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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
David A Murray says
Hello Mike! Thank you for the delicious hot sauce recipes! I have made the Fresno, green jalapeño, and fermented cayenne hot sauces this year! They are all delicious and many friends have enjoyed them as well, with a few brews of course.
We grew several varieties of sweet and hot peppers in our garden. Only have the tabascos left to process. Also made our own chili powder.
Thanks again!
Mike Hultquist says
Wonderful!
Cindy P says
As a south texan, I love my Tex Mex!! You have won me over with this recipe. Great Job Mike!!!
Mike H. says
Thank you, Cindy! I am really happy to hear it.
Rob says
Hi Mike,
Keep up the good work, I have been following your recipes for along time now, it has really helped in my homemade chili sauce creations where I love to combine my home grown chilis with different types of fruit and beer. I did Carolina Reaper Beef Jerky this week which was my A game for sure, although it made my wife cry after 6 hours in the dehydrator. Moruga Trinidad Scorpions and Bhut Jolokias/Ghosts have to be top of the list, but I'm still really a sucker for the good old Scotch Bonnet/Habanero, all really easily available in the UK surprisingly too....
Anyway, I'm off for a sunday afternoon beer,
Take care,
Rob B
BTW Your lovely wife Patty is as hot as your food, nice one 🙂
Mike Hultquist says
You got that right, Rob. I love to hear all the growing info. Have fun, and have a beer for me. Cheers.
Kathleen Flores says
I made masa harina round tortillas and fried them,they would be more delicious with your chorizo with refried beans and any type of cheese on top .
Mike Hultquist says
I'm in!
Susan Germundson says
My sister-in-law made us some of this Cowboy Candy. It is amazing. Thankfully she shared the recipe and now I have a great use for my over active jalepeno plants.
Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Susan!
David says
Hey Mike. I see your from or went to school here NIU. I’m a Dekalb native. I love your recipes!!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks, David! I do miss my college days!
Robert says
Can you mix peppers in a fermented mash or should it consist of only one type?
Mike H. says
Robert, you can definitely mix peppers in a fermented mash! Combining different types of peppers can add complexity and depth of flavor to your ferment. Just be sure to balance the flavors and heat levels to your taste.
Diane says
Looking for ideas for a huge harvest of Thai peppers. I was thinking of red pepper flakes and was hoping you had a recipe for drying them in the oven?
Mike Hultquist says
Diane, I have information here you can review - Drying Chili Peppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/drying-chili-peppers/
Rick Curtis says
Mike,
I have been a subscriber to your email list for over a year and have really enjoyed your homemade Tabasco sauce recipe. Recently, I modified it a bit since I ferment my peppers for a month or two before making my sauce. I have been using equal parts water and white wine vinegar (one cup of each) and one tbsp of pickling salt in a standard size wide mouth Mason jar. It seems to be working fine, but I wanted to know if you see any problem with that technique in terms of spoilage or other food safety concerns.
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Rick. I appreciate it. Glad you're enjoying the site. This technique is really more like pickling. It will definitely work, but may achieve different flavors. With fermenting, the acid builds up slowly and progressively, in layers, which gives that ultimately funky flavor. Adding vinegar absolutely works, but it builds an acidic environment right off the bat instead of gradually.
Irene Pfeiffer says
Any idea where I can purchase some seed/pods for the Cascabel small yellow hot peppers. I hav been looking for years. Love to pickle them.
Thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Irene, you can start with my resources page: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/resources/
Pat Greene says
Mike,
Great website with a ton of useful information. I like that you use weights where possible to eliminate variation.
I love to make hot sauce and use your recipes, but I have a hard time getting enough fresh peppers. I have about 50 plants this year with 60% cayenne and the rest varied between Thai, scotch bonet, ghost and habanero. I take the stems off and vacuum pack in a single layer then freeze until I am ready to use in sauce.
I was trying to source some peppers from a local source but not much to be had in my mid-Michigan climate. Nothing to speak of available on line for fresh peppers either. I do see a lot of places that offer a Cayenne pepper mash. I would like to use this as the base and then add some of my own hotter peppers to personalize the flavor. When you call for a pound of peppers, would I use a pound of pepper mash?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Mike Hultquist says
Pat, 1 pound of fresh peppers pureed with a bit of vinegar or other liquid will yield roughly 1-1/2 to 1-1/2 cups of puree/mash. That's a good base to start with.
Bruce Hultquist says
I can't wait to try your Fajita Marinade recipe. I know it's going to be great because your a Hultquist!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, there you go, Bruce! Hultquists gotta stick together! We are pretty great, aren't we? =)
Pamela says
I just purchased your cookbook from iBooks. I wish you would put the nutrition of each dish. I follow a low carb lifestyle and I like to know the carbs in a recipe.
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Pamela. It doesn't seem to be an industry standard with cookbooks. My publisher didn't ask for that information, and none of the cookbooks I own provide that information, either. It's not a bad idea, though, as I do provide that info for the recipes here on the site. Something for me to keep in mind if I do another cookbook.
papa says
Alright, pal.
Are you aware that the link to your personal web site redirects to the Mountain Amateur Radio Club?
Youm might want to update that if you no longer own the domain I guess!
PS the full stop/period on the hyperlink at the end of .com also carries over. Might cause a few issues?
Anyway top site, Pal. Thanks for what you and the missus do!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks for the alert, Papa! I appreciate it!
Robin says
Mike,
Love your recipes and as a chili head myself I'm always on the lookout for new ideas.
I've recently found a Mango and Mint hot sauce and was wondering if you had any ideas on how to recreate it?
Mike H. says
Hi, Robin. Got a few recipes with mango here, and with mint leaves - here. Give them a try!
Angela Marie Mai says
Mike,
You noted that Cowhorn Peppers make a good addition to the Cajun Holy Trinity. What ratio would you add for a medium heat level?
Mike Hultquist says
Heat can vary to people, but you can just use them in place of the bell peppers. The trinity is a 1:1:1 ratio of peppers, celery, and onion. Here's a link to review: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/cajun-holy-trinity/
Laurie says
Hi Mike - love your site! Question: How would you describe the difference between Texas Chili and Chili Colorado?
Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Laurie. While mine are pretty similar, the main difference is in how each can vary. You'll get a lot more variation with Texas-Style Chili, particularly the meats used, and the additions.
scott says
Hi Mike if i follow your recipe with the exact ingredits . CAn i use your Nutrition Information for botteling.
Thanks for your input. i live in Montreal Canada and they are very strick on bottoling.
Mike Hultquist says
Scott, you might get an independent evaluation. My nutritional information is estimated by my recipe card plugin. FYI.
Mike D. says
hey chef Mike! 1st time making chili paste - using all ancho and some Thai chilis, I re-hydrated them 20 minutes, de-seeded them and blended, smells good but very bitter??? is it my peppers? used dried Badia Ancho 6 oz - amazingly rich color & texture but...
I read about the time factor and all but am just surprised at the bitterness and wondering if this is normal (my first go-around)
Love your site - I started reading you while I was dodging things in Haiti, they had some great spices and stuff but better to leave - now in Baghdad and cant cook too much - time to retire! (foreign service officer w/ African wife, farm in Uganda).
thanks for your efforts!
Mike
cheers
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Mike! Sounds like an adventurous life! Regarding Bitterness - yes, this happens sometimes. It comes from the drying process, as sometimes the skins can be a touch bitter, as well as the seeds. The bitterness can usually be balanced out with salt and sugar (or sweet, like honey), but not too much, just enough to balance it out. You can also add in other ingredients, like spices/herbs, tomatoes, etc, to balance it out. Also, next time don't use the soaking water, as that can have bitterness, too, depending on the chilies used. It happens to me sometimes as well. FYI. I hope this helps.
Dennis says
Hi Mike,
I've just started on the recipes on your site which I am finding very useful and tasty. But I was surprised by your commentary (so far) missing what I was soon to discover was a vital aspect to my chili sauce - time for the flavor to develop. I used a real simple chili powder recipe with vinegar. I am on my second go now. But what I found was that when made the sauce does not taste great. But with a month in the fridge really very tasty and desirable.
I would not want anyone to be put off when first preparing one of your recipes. So perhaps your would like to add a bit of commentary about your experience with this aspect of chili sauces 🙂
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks for the feedback Dennis. I do mention "time" being a factor in many of my newer sauce recipes, but yep, some of the older ones can use an update. But in general, yes, most will change/mellow/improve with age. Cheers.