15 Hot and Spicy Vegan Recipes That Bring on the Heat

Do you like your hot sauce mild, medium, hot, or fiery? Whether you like your lips tingling or you just like a little bit of heat, spicy food is a huge hit with a lot of taste buds. Cuisines across the globe have been cooking with spicy ingredients for thousands of years. And today, all you pyro-gourmaniacs (that is, people who love spicy food) have reason to celebrate because it’s International Hot and Spicy Day. When it’s cold outside, nothing beats some belly-warming spicy food.

If you love spicy food from cuisines all across the globe, then check out what we did last year: Fire Up Your Taste Buds With These 15 Hot and Spicy Global Recipes. This year, we’re bringing it back home with spicy recipes inspired by American classics.

1. Spicy Chorizo Grit Cakes With Sweet Potato

These Spicy Chorizo Grit Cakes With Sweet Potato are the perfect way to kick off your weekend. It’s hot, but not too hot — it all depends on how much hot sauce you add. Spicy chorizo is balanced by the crispy, salty grit cakes, creamy avocado chunks, and a side of savory, sweet potato, giving new meaning to the phrase “soul food.”

2. White Chili 

That’s right, White Chili … without the dairy! In this version, chopped chickpeas replace chicken and dairy is replaced with a luscious cauliflower cashew cream. The results are downright delicious. It’s highly recommended that you serve this chili with fresh, crispy oven fries!

3. Spicy Quesadillas

Turn up the heat as the weather gets colder with this Tex-Mex Spicy Quesadilla recipe. A warm tortilla stuffed with spiced vegetables and melted cheese, this recipe is sure to hit the spot. Customize it with your favorite spices and toppings!

4. One-Pot Louisiana Stew

This One-Pot Louisiana Stew is a simpler version of its original incarnation, inspired by Creole and Cajun flavors. You get the tomatoes from Creole cooking and plenty of spiciness from Cajun. Instead of rice, this recipe uses potatoes for heartiness and forgoes the celery, but it’s easily added in if you want even more of a Louisiana feel. This stew is for the true spicy food lovers out there.

5. Red Chili Potatoes 

These Red Chili Potatoes are the perfect fiery side to include at the table. First peel and boil baby potatoes, marinate them, then cover and let them cook until the juices are cooked and evaporated, and all you have left is a pan of potatoes thickly blanketed in red. Garnish with crushed peanuts and spring onions for extra flavor and colorful presentation.

6. Maple Sriracha Tempeh Bacon BLT With Creamy Dill Mayo

This Maple Sriracha Tempeh Bacon BLT With Creamy Dill Mayo reinvents the classic sandwich with new flavors. The tempeh is smoky and spicy with a touch of sweetness from maple syrup and it pairs perfectly with the herby dill mayonnaise dressing.

Recommendation: Download the Food Monster App

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7. Buffalo Seitan Bites

These Buffalo Seitan Bites are tender yet chewy and the perfect size for snacking and dipping. They’re baked to keep things easy, and then breaded and fried to keep things delicious. Then they’re coated with buffalo sauce and served with vegan ranch, carrot sticks, and celery. They’re the perfect indulgence when you’re craving spicy snacks for game day, movie night, or anytime.

8. Chorizo-Spiced Potato Enchiladas 

These Chorizo-Spiced Potato Enchiladas are really tasty! Potatoes are tossed in a blend of hot spices and wrapped up in a warm tortilla with black beans and fresh herbs. They’re then topped with a spicy sauce and a creamy vegan cheese sauce. The red sauce is simple and easy, the potatoes are mix-and-bake and the beans and greens are minimally processed as the flavor is all provided by the chorizo spices. Simple to make, although not completely fuss-free, this is well worth the minimal effort.

9. Chipotle Cauliflower Penne

Chipotle peppers, roasted cauliflower, garlic, lemon, and capers… this Chipotle Cauliflower Penne is so flavorful, you won’t even miss the cheese! Simple and easy to throw together, this pasta dish is a great midweek dinner that is easily packed for lunch the next day. Quick, wholesome, and flavorful – sounds like a winner to us!

10. Pesto Portobello Sandwich With Spicy Sauce

This Pesto Portobello Sandwich With Spicy Sauce packs all the delicious flavors you love about Italian food in a filling and portable meal — with bread. Portobello mushroom caps are roasted until meaty and tender, then coated in a fresh basil-avocado pesto. Toast the bread, cover with the spicy red tomato sauce, add any additional fixings, and then dig in!

11. Spicy Fried Toffee Sweet Potatoes

Play up the naturally juicy and sweet flavor of sweet potatoes with this recipe for Spicy Fried Toffee Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes are cut into thick slices, tossed in a thick caramel-like toffee sauce, and then sprinkled with sesame seeds for some added texture. These saucy potatoes are the perfect compliment to an otherwise savory dinner.

12. Buffalo Tempeh Burger

You’ll never have anything like these Buffalo Tempeh Burger. Meaty, savory, spicy, and sweet — yes, sweet — from Medjool dates, these burgers are covered with sauce and topped with onion rings or potato chips. These burgers will be your new best friend. They’re perfect for backyard barbecues, but you shouldn’t wait for a special occasion to dive right into this recipe.

13. Jalapeño Poppers With Smoked Tofu

These Jalapeño Poppers With Smoked Tofu are the perfect mix of crunchy and creamy consistencies, together with the heat of the jalapeño and the complimentary cooling of the vegan cream cheese. Smoked tofu adds another layer of heat and a bacon-ish flavor to the mix. Is your mouth watering yet?

14. Sriracha Black Bean Burgers 

Crispy and slightly golden on the outside, chewy on the inside with the perfect blend of spiciness, smokiness, and sweetness, these Sriracha Black Bean Burgers are love at first bite. While some healthy dishes may not be considered filling enough, this burger provides long-lasting, delicious energy! Top them with a generous splash of chili sauce for an extra spicy kick or a dollop of vegan sour cream if you’d like to tune the heat down a bit instead.

15. Sticky Chili Cauliflower Wings

These Sticky Chili Cauliflower Wings are just like the ones you’d get from a bar, except healthier because they’re made with cauliflower florets! Make the sauce with five simple ingredients, dip the florets in, and then bake to seal in the deliciousness. The rich orange flavor is enough to satisfy, but feel free to serve these with vegan Ranch or mayo, as well!

16. Buffalo Tempeh Chili

Love buffalo sauce? If so, you will adore this Buffalo Tempeh Chili! Chunks of tempeh, green bell pepper, onion, and carrot are submerged in a hearty tomato-buffalo stew. Serve this zesty dish with some tortilla chips for scooping!

17. Buffalo Seitan Deep Dish Pizza

Why risk getting your fingers dirty with Buffalo bites when you can put them on pizza? Topped with Buffalo seitan bites, vegan cheese, and vegetables, this Chicago-style Buffalo Seitan Deep Dish Pizza is the perfect solution. The crust is light, airy, and just browned on the bottom — perfect for such an intense pizza experience.

18. Santa Fe Roasted Stuffed Peppers With Spicy Cashew Mozzarella

These colorful Santa Fe Roasted Stuffed Peppers With Spicy Cashew Mozzarella are a must-try for all! They’re filled with savory sautéed vegetables like mushrooms and carrots, as well as protein-rich quinoa and black-eyed peas that’ll keep you full. The cashew mozzarella is optional, but its is highly recommended. You won’t believe how easily you can turn cashews into gooey, melty mozzarella. Combine everything together, roast it in the oven, and enjoy a meal that you’ll definitely be coming back to.

19. Spicy Veggie Dogs

Looking for a delicious way to sneak some veggies into your diet? These Spicy Veggie Dogs are made from beet, carrot, green chilis, potatoes, and peas, then are seasoned with an assortment of spices, and eventually are brushed with a bit of oil and pan seared. The result? A crispy sausage that is perfect for barbecues when served in a fluffy hot dog bun with a generous drizzle of vegan mayo and ketchup.

20. Chipotle Chickpeas Stuffed Sweet Potato

Stuffed baked potatoes are an American classic usually consisting of a tender white potato split open and stuffed with ground beef, sour cream, bacon, and green onions. This recipe for Chipotle Chickpeas Stuffed Sweet Potato takes the concept of the stuffed baked potato but makes a few modifications for a healthier version with Southern flair. The potato is replaced with a nutritious and vibrant sweet potato, the ground beef with zesty chickpeas, sour cream with a non-dairy variety, and greasy bacon for smoky tempeh strips. The result is a decked out potato that will make your soul feel as good as your taste buds.

Love spicy food? Then, check out our vegan hot and spicy recipes for more ideas!

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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