Recipes

55 Jalapeño Recipes Because Some Like It Hot

Pour one out for the jalapeño, the green chile that really brings the heat when these 55 recipes for tacos, sauces, pastas, and cocktails need it most.
Image may contain Food Dish Meal and Plant
Jeff Luker

No disrespect to all the other 🔥 chiles out there, but jalapeños never disappoint: They're always available and actually taste like peppers, not just tear-inducing heat. Pour one out for the jalapeño, the green chile that really brings the heat when these 55 recipes for tacos, sauces, pastas, and cocktails need it most.

  • Bowl of pico de gallo with a tortilla chip.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    3/55

    Pico de Gallo

    This pico de gallo recipe is the best fresh salsa you can make—use it to top our favorite Tex-Mex enchiladas or spoon it over a layered queso.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Food Pizza Cutlery and Spoon
    Alex Lau
    4/55

    Pickled Chiles

    Despite being pickled, these chiles have a fresh crunch and bright, garlicky flavor. If you cook them, they lose that; add them to finished pizzas.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Plant Food Produce and Vegetable
    Linda Xiao
    23/55

    Green Pico de Gallo

    A cooling and crunchy green version of the typical salsa.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Plant Food Meal Salad and Dish
    Alex Lau
    24/55

    Tuna Poké

    The real key here is to use the best-quality tuna you can find. When in doubt, ask your fishmonger if he would eat it raw. If the answer is no, neither should you.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Food Dish Meal Plant Stew and Pizza
    Shay Harrington
    25/55

    Ham and Sausage Jambalaya

    You can use kielbasa or any kind of dry-cured pork sausage, but spicy andouille gives this jambalaya a nice kick of heat.

    View Recipe
  • TexMex Breakfast Waffle Nachos
    Peden & Munk
    26/55

    Tex-Mex Breakfast Waffle Nachos

    It’s breakfast! It’s brunch! It’s a snack! It’s a glorious mess. And in case you’re wondering, the waffles are pretty amazing just on their own.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Plant Food Lunch and Meal
    Ted Cavanaugh
    29/55

    Turkey Pho Dip

    You’re familiar with French dip, of course. This is pho dip! In a stroke of holiday genius, you’ll use the turkey carcass to make an aromatic broth.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Plant Food and Bowl
    Peden + Munk
    30/55

    Green Chutney with Chaat Masala

    Serve this tart and earthy chutney with grilled meats, samosas, or your favorite Indian curry.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Plant Food Vegetable Spinach and Produce
    Peden + Munk
    39/55

    Charred Tomatillo Chermoula

    A delicious alternative to chimichurri to go alongside your grilled steak (or whatever!).

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Confectionery Food Sweets and Bread
    Alex Lau
    40/55

    Chicken Tamales Verdes

    We tested this tamales recipe with both instant and fresh masa. Fresh masa yielded the best corn flavor and best texture, but we’ve included instructions for using instant since the flour is easier to find. You can find fresh masa and dried corn husks at tortilla stores/factories, in the international section at larger grocery stores, or online. Whichever masa you choose, be sure to save some of the tomatillo purée from the chicken filling.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Food Plant and Meal
    Peden + Munk
    41/55

    Migas Fried Rice

    Jaew is a tart, smoky dipping sauce from Thailand, usually served with grilled meats and sausages. Hot Joy chef Quealy Watson takes it to a Tex-Mex place in this eggy, cheesy rice dish that might remind you of nachos (it works).

    View Recipe
  • This image may contain Fruit Food Lime Plant Citrus Fruit Dish and Meal
    Alex Lau
    42/55

    Lemongrass Curry with Shrimp

    This all-purpose weeknight green curry recipe has great flavor complexity for how quick it is to make.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Drink Cocktail Alcohol Beverage and Mojito
    Linda Xiao
    43/55

    Pineapple-Hibiscus Cocktail

    We love the citrusy sour flavor of hibiscus, not to mention its amazing color.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Burger Food and Sandwich
    Gentl & Hyers
    44/55

    Turkey Club with Herb Mayo

    Feel free to swap in with your favorite store-bought turkey meat, but our version takes only about 15 minutes of active time and will change the way you think about turkey. Then again, we might be biased.

    View Recipe
Associate Web Editor. When she’s not posted up at a café, reading and praying that sipping her cappuccino won’t mean sacrificing a night’s sleep, Elyssa writes about food culture and restaurant trends for bonappetit.com. The team’s unrelenting sweet tooth and beverage nerd, Elyssa can also be found refreshing the Wait-or-Buy ... Read More
Explore Bon AppétitJalapeño