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 3-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! Learn more about my philosophy and how I test all of my recipes.
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, 176K+ on Facebook, 58K+ on Instagram, and 230K+ 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 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.
Adele says
Mike and Patty! I just wanted to say I am so glad I stumbled across this website.
It is truly the website of my dreams.
I spend more time than most trolling the internet for spicy recipes from around the world, and they are ALL HERE.
Nothing really productive to comment other than I am giving the Texan Chili a go this weekend. As like most Australian's I've never had the opportunity to try one and cant wait.
Anyway thank you both and keep up the good work.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Adele. I appreciate it, and hope you find many recipes you enjoy!
Matt says
Hi Mike,
I just watched your new video and love your apron! I don't see it in your store. where can I get one?
thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Matt, it's an X-Chef apron. It was a gift. I'm not sure where you can buy it. Sorry!
jo merrell says
Hi Mike,
Jo (nopigeon) here again. Just discovered Calabrian chilis after watching a Pasta Grammar video on YouTube. I asked a friend here in Florida who travels frequently to Italy about them. He said they are a 'real' thing'.
He grows them. They are Delicious. Are you familiar with them? I ordered a jar of crushed Calabrian peppers on line and will try to grow some. I can send you some seeds if I succeed. I've had luck with Habs, Thais, serranos, Bhut Jolokias and everything but datils despite living only an hour South of St Augustine.
Stay hot and ......Cool!
Mike H. says
Hey, Jo - thanks - Calabrians are amazing! I actually have a detailed post on them here. You may also want to make Calabrian Chili Paste - it is so good!
AARON says
Hi Mike,
While living in Hawaii for many years, two brothers from California had a small taco/burrito location that made a ground beef, potato, jalapeno burrito to die for. Do you have any plans to add burritos to your recipe list, or better yet, try your hand at creating this one with your spicy culinary skills. I have followed, made & enjoyed many of your recipes. Keep up the good work, fantastic site !!!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Aaron! I don't do many burrito recipes, but I have MANY recipes here that you can use to make burritos. The burrito/taco you had sounds like Mexican Picadillo to me. Give this recipe a try and wrap it into a burrito. Great for tacos, too! https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/beef/mexican-picadillo/
AARON says
Thanks Mike! I had watched your video earlier this morning for your Picadillo and had the same thoughts 🙂 Will try tonight !!
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy!
Peter N, Proquitte says
Dear Mike,
I have been following you for some time now and indeed have tried some of your fantastic recipes, A big thank you to you and your Partner. Please keep up of such good work!!!
Kind regard, Peter
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Peter! Glad you're enjoying the recipes!
Barney Guyett says
I was looking at your Cincinnati chili recipe and it calls for red pepper. Can you tell me what red pepper is??? I have some Indian red pepper.
Mike Hultquist says
Barney, use red pepper flakes, or use cayenne for hotter, or paprika for milder. The Indian red pepper will work nicely. Enjoy!
Sandy Nelson says
Hi Mike and Patty, I am also from Northern Illinois, Rockford area and now live in the Charlotte area. I see the last comment also from a former Midwesterner. We like craft beer and spicy food too. What are your thoughts on all of us ex pats meeting for a couple beers in or near Charlotte some time to make new friends? I’m a travel agent I work from my home and it’s hard to meet new people here.
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, Sandy. I shot you an email. =)
Raymond Laing says
Thanks Mike love your weekly recipes. Out of interest do you have a recipe for Shito, it's a hot sauce from Ghana?
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Raymond. I do have one, but need to get it on the site. Check out the cookbook "Zoe's Ghana Kitchen" for a good one, which I've adapted from. I hope to get it online soon!
Jerry says
Guys. I am new to cooking just since I retired five years ago and only found you folks a few months ago. ALL of these have been life changing events for me and especially those I cook for - whether good or bad! Thank you for opening my eyes to this spicy world!!
As a sidenote, I grew up in Chicago as well, 63rd and Harlem, and now live just a short pepper-throw north of Charlotte!
Thanks again!
Mike Hultquist says
Wow, yes, similar paths, Jerry! Glad to help! We're really enjoying the Charlotte area.
William Berry says
I am a lover of very spicy foods, and am developing a deep attraction to Korean food. You recipes have been very helpful.
I have purchased several different brands of Gochujang paste, but have found none of them to be nearly spicy enough for my palate.
You're the expert in spicy. What is the hottest Gochujang paste available in the United States, specifically Los Angeles, California?
Thank you for your assistance.
Mike Hultquist says
William, I'm not sure which brand it hottest, but you can always enhance the heat of any brand with a nice spicy chili powder or by adding hotter peppers. Sorry I couldn't help more.
John Kelly says
Hola Mike..
I see we have the same Barber. I live in Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico. Have a small farm on the Tuxpan Rio with my Esposa Marcela.
So many Chilies, so little time. All have their own purpose in different recipes is my thought. Excellent Site and recipes and I wish you and yours an excellent Nuevo Ano. Below is a link to my Craft Beer Amigo.. IPA, Wheat and Pilsner are my top 3 followed by Stout. Take Care.
https://untappd.com/w/cerveceria-tajin/302791
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds great, John. I'll have to try that beer!
Jan Turner says
I like what you have to say but everyone doesn't love experimenting or cooking for that matter. You have the ingredients and instructions on how to make things but not how much of each. I was going to try making homemade sriracha sauce but didn't.
Mike Hultquist says
Jan, be sure to review the Recipe Card at the bottom of each recipe for exact measurements and amounts. Let me know if you have trouble finding it.
Mark says
Hi Mike,
Originally from New York now I live in Littleton NC. Was wondering if you can help me out with a sauce my dad use to make for tomatoes. He loved growing tomatoes and liked to kick it up a notch with some heat. Not sure if it was his own concoction or he found a recipe for it. But he used ketchup first added vinegar and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. It did have a kick to it but not sure if it was Tobacco or something else but it wasn't horseradish. It wasn't like a cocktail sauce but had the power of one. Just wondering if you have had something like it and could possibly figure out what the spice could have been if you have has something similar. I have tried for years and have never been able to replicate it exactly. He would only make a small portion of it for one tomato. He would slice the tomato spread the sauce on each slice it was outstanding. I was 11yrs old the last time he made it now 51 and he is long gone. I do miss that everytime i have a tomato. Thanks in advance for your time and I do look forward to making all of your hot sauces.
Mike H. says
Hi Mark, thank you for sharing your heartfelt story. It sounds like your dad had his very special way of making that tangy and spicy sauce, so it would be hard for anyone to replicate it. I am sure he had one or two secret ingredients there, too. 🙂 With that said, I have a big collection of homemade sauce recipes that you could check. See if any of them rings a bell maybe?
Mark says
Hi
My pepper plants went nuts this year and I found your site looking for a way to use them all. Excellent info.
Question, I fermented a batch of serrano peppers and a batch of jalapeno peppers with just the peppers and salt, not with the brine. I am ready to make hot sauce but the recipes call for the brine fermented peppers.
I do not want to toss three months of fermentation. How should I approach these recipes (specifically the spicy serrano hot sauce)
Thanks for the great info.
Mike H. says
Hi Mark. There should not be a significant difference in the process for peppers with or without the brine. The brine basically adds a tangy and slightly salty element, so if you don't use it, you will just need to adjust the flavor a bit to match your expectations, but that's about it.