20+ Recipes Using Habanero Peppers
If you enjoy spicy food and want to bring a little more heat than a jalapeno or serrano, but not quite as much as a ghost pepper, you’re in the right place! This list of 20+ Recipes Using Habanero Peppers is for you! From sauces, sides, main courses, and even a dessert, there’s something for everyone on this list!
20+ Recipes Using Habanero Peppers
Once you taste a habanero chile pepper, you’ll quickly realize it’s different than the rest.
They’re great because they’re not just spicy, they also have fruity/floral notes that make them incredibly flavorful too!
Before we jump to how hot they are, let’s talk about how it’s determined how hot they are.
What is the Scoville Scale?
The Scoville Scale was created in 1912 by its namesake, Wilbur Scoville, a pharmacist that was using capsaicin from peppers in a painkilling cream.
Without getting technical about solutions and sugar water, I’ll just say that the scale is used to measure how much capsaicin (a chemical compound in chile peppers) there is in different peppers, to identify how spicy they are.
Capsaicin is measured in units called Scoville Heat Units, or SHU.
How hot is a Habanero Pepper?
There are different varieties of habanero peppers, but the most common type is the orange habanero.
There are also Red Savina Habanero, Chocolate Habanero, White Habanero, and Yellow Habanero, amongst others.
The Scoville Scale puts the orange habanero pepper in at approximately 350,000 SHU.
To compare, the serrano has about 23,000 SHU, and the jalapeno has about 5,000 SHU.
On the other end, the ghost pepper has upwards of 1,000,000 SHU!
This list of 20+ Recipes Using Habanero Peppers contains recipes from all around the world. You’re sure to find a great use for those habanero peppers!
1. Roasted Tomato Habanero Salsa
This spicy salsa made with fresh tomatoes, onion, and both jalapeno and habanero peppers, is the best dip for tortilla chips and the perfect addition to tacos, burritos, eggs, and more!
2. Jerk Chicken
This flavorful grilled chicken marinated with delicious Caribbean/Jamaican flavors is sure to be crowd-pleaser! Great served with plantains, rice, beans, or sweet potatoes.
3. Peruvian-Style Potato Salad
A spin on the Peruvian dish, Papa a la Huancaína, this Peruvian-Style Potato Salad is made with potato slices drizzled in a delectable, creamy habanero sauce, then topped with hard-boiled eggs and olives!
4. Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce
This habanero hot sauce recipe is a great way to experiment with making homemade hot sauce! Made with onion, tomato, habanero peppers, and garlic, this spicy sauce packs a lot of flavor!
5. Nigerian Jollof Rice
Jollof rice or party jollof, a flavorful rice dish made with tomatoes, red bell peppers, habaneros, and onion, is the perfect side dish to accompany your favorite saucy entrées! Made with easy-to-find ingredients, you can whip up this Nigerian dish in no time!
6. Jerk Chicken Skewers with Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
Heat and sweet merge together in these grilled Jerk chicken skewers! There’s habanero peppers in the chicken marinade and also in the mango habanero hot sauce! Serve with rice & black beans for a complete meal.
7. Nigerian Beef Stew
This West African recipe for Nigerian Beef Stew is made with habanero peppers, onion, tomatoes, red bell peppers, beef, and spices. Tayo, the recipe creator, likes to serve this with rice and boiled yams!
8. Habanero Garlic Pickles
Perfect for the spicy pickle lover, these Habanero Garlic Pickles are the perfect addition to sandwiches, burgers, cheese & cracker platters, or anywhere you need a spicy, garlicky kick!
9. Sweet and Spicy Pepper Relish
With a trio of spicy peppers combined with sweet jellies, garlic, onion, and red bell peppers, this spread is sure to add a flavor explosion to whatever you add it to!
10. Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peach Glaze and Orange-Habanero Mojo
Perfect for entertaining, this grilled pork tenderloin is glazed with a tantalizing peach sauce, then topped with a citrusy, orange-habanero mojo! Brenda, the recipe creator, likes to serve it with potatoes and a veggie.
11. Vegetarian Beet Chili
Made with beans, tomatoes, habanero, and roasted beets (which give this vegetarian chili meatiness), this healthy recipe is sure to please vegetarians and carnivores alike!
12. Vegan Efo Riro
This Efo Riro, a Nigerian Spinach Stew, is made with red bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh spinach, onion, and habanero peppers. This vegan recipe gets its rich, umami flavors from the use of mushrooms. Can be served by itself as a soup or over rice!
13. Habanero Brownies
These habanero brownies, also called “Mexican brownies”, have the rich chocolate flavor you want in brownies with the addition of some heat from habanero and some spice from cinnamon. There’s even a chocolate ganache on top!
14. Mango Habanero Salsa
Spicy habanero peppers and ripe mango combined with red bell peppers, cilantro, onion, garlic, and lime juice make a sweet & spicy, chunky salsa that’s perfect for fish tacos!
15. Grilled Honey Habanero Chicken Wings
Here, grilled chicken wings get tossed in a delicious, sticky sauce made with honey, lime juice, habanero peppers, butter, and vinegar. A great summertime grilling recipe!
16. Nigerian Fish Stew
Obe Eja Tutu (Nigerian fish stew) is brought to us by Louisa at Food Plus Words! This flavorful stew is made with fresh tilapia, plum tomatoes, peppers, spices, and of course, habanero peppers. Great served with rice or sweet potatoes.
17. Roasted Sweet Potatoes in Creamy Habanero Sauce
This tasty vegan and gluten-free dish is made with sweet potatoes that get cooked until soft, then joined with a wonderful, creamy habanero sauce. The vegan sauce is made creamy with cashews and dairy-free milk.
18. Habanero Garlic Rice
Toasted rice with garlic, onion, and habanero pepper creates a super flavorful rice dish that’s great served with a veggie and your favorite protein. It’s also a perfect substitute for Mexican rice!
19. Peach Habanero Jam
Looking to spread on a little sweet heat? This jam/jelly made with habanero peppers, fresh or frozen peaches, sugar, and lemon juice is a great condiment for toast, chicken wings, and pork chops. It can also be used in a dip when combined with cream cheese.
20. Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Your taste buds will sing when they taste this spice-infused jerk chicken! Simply marinate chicken thighs in an aromatic marinade, then grill or bake them. A wonderful recipe when you’re craving Caribbean flavors!
There is my list of 20 Recipes Using Habanero Peppers! I can’t wait to hear what you think of these spicy recipes using the glorious habanero! Have a recipe suggestion? Let me know!
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So many great recipe ideas here! Thanks for putting together such a delicious collection!
Thank you, Shelley! I appreciate your delicious-looking contribution!
So many tasty and spicy recipes to try!
There are! Thank you! :)