Beyond deep-fried poppers and pickled rounds on tacos and sandwiches, the ways to cook with jalapeños are endless. Part of jalapeno recipes’ allure is that they range from not at all spicy (um. Sorry for that misleading title.) to searing heat, thanks to the variations in flavor from pepper to pepper. You also have a fair degree of control over the level of spiciness, depending on whether or not you de-seed the peppers. In fact, you can tailor each of these jalapeno recipes to suit your spice tolerance (just add a little more chile or a little less, include the seeds or don’t, to your taste).
Our favorite ways to use these hot peppers include slicing them into thin slivers, scattering them as a garnish over nachos, and mixing them into marinades to add heat to a pork roast. If you want to drink your jalapenos, we have cocktails for that. But if you prefer your beverage tame the heat, shake up an icy margarita instead. Onto our best jalapeño recipes.