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    Home » MSN

    11 Seriously Spicy Dishes That'll Test Your Heat Tolerance

    By Emmeline Kemperyd updated February 4, 2026 · Published February 17, 2026 · Leave a Comment

    So you think you can handle the heat? Well, have you tried these dishes?! These are 12 of the spiciest dishes from around the world, all sure to set your taste buds ablaze. From sizzling hot curries to spicy salads, they are definitely not for the faint of heart... But if you love spice, you might find a new favorite on this list!

    Gaeng Tai Pla

    A bowl of thai gaeng tai pla.
    Photo credit: Mongkolchon Akesin/Shutterstock.

    Gaeng Tai Pla is a fiery Thai curry known for its extreme spiciness. It's made with fermented fish guts and bird's eye chilies, making it one of Thailand's hottest and most challenging dishes, even for natives!

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    Griot

    A plate of griot.
    Photo credit: AS Foodstudio/Shutterstock.

    Griot is a Haitian dish featuring marinated and fried pork chunks. It's seasoned with Scotch bonnet peppers, that give it a spicy kick that's popular among Haitians and adventurous foreigners alike.

    Som Tam

    A plate full of Thai papaya salad.
    Photo credit: Supachai Rattanarueangdech/Shutterstock.

    Som Tam, also known as green papaya salad, is a Thai favorite that can be exceptionally spicy. It combines shredded green papaya with chilies, lime juice, fish sauce, and other seasonings to create a spicy and tangy flavor explosion. The versions you get in the West can be anything from quite mild to kinda spicy, but for the real deal, you need to try it from a stall in the streets of Bangkok. They will ask you how many chilis you want, and, trust me, ONE is the correct answer.

    Phaal Curry

    A bowl of curry topped with chilies.
    Photo credit: hlphoto/Shutterstock.

    Phaal curry is an intensely spicy Indian curry known for its scorching heat. It's made with various hot chili peppers, including the infamous ghost pepper, making it one of the spiciest dishes in the world, and not something for the faint of heart.

    Buffalo Wings

    Buffalo chicken wings.
    Photo credit: KJ Kohs/Shutterstock.com.

    Surprise surprise, everyone's favorite spicy American snack is on this list! Made with fiery hot sauce, these wings can range from mildly spicy to blisteringly hot, depending on your preference.

    Tom Yum

    A bowl of tom yum soup.
    Photo credit: Kritchai7752/Shutterstock.

    Tom Yum is a famous Thai soup known for its vibrant flavors and spicy heat. It's typically made with Thai bird's eye chilies, which give it quite the spicy kick. In Thailand it's a common hangover food, and I can attest to it working quite well for that purpose!

    Jerk Chicken

    Grilled jerk chicken.
    Photo credit: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.

    Jerk chicken is a spicy and flavorful Jamaican dish. The heat in jerk seasoning comes from Scotch bonnet peppers, providing a fiery taste that's synonymous with Caribbean cuisine.

    Camarones a la Diabla

    A plate with camarones a la diabla.
    Photo credit: Nancy Susana Barrientos/Shutterstock.

    Camarones a la Diabla, translating to "The Devil's Shrimp," is a Mexican dish with a fiery red sauce made with dried chilies. It's a really spicy treat for those who like intense heat!

    Pad Ka Prao

    A plate with pad ka prao and rice served with a fried egg.
    Photo credit: fluke samed/Shutterstock.

    Pad Ka Prao is a Thai stir-fry dish with minced meat and Thai holy basil. It's typically made with Thai bird's eye chilies, which gives it a really spicy kick. If you're sitting in a Thai restaurant with an open kitchen, and suddenly find yourself starting to sneeze uncontrollably - I bet they're cooking up a serving of this.

    Papa a la Huancaina

    A plate of papa a la huancaina.
    Photo credit: EDP Photography/Shutterstock.

    Papa a la Huancaina might not look too spicy, but this Peruvian dish has mild boiled potatoes smothered in a spicy cheese sauce made with Amarillo peppers. The sauce gives the dish a spicy kick, and it's far from as mild as it looks.

    Sichuan Hot Pot

    A Sichuan hot pot.
    Photo credit: enmyo/Shutterstock.

    Sichuan hot pot is a popular Chinese dish that's both fiery and flavor packed. It features food cooked in a broth infused with Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chilies, for some serious spice.

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    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has 20+ years experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, and The Feed Feed, among others.

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    Hi, I'm Emmeline! I love tasty food, but I'm always in a hurry. And I have the quick and easy recipes to prove it!

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