Using spicy food recipes can be quite beneficial for your health. Studies show capsaicin can work as an endorphin to help with depression. It can also work as an antioxidant that can protect your cells and prevent free radicals known for causing cancer. There also other helpful benefits of spicy food like weight loss and digestion.

However, if you’re not all that creative in the kitchen, then you may be wondering how you can add heat to your recipes. Read on for some helpful advice. You can then create a masterpiece in the kitchen and sit back with a glass of wine and relax.

Hot Sauce

A quick, easy, and affordable way to add heat to your food is a hot sauce. It’s versatile for use with vegetables and meat, and it’s something you can add after the food is cooked if not everyone in your family likes their food to have a kick.

Sriracha and tabasco are popular options, and you can pick these up from your local supermarket. You can even find more comprehensive flavours and heat levels from markets and online.

Hot Chillies

Whether you’re preparing a Mexican feast, or you’re just looking to spice up an ordinary dish, then consider hot chillies. You can pick these up from local food markets and supermarkets, and you can even grow them yourself.

It’s worth doing your homework before going shopping as the heat level can differ from one chilli to the next. The hottest chilli in Australia is the Australian Broome. The long-lasting burn of this chilli can bring a tear to your eye.

If you can’t buy your chillies fresh, you can also purchase them dried. These will be available in the spice aisles of your local markets.

Black Pepper

If you are only looking for a slight kick in your food, don’t overlook black pepper. Even though it’s an everyday household staple, it can provide that subtle zing you’re looking for. Use freshly cracked black pepper for the best taste.

What’s more, if you have to cater to members of the family who don’t like spicy food, you can add black pepper to your dish once it’s prepared, rather than in the food while you’re cooking it.

Red Pepper Flakes

Anyone looking for sweet heat in their recipes can see the value in red pepper flakes. They add a lovely hit of heat, but they also add an unrivalled sweetness. Red pepper flakes work beautifully on pizza and in meat dishes, as well.

Sambal Oelek

If you are starting to get creative in the kitchen with your meals, then sambal oelek could be worth trying. You can make it yourself or purchase it ready-made. The traditional version features hot peppers like Thai bird’s eye chillies. However, you can also buy it with ripened red jalapenos.

If a kick of heat is just what the doctor ordered, then there are many ways to go about it. Why not experiment with some of these standout ingredients and products above?