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.
Stan Garnett says
In your Mongolian beef video what kind of wok did you use? I would like to get one. thanks
Mike Hultquist says
It's a Hexclad, Stan. Enjoy!
L Almond says
Recently discovered your website. LOVE IT! Grew up outside of Albemarle (east of Charlotte). 2.5 years outside of Baton Rouge then 4 years at La. Tech. 15+ years in/out of New Mexico. So......your recipes/sauces/etal are spot on! Will be growing many new plants this Spring. Kudos!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks so much! I'm really loving the Charlotte area. Good eating where you've lived!
Shawn Roseburgh says
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes! Keep up the great work ️
Mike H. says
I appreciate it, Shawn. Enjoy!
Keith R. Ker says
Mike, Years ago (early 70s) I had burritos covered in green sauce at a small restaurant in Broomfield Colorado. The burritos were excellent, but the green sauce was so wonderful that I have tried to find anything similar in all these years since. Most green sauces use tomatillos which leave me with a rather sharp acidic taste. This sauce was very mild with a smooth chili taste. I've tried everything and been unable to come even close. Can you recommend which of the many chili sauces you have presented might possibly come closest to such a sauce.
Incidentally, I went back to Broomfield several years ago hoping to beg for the recipe, but the restaurant was gone. I was told it had been closed because they were caught putting dog food in their burritos. My initial reaction was "Yuck", but a moment later I was wishing I had gotten the recipe anyway.
Mike Hultquist says
Keith, see my Creamy Jalapeno Sauce Recipe (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/creamy-jalapeno-sauce/), which is called "Salsa Dona" in Mexico. Let me know if this is the one.
Debbie Hanson says
Hi Mike,
I love your recipes!
I recently received a cooler full of Omaha Steaks for Christmas. Included were 2 - 1lb package of Sirloin cubes.
I went to their site and there’s really not a lot of info on sirloin cubes, so I was wondering what your ideas were for these cubes. Google search results in a million results for “steak bites.” Not sure but I don’t think I want steak bites. My experience with Omaha Steaks is the sirloin is not very tender. Does cutting it into cubes make it more tender.
I was thinking of using it more like stew meat, or like in your chili recipes that don’t use ground beef. Something that will cook it low and slow to not only tenderize, but infuse it with flavor.
Sorry to bother you with someone else’s product, but I love your recipes so thought I’d ask you.
Thank you for any ideas!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Debbie. Yes, a stew or chili would be great for sirloin, which can be a little tough. Or, try one of my steak stir fry recipes, especially ones that use a quick marinade with corn starch, which can help tenderize the meat. Let me know what you wind up making!
Paul says
What a lovely thought to wish us all a happy Christmas!
Thank you for your recipes throughout the year,wishing yiu both a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2025 from England
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Paul! Cheers!
Greg says
Hi Mike,
Just wanted to say thank you for all of the wonderful recipes. Whenever i want something spicy, which is often, your site is the first one (and 99% of the time, the last one) I look to. I appreciate all of your effort and the time you take to post.
Thanks again,
Greg
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Greg! I greatly appreciate the kind words.
Jonathan G Suddith says
Hey guys,
I really enjoy your site! I have a mystery pepper that popped up in 2024 from a pack of seeds labelled "Purple Ghost", but it's a totally different pepper. VERY HOT!
I'd like to send some pics, maybe y'all have some idea...
Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Jonathan. Shoot me an email.
Lowe says
My wife and I really enjoy your website . We grow several varieties of peppers and look forward to learning how to use them in new recipes!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Lowe!
Guy St Hilaire says
I should not be looking at this site before I have had something to eat .LOL
Thank you so much for this site.LOVE IT !
Mike Hultquist says
Haha, making you hungry!! Thanks, Guy! That's what I'm here for.
Ralph Telles says
How long do you boil eggs for deviled eggs?
Mike H. says
Depends on the size of the eggs. Large eggs would require 10-12 minutes, for example.
Al says
Love the site, has helped me make some pretty good fermented sauces. Last year was xochiteco & brazilian starfish sauces. This year I had a huge crop of Scotch Bonnets and Carolina Reapers. Fermented each for 5 weeks, then blend with a little vinegar and boiled for a bit. So far so good (although i'm too scared to try the reaper sauce)
Mike H. says
Happy to hear to, thank you! And I am excited to hear what you think about the reaper sauce now. =)
Jim says
Mike,
brilliant green chilli achar pickle recipe. Love it and made a batch last year (2023) and done the same this. I over added the oil and immersed the mix - so it lasted a year. I’ve just finished jar 8 from November 23.
Modifications? None really, though I used all colours as they were in the greenhouse. Insist on yellow mustard seed anything darker doesn’t look good.
Great stuff
Jim N
England
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Jim. Feel free to leave a comment on the Chilli Pickle (Achar) recipe page! Cheers! https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/chilli-pickle/