Recipe for a spicy Cadillac margarita cocktail...
Spicy Recipes
A collection of hot and spicy ‘flavor bomb’ recipes from The Unofficial Yellowstone and Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers who knows how to bring on the fire and the heat.
Sonoran Carne Asada Burritos Recipe
Sonoran-style carne asada, burritos stuffed with charro beans, crunchy cabbage and Jackie’s famous chiltepin red salsa. Sonoran-style carne asada is not marinated. Instead the meat is finished with a bit of pineapple juice which caramelizes in the hot fire. This is one of the most popular varieties of beef and bean burritos in the Sonoran region north of the Arizona-Mexico border.
Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Recipe for homemade taco seasoning made with ground freshly dried chiles and Mexican oregano. Plus how to dry and grind fresh chiles.
Michelada vs. Chelada: What’s the difference? With Recipes for Both
Michelada vs. Chelada: What’s the Difference? Includes recipes for a michelada cocktail made with Ray Ray’s Sonoran Spirit and a spicy tomato mixer.
Spicy Deviled Egg Potato Salad Recipe
This spicy deviled egg potato salad gets a Southwestern twist with chipotle peppers, capers, and a creamy mustard-mayo dressing. The best, most flavor-filled deviled egg potato salad ever!
Three Sisters Power Bowl
Let the power of these three sisters fuel your day! Corn, zucchini and tepary bean breakfast bowl with quinoa, corn, avocado, spicy green salsa and eggs.
Spicy Cowboy Mac and Cheese Recipe
Spicy cowboy mac & cheese recipe made with “gun-barrel” shaped penne pasta baked with blue cheese, Parmesan, gruyere, Irish Cheddar and cayenne chile – a flavor explosion that will knock you off your feet.
Chipotle Deviled Eggs with Caviar and Capers
These spicy, chipotle deviled eggs topped with caviar and capers are fancy yet simple. The perfect party food or indulgent yet healthy snack.
Mexican Chocolate Popcorn Treats
No-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn treats made with pretzels, cashews, Sriracha sesame seeds, cinnamon and red chile spiced chocolate marshmallow cream Chile powder and cinnamon add some kick to these sweet and spicy no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn and pretzel treats. Recipe developed for The Silicone Kitchen.
Tortilla Crust White Pizza with Mushrooms
Recipe for a tortilla crust mushroom pizza. This thin-and-crispy pizza is topped with lemon infused ricotta, garlic & parmesan, lion’s mane and blue oyster mushrooms. White Sonoran Wheat helps give large Sonoran-style flour tortillas their elasticity which makes a perfect pizza crust.
Goose Tacos Recipe
Recipe for Sonoran-style goose tacos inspired by Peking Duck. These goose tacos are served on flour tortillas with hoisin sauce, salsa macha, cabbage, carrots and scallions. Food photography for this recipe is shortlisted for the 2025 World Food Photography Awards in the Food Influencer category.
Lucky Cowboy Caviar Recipe Made With Black-Eyed Peas
Super-lucky flavorful Sonoran Charro Caviar made with black-eyed peas, bell peppers, serrano chiles, and onions, served on tortilla chips.
Homemade Chile Powder from Fresh Chiles Recipe
How to dehydrate and grind chile peppers, with recipes for chili powder and custom spice blends using fresh homegrown and/or exotic store bought chiles. Preserve expensive and/or hard to find chiles.
Arizona Cheese Crisp with Roasted Hatch Green Chiles and Ranch Drizzle
Tucson’s Sonoran-style Mexican Arizona cheese crisp made with flour tortillas, roasted Hatch green chile strips and a creamy green chile Ranch salsa. Thank you Fry’s Foods for sponsoring this recipe.
Jackie’s Famous Chunky Gazpacho Recipe
Cold gazpacho recipe with chunky fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions and peppers. The colors in the photo are a bit of an homage to Pedro Almodovar’s wonderful film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which was the inspiration for me making gazpacho for the very first time, years ago. (Minus the pills and drama.)
Jackie Kashian’s Paprika Marinated Chicken Recipe
Recipe for Paprika Marinated Chicken. Comedian Jackie Kashian is funny on stage but her chicken recipe is no joke.
Chipotle-Lime Grilled Corn Recipe
Recipe for a lighter version chipotle lime grilled corn on the cob from the Sonoran Arizona-Mexico borderlands cookbook author Jackie Alpers
Arizona Cowboy Caviar Recipe Made with Lentils
Arizona cowboy caviar recipe made with lentils, chiles and red onion in a spicy citrus vinaigrette. I call this Arizona Caviar because I’m in Arizona and it’s similar to Texas Caviar made with black eyed peas.
Sonoran Spicy Mexican Green Rice
Spicy, Sonoran-style Mexican green rice (arroz verde) recipe made with tomatillo salsa verde, peas and cilantro from the Taste of Tucson cookbook.
Spicy Sonoran Thai-Mex Coleslaw Recipe
Sonoran Thai-Mexican coleslaw recipe with a spicy serrano vinaigrette. Serve in tacos and tortas or on tostadas.
Salsa Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Chicken slow-simmered in salsa, then shredded for serving in as a filling for tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, and is keto when served in lettuce cups.
Salsa Verde Recipe: Spicy Sonoran Tomatillo Salsa from Penca
Recipe for Sonoran Style hot green tomatillo salsa developed by Patricia Schwabe for her restaurant Penca. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Spicy Whiskey Cocktail Recipe
Bring the heat to your usual bourbon neat with a dramatic, hot and spicy whiskey cowboy cocktail inspired by Yellowstone and served in the same glassware used in the Dutton family home. Get the recipe for this spicy bourbon whisky cocktail infused with lime and chiles served over ice.
Spicy Sonoran Chipotle Chicken Salad
Spicy Sonoran-style chicken salad recipe made with rotisserie chicken in a light, flavor-packed chipotle sauce for lettuce/taco wraps, salads and sandwiches. This recipe was first developed for the Glamour.com article, A Week of Delicious Chicken Recipes.
Topopo Salad Recipe: Tucson’s Famous Regional Salad
The Topopo salad is Tucson, Arizona’s most unique regional salad. It’s is a visually stunning volcano of chopped lettuce and mixed vegetables piled high on a bean tostada. This monumental salad was first inspired by a volcano in Sonora, Mexico.
Sonoran-Style Red Pozole
This Sonoran-style red pozole recipe is a “low-and-slow” braised pork and hominy stew/soup topped with lots of fresh vegetables and citrus from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Bison Nachos
Bison are a seminal component of Western American history. The massive bison hunts of the 19th century resulted in their near extinction. With conservation efforts in place, the Yellowstone bison are considered the last truly wild herd of American plains bison in existence. Regenerative bison farms have reintroduced this healthy beef alternative into American food systems.
Easy Sonoran Chile Colorado Con Carne Recipe
Easy Sonoran chile colorado con carne recipe made by browning beef in the same pan as a thawing frozen chile disc, melding the flavors as they cook.
Sonoran Flat Enchiladas (Enchiladas Sonorenses)
Recipe for Sonoran-style flat enchiladas unique to the Tucson/Sonora, Mexico borderlands. Fat corn masa pancakes are smothered in enchilada sauce, shredded cheese, green olives and scallions. Serve them topped with my Chile Colorado and/or an egg-over-easy for breakfast anytime.
Texas-Style Chili con Carne (Without Beans)
Chili con Carne recipe from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook. In the season 4 finale of Yellowstone, the bunkhouse gets into a heated debate over whether or not chili has beans. The Unofficial Yellowstone cookbook shares a recipe for both chili with and without beans because Texas where the character “Jimmy” had recently visited, is famous for their Chili con Carne which is made without beans – it’s mainly beef and red chiles, and it is fabulous. Get the chili with beans recipe… and more in The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook.
Tate’s Rattlesnake Sausage Chowder
This spicy rattlesnake sausage chowder has a bite, but at least it won’t take a bite out of you. Inspired by Tate Dutton’s brave move in a key episode of Yellowstone. This recipe is reprinted from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by the Dutton Family Ranch, by Jackie Alpers.
Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nut Brittle
Inspired by ingredients local to the Northwestern U.S. this crunchy, spicy, sweet mixed nut brittle is perfect for holiday gifting. Walnuts, hickory nuts, and hazelnuts are grown in Montana where the television series Yellowstone is set
Sonoran Hot Dog Recipe from El Guero Canelo
Sonoran Hot Dogs recipe from El Guero Canelo Restaurant, winner of the James Beard American Classic award. This recipe was featured in Taste of Tucson: Sonoran-Style recipes inspired by the rich culture of Southern Arizona.
Spicy, Smoky Mashed Potatoes & Sausage Gravy
Spicy, smoky mashed potatoes and gravy recipe made with garlic and chile infused broth instead of cream for lighter mashed potatoes that are BIG on flavor.
Old West Style Vegan Chili Recipe
Old West style spicy vegan chili recipe made with plant-based meat, black beans and mushrooms. Served with vegan shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
Sonoran Arroz Con Pollo Recipe
Arroz con pollo is one of the recipes most requested by locals from my Taste of Tucson cookbook and I’ve always found chicken and rice to be a comforting combo. This is a great make ahead recipe for workday lunches. At first glance El Pato salsa de chile fresco may look like pureed tomato sauce, but it’s got a medium spicy kick of heat that will convince you otherwise.
Sonoran Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas Recipe
Sonoran-style Mexican shrimp ceviche tostadas with avocado and hot sauce on crunchy baked tostada shells.
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Recipe (Coctel de Camarones)
This easy Sonoran style Mexican shrimp cocktail with crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, red onion and hot sauce is ready in about 5 minutes.
Sonoran Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Sonoran tortilla soup recipe made with rotisserie chicken, diced tomatoes, green chiles, crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado and crumbled Mexican cheese in a clear broth. Quick, easy and flavorful.
Molletes Recipe: Open-Faced Breakfast Sandwiches with Egg and Avocado
Molletes are open-faced breakfast sandwiches made by slathering refried beans onto toasted bolillo rolls and then heaping avocado slices, a fried egg, hot sauce, and lots of cheese on top.
Bell Peppers Stuffed With Nachos Supreme
Roasted bell peppers stuffed with creamy nacho cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeños, black beans and crunchy tortilla chips.
Strawberry Habanero Infused Tequila
This infused Strawberry-Habanero tequila makes a mean margarita or straight-up sipper.
Chiltepin Salsa Recipe: Spicy Sonoran Hot Salsa
Chiltepin salsa is an all-purpose salsa that can be used for dipping, for seasoning, and as a taco sauce. A little goes a long way, so if you prefer a milder salsa, cut the amount of chiles down by a half or a third. This recipe is from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Chicken Molé Amarillo
Nuttier and less sweet than its chocolate based cousin, this version of Molé Amarillo is the personal creation of Chef Suzana Davila of Tucson’s Cafe Poca Cosa. She specializes in these complex sauces, and her recipes are longtime local favorites which is one reason why I wanted to feature the recipe in my upcoming cookbook Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona. Serve this dish with tortillas and a pretty, salad, as Suzana would.
Sonoran Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
Sonoran-style grilled chicken made with sweet Hungarian smoked paprika mixed with hot New Mexico chili pepper, unsweetened chocolate (inspired by molés), and red wine.
Chelada Beer Cocktail Recipe
This super-refreshing citrus beer cocktail is served in a chile and salt rimmed glass over ice. It’s kinda like a beer margarita. I love it because it’s a big drink that lasts a long time and it has considerably less sugar and calories than a margarita.
Buffalo Chicken Rumaki Bites
This modern Buffalo chicken rumaki recipe updates the Polynesian appetizer served at tiki parties in the 70s.
Elote Hot Dog Recipe
I’m pretty sure I invented the Elote Dog when I first developed this recipe for The Food Network in 2018. Since then Elote Hot Dogs, inspired by Sonoran-Mexican Street Corn have become a sensation with hot dog enthusiasts all over the word coming up with their own version. Here’s my recipe for hot dogs topped with elote, mayo, lime and spices and served in a bolillo roll.
Spicy French Onion Ranch Dip
Spicy Ranch French Onion Dip. Two Dips That Live As One, Together At Last!
The Cheesiest Arizona Cheese Crisp
Keto recipe for Arizona cheese crisp that’s the perfect comfort food. A cross between a Mexican pizza an an open-faced quesadilla, Southern Arizona restaurants started selling the dish more than 50 years ago and it’s become a staple of our local Sonoran style cuisine.
