan, and Caribbean, and many other countries.
Every recipe on Chili Pepper Madness is developed, tested, styled, and photographed by me (with help from Patty in the Photography department!) I don’t hire this out like so many other recipe sites. No way! I love bringing my passion for spice to your life!
I started this site over 25 years ago, long before food blogs were a thing, as a way to share my love of chili peppers and hot sauce. It was originally called Jalapeno Madness, but we’ve evolved and we’ve been growing and growing ever since.
We now have millions of visits every month, nearly 200K followers on Pinterest, 78K+ on Facebook, 50K+ on Instagram, and 140K+ on YouTube. I love connecting with you all!
I was even the YouTube Creator of the Day and have a silver plaque from YouTube! How awesome is that?
Patty and I recently made the move from Chicago, IL, to Charlotte, NC, where we’ve been exploring Southern food and BBQ, adding even more depth to our love of spicy cuisine.
We make it a point to travel frequently to study and experience food from around the world. We’ve been all over the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, Spain, Hungary, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Hawaii, even Antarctica!
Everywhere we go we seek out culinary knowledge in the form of cooking classes, food tours, and events, all in search of delicious cuisine so I can share what I learn with you.
Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just getting started, I’m here to help you level up your cooking game.
Let’s get spicy together! Check out my Recipe Index with over 1,000 recipes and dive into the world of bold, exciting flavors.
Features
I am proud to have been featured on YouTube Creator of the Day, WGN News, the Dishing Podcast, and Chile Pepper Magazine, where I was a writer for years.
I’ve been featured on CNN, NY Times, Buzzfeed, Taste of Home, Delish, PopSugar, SheKnows, and Parade.
I’ve also been featured by some fellow food bloggers including Recipe Tin Eats, Tastes Better from Scratch, Salt and Lavender and Downshiftology.
What You'll Find at Chili Pepper Madness
- Lots of Easy Recipes. Some recipes take a while to make and require a certain number of steps, but that isn't my focus. You'll find many recipes you can make in 30 minutes or so and don't require a ton of ingredients.
- Customizable Heat Levels. My recipes are spicy, sure, but I do my best to show you how to adjust them to your own preferred heat and spice level. We believe that flavor is the most important thing, not just heat.
- Dishes from Around the World. Spicy food can be found all over the world, and I just love to learn about it. Thai cuisine has some of the hottest food in the world, as does Chinese cuisine, particularly from the Sichuan region. But I follow the spices and peppers all over, from Asia to South America and anywhere I can follow.
- Classic American Dishes. America has so much to offer when it comes to food, especially spicy food with big flavor. You'll find Cajun cooking (a favorite!), dishes from the American south such as BBQ, low country cooking and more, regional favorites and anything I think you'll love.
- Chili Peppers! I am so obsessed with chili peppers, hence the name of the site. I grow a big variety every year, from milder sweet peppers to the hottest of the superhots. And I cook with them all. You'll find a big list of chili pepper types, preserving information, growing information and more so you can seriously rock the garden and make your own unique recipes and spices from scratch.
- Superhot Recipes. Yes, I have many recipes for those chiliheads at the top of the scale, including recipes with ghost peppers, scorpion peppers, the Carolina Reaper and more.
- Hot Sauce Recipes. This is where I began! I love making my own hot sauce and can show you how to make many different types, including fermented and non-fermented.
I hope you'll explore the site and learn for yourself.
A Bit About Mike
- I'm the Content Creator. I make all the recipes and write them up, as well as write all of the content here on the site. Everything comes from me. I style the dishes and take some of the photos, but that is primarily Patty's job, which leaves me more time to cook!
- I'm a Cookbook Author. I am the author of "The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook", "The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook", and others. By my books alone, you can tell that I am a spicy food aficionado.
- I'm a Screenwriter. Yes, I am a produced screenwriter. Here is the IMDB link if you'd care to take a look. My produced credits include the movies VICTIM, ARENA (starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kellan Lutz) and 12 FEET DEEP. I've been hired to write studio scripts and have optioned others as well. I'm still actively writing.
- I'm a Fiction Writer. I love to write fiction, mostly darker stuff, horror, thrillers. I've published fiction novels and numerous short stories, and have even edited an anthology. I'm also an active member of the Horror Writers Association and get to vote for the Stoker awards. See more about my screenwriting and fiction.
- I'm a Beer Lover. I love craft beer and actively explore local breweries. My favorites are IPAs, Pale Ales and Wheat Beers, though there are so many to enjoy.
A Bit About Patty
- I’m the Photographer, Organizer and Anything Needed. I feel super lucky to be able to do this job full time and I love every minute of it. It’s so great to wake up each morning excited about your job. I’m so passionate about food and love seeing all of you making the recipes and finding your own enjoyment in the dishes.
- I Love Gardening. I love growing our own peppers, tomatoes and other yummy delights. Fresh herbs and produce make every dish taste so much better and I find so much joy in growing it ourselves.
- I Love Spicy Food. Working on our Madness websites has been very rewarding for me. I’m a total converted chilihead now and crave the spice that Mike cooks all the time. There is rarely a dish served in our house without a chili pepper in it, or some sort of spicy flavor blast, and I love it.
- I Love Traveling. I love planning trips and going on them. We moved to North Carolina not too long ago so we could be between the mountains and the beach. I love to relax on the beach with a book or go hiking in the mountains and now we can do this very easily. I also love foodie trips and traveling all over the world. I'm always looking to experience the food in various places. And I love to plan parties, with food always being the most important part.
Some Recent Favorite Recipes
- Pollo Asado Recipe. Mexican roast chicken is so good! It's the ultimate roast chicken with bone-in chicken marinated in citrus and spices, quick grilled then roasted for big flavor. So tender and juicy.
- Kung Pao Chicken Recipe. This is the ultimate stir fry with chunks of marinated chicken stir fried with peppers, scallions and peanuts and an easy but flavorful sauce. Nice and spicy.
- Tikka Masala Recipe. This recipe is a creamy Indian-style curry with chunks of yogurt-marinated roasted chicken simmered in a flavorful curry sauce. It is very comforting and perfect for any curry lover.
- Texas Chili Recipe. A bowl of perfection right here! This Texas chili is authentic, meaty, just the right amount of spicy, and not a chili bean in sight.
- Grilled Jerk Chicken Wings. These chicken wings are huge on flavor, with wings rubbed down with loads of jerk seasoning, then grilled until nice and crispy. Fire up that grill, my friends!
- Smoked Jalapeno Poppers. This is the ultimate party food with bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers stuffed with loads of melty cheese and seasonings, then smoked for the most outstanding flavor. These will be your new favorite poppers!
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce Recipe. This is so easy to make with hot sauce, butter, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and more – it’s so much better than anything you can grab from the store.
- Muffaletta Sandwich Recipe. I love this one! This is the ultimate sandwich from New Orleans, piled high with Italian meats, cheese, and a homemade spicy olive tapenade. Feeds a crowd!
- See Mike's Favorite Recipes and Patty's Favorite Recipes.
John Miller says
Hi Mike
I have over 300 superhots that are loaded with fruit. I am looking for a mango pinapple recepie to use with the red fruit-(reaper,scorpion,primotalli,dragons breath etc.)
Basically want to know if I can use 100% fruit juice instead because of the amount of ripe mango and pinapple needed.
Bought from the store this would make the recepie a lot easier.
Mike Hultquist says
John, I have a couple older recipes here you can refer to:
https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/hot-sauces/pineapple-mango-ghost-pepper-hot-sauce/
https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/hot-sauces/pineapple-mango-fatalii-hot-sauce/
The big consideration is using juice instead of fruit. The fruit adds some bulk, so you'll need to use less of the juice. I would use the amounts of the superhots by weight or amounts for both the peppers and fruit, then replace the other liquids in the recipe with the juice. You'll need vinegar for preserving/acidity, though. Best to shoot for a pH of 3.5 or lower for home keeping. 4.7 is considered shelf stable. Best to email me directly for more of a discussion if needed.
Lois Luckovich says
Hi Mike, Have you heard about the comeback of fish peppers? They are a Caribbean/Jamaican pepper that has been used as spice for seafood. I've just found out about them and hope to grow them next year as I was able to find seed on Amazon
Mike Hultquist says
Lois, I have! I heard about them years ago being rare peppers, but then someone sent me seeds. I hear about them more and more now. Glad to see the comeback!
Sean E. says
I saw someone on another YouTube channel that went thru cooking 3 different stews. The first 2 I recognized from you - Hungarian Goulash and Irish stew. Think I like your recipe better! The last one was for Beef Bourgignon. I did a search for that recipe on your site, but didn't find it. If I didn't miss it, any chance you could come up with another gem of a recipe for that stew?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Sean! Beef bourguignon isn't typically spicy, which is why I don't have it on the site, though I suppose I could do a version where spices could be added. I have a similar recipe you might check out, though - Classic Beef Stew (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/beef-stew/) which is similar.
Terry Stewart says
Love making your hot sauces as I grow my own super hots every year. I would like to know what is the most common vinegar do you use? I know there are many types and will depend on what flavor mix we like.
Mike Hultquist says
Terry, I use a typical white vinegar, a white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar most commonly. They work great and I enjoy the flavor.
Marc Felker says
Just received Flavor Madness today. Wow you really put a lot of work into it! I recognize and have made several of the recipes off the website and I agree that
they are definitely top shelf material worth repeating. Armed with this and your previous book,Spicy Food Lovers Cookbook, and of course Chili Pepper Madness
website to answer any questions, I will be all set for the winter, eating well,gaining weight, and bringing joy to our family. Diet? Springtime Maybe?
Good Job
Mike H. says
Haha, love it, Marc. Thanks a lot for your support, and I am so happy to hear you've got your copy of the book now. Enjoy and you know where to find me if any questions! =)
Mike Hentz says
Hi, Mike,
So you mentioned 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for extra spicy, 3 tablespoons chili powder or more to taste for your classic chili.
So what kind of peppers are used for the chili powder?
(Your latest book is on its way.I can't wait to read it).
thanks, Mike Hentz
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, Mike! I use a chili power blend for most of my chilies, basically like this blend - https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/chili-powder/. I hope you enjoy my book!!
Mike Powell says
OH, it is Mike again, the geochemist. I forgot to add that the facination with the soil/plant nexus is because, like us, plants are what they eat ... this makes it doubly for me.
Mike Hultquist says
For sure! Super interesting, actually!
Mike Powell says
Hi Mike and Patty,
I am a geochemist, so I do a lot of work with soils and soil/plant relationships. I too love chilis and making salsas and sauces. My source of chilis is a friend that grows his own, he gives me literally 1000s of chilis every season, typically of the higher octame variety. I dry, powder, freeze and process these goodies.
Anyway, I ofter think that I missed my calling (I worked my way through 12 years if university working in restaurants and bars to pay the rent); I do love the culinary path. I seldom make anything from a written recipe without altering it substantially. My favorite additions come from the Latin and Asian (So.) list of goodies.
I am just now processing my most recent (2 days ago) batch of peppers from my friend; for the first time I am going to turn vurtually of the the jems into paste. I plan on reading a lot of your entries before I start today.
I just want to say thanks for being out there and for your dedication to what you do !!!
Mike
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much for sharing this, Mike! Sounds awesome!! I hope you some useful info and recipes you enjoy here!
Torben says
Hi Mike.
A lot of time I have make your Pineapple Mango Hot Sauce with Ghost Chili, and here I have used Scotch Bonnet chili pebber.
Now I want to replace your Ghostpepper chili with Carolina Reaper in your Hot Sauce.
Have you tried to use Carolina Reaper in this Sauce?
Mike Hultquist says
Torben, you can definitely use reapers in that sauce, or pretty much any of my hot sauces, really. Nice and hot and works great. Let me know how it goes.