Chile peppers offer more than just the heat behind hot sauce—they're also a key ingredient in so many of our favorite recipes, from, well, chili to mapo tofu.
Overhead view of sambal stingray
Sambal Stingray (Malaysian-Portuguese Baked Fish)
Overhead view of sambal belcan
Sambal Belacan (Malaysian Chile Paste)
Overhead view of salsa negra in a molcajete with tostadas and ceviche
Salsa Negra (Sinaloan Salsa for Seafood)
Prik Gaeng Pak Dtai (Southern Thai Curry Paste) with ingredients scattered around
Prik Gaeng Pak Dtai (Southern Thai Curry Paste)
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Everything You Can Do With a Can of Chipotles in Adobo
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Serious Heat: A Guide to Chile Substitutions
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Mango Habanero Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Overhead view of menudo rojo in a bowl in a plate
Menudo Rojo (Mexican Red-Chile Tripe Soup)
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Zhug (Yemenite Hot Sauce With Cilantro and Parsley) Recipe
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Sambal Oelek Recipe
A small bowl of chile morita salsa next to some dried morita chiles.
Chile Morita Salsa
Guajillo chilies
What to Do With Dried Chiles: Recipes, Cooking Techniques, and Shopping Tips
A bowl of habanero hot sauce.
Habanero Hot Sauce
Sliced, grilled medium-rare carne asada fanned out on a wooden cutting board with corn tortillas, limes, and cilantro in the background.
The Best Carne Asada
A spoonful of chile-lime-cilantro sauce being drizzled over a piece of fried chicken on a plate.
Thai-style Chili, Lime, and Cilantro Dipping Sauce Recipe
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Extra-Hot Yucatán-Style Roasted-Habanero Salsa (Chile Tamulado) Recipe
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1-Hour Pressure Cooker Texas-Style Chili con Carne Recipe
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Braised Lamb Shoulder With Dried Chiles and Dates Recipe
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Yucatán-Style Hot Dried-Chili Salsa (K'uut Bi Ik) Recipe
Overhead view of a bowl of vegan sweet potato and 2-bean chili with hominy.
Vegan Sweet Potato and 2-Bean Chili With Hominy Recipe
Closeup of Charred Asparagus Tacos With Creamy Adobo and Pickled Red Onions, served with lime wedges.
Charred Asparagus Tacos With Creamy Adobo and Pickled Red Onions
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Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak With Roasted Chilies and Pepper Jack Cheese Recipe
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Basic Chili Paste to Replace Chili Powder Recipe
A bowl of fresh chile harissa with a spoon on the side
Fresh Chile Harissa
Hot chile chutney, served on slices of baguette. Two hot red chiles are nestled between the slices.
Hot Chile Chutney Recipe
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Vegan: Lentil and Coconut Soup with Cilantro-Habanero Gremolata Recipe
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Spice Hunting: Chipotle
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Stuffed Roasted Poblano Peppers With Cashew-Chipotle Sauce Recipe
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Nam Prik Ong (Thai Pork-and-Tomato Chile Dip) Recipe
jar of pickled chiles
James Peterson's Pickled Chiles
Yellow Mole with Masa Dumplings (Mole Amarillito con Chochoyotes) from 'Pati's Mexican Table'
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Mangalorean Mutton Gravy Recipe
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Pueblo Green Chili Recipe
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Grilled Bloody Mary Salsa Recipe
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Charred Tomatillo and Yellow Pepper Salsa Recipe
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Chipotle and Chorizo Red Beans Recipe
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Chili Paste From 'Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen'
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Nam Phrig Noom (Northern Thai Pounded Roasted Chili Dip) Recipe
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Fermented Hot Sauce With Fresno Chiles, Garlic, and Tamari Recipe
Closeup of a bowl of turkey tortilla soup, garnished with crumbled tortilla chips, cilantro, and avocado.
Turkey Tortilla Soup Recipe
Spice Hunting: Drying Chiles at Home
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Jim Lahey's No Knead Pizza with Broccoli Rabe, Garlic, Ginger, and Thai Chiles Recipe
Everyday Thai Cooking cookbook cover
Roasted Red Chili Paste (Nam Prik Pao) From 'Everyday Thai Cooking'
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Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with Aji Panca Vinaigrette Recipe
Spice Hunting: On Blending Chiles and Herbs, and the Spice of the Janissaries
Closeup of Chipotle-Orange Guacamole With Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.
Chipotle-Orange Guacamole With Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
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Chicken with Tomatillo and Red Chile Sauce Recipe
Chicken-Green Bean Yellow Chili Stir-Fry Recipe
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Garlic Chili Oil Recipe | Sauced
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Fresh Thai Sriracha Recipe
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Ancho-Rubbed Bison Tenderloin With Spicy Cilantro Sauce Recipe
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Sichuan Chicken with Peppercorns and Chile Recipe
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How to Handle Fresh Bhut Jolokia, the World's Hottest Chile Pepper
Devils on Horseback Recipe
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Double Chocolate Icebox Cookies with Aji and Chipotle Recipe
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Recipes From Chiang Mai: Nam Phrig Noom (Pounded Roasted Chili Dip)
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Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak With Roasted Chilies and Pepper Jack Cheese
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Quick Chipotle-Orange Barbecue Sauce Recipe