While there are several must-have Christmas dinner staples – roast potatoes, turkey, stuffing and thick gravy – even the best traditional dishes can get a little boring year after year.
Spice up the Christmas season this year by giving your side dishes the extra fiery kick they need with the perfect hot sauce gift set. Discover our 12 days of Christmas hot sauce recipes as an alternative to your classic mains and appetisers, guaranteed to get your guests going back for seconds.
12 days of Christmas hot sauce recipes
1. Spicy Brussels sprouts
While Brussels sprouts may not be everyone’s favourite, this Christmas hot sauce recipe is a tasty new take on the traditional boiled vegetable dish and is enough to leave you wanting more. In fact, you will want to serve this spicy roasted Brussels sprouts recipe all winter long. Toss the sprouts with sweet honey and spicy hot sauce and roast them until they are crispy and caramelised. For an extra fiery kick, add a drizzle of hot chilli oil once they are out of the oven and serve up to your guests this festive season.
2. Tex Mex potato gratin with jalapeños gouda
This year, a must-have on the Christmas dinner table is the Tex Mex potato gratin with jalapeno gouda, a flavoursome and spicy take on the traditional potato gratin. This Christmas hot sauce recipe is straightforward: slicing a few potatoes and grating some cheese while the cream mixture heats on the stove. You can vary the type and quantity of cheese as well as the spice combinations. For the most explosive flavours, use a Tex Mex chilli sauce alongside the grating of jalapeño Gouda. Ensure you leave enough cheese for the top layer; the cheesy top crust is the best part.
3. Creamed spinach with roasted jalapeños
As the perfect side dish to your Christmas dinner, try our creamed spinach with roasted jalapeños, a delicious and unfussy Christmas hot sauce recipe. Adding jalapeños is a great way to change up the gloppy blandness of steakhouse creamed spinach, adding sharpness to the dish but not too much heat. You can use either fresh or pickled jalapeños for a nice fiery zing or a drizzle of Tex Mex sauce over the top for a mouth-watering blend of chillis, jalapeños and authentic spices from Mexico, offering a taste sensation unlike any other.
4. Spicy garlic green beans
Another superb Christmas hot sauce recipe to try out this festive season is our spicy garlic green beans. Doused with garlic, lemon zest, shallots and a generous serving of chilli flakes, they are the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner. In a large skillet, add your shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the green beans and mix everything together, making sure the garlic and shallots are evenly distributed amongst the green beans. Season with salt and lemon zest, and serve piping hot.
5. Jamaican jerk glazed ham
While you may want to stick with your traditional roast Turkey, try something a little different this year and opt for a glazed Christmas ham spiced up with our favourite Christmas hot sauce recipe. Blending garlic, brown sugar, minced scallion, crushed mango, Jamaican jerk sauce, mustard and thyme, score the ham and lather all over. Cover with foil loosely and cook the ham accordingly. Serve up and enjoy the beautiful kick of spice, not to mention the delicious fruity mango flavours. Pair with a delicious horseradish hot sauce for an extra kick.
6. Garlic, white cheddar and chipotle mashed potatoes
Our garlic, white cheddar and chipotle mashed potatoes are a simple but delectable Christmas dinner side dish. This Christmas hot sauce recipe adds some serious flavour to regular old mashed potatoes. Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender before adding 2 cups of grated sharp white cheddar cheese, 4 ounces cream cheese and 1 and a half teaspoons of minced canned chipotle chillies. Add more chilli flakes for even more heat!
7. Tex-Mex twice-baked potatoes
Or, why not try another spicy Christmas hot sauce recipe, Tex Mex twice-baked potatoes, as a tasty appetiser as your guests arrive? Bake the potatoes until the insides have cooked through and softened. Once cooked, scoop out the softened potato and add it to a mixing bowl, setting aside the potato skins. Add the Tex Mex sauce, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, butter, milk and salt. Stir until the mixture becomes creamy. Scoop the mixture back into the potato skins, sprinkle them with paprika, and put them back in to bake. Once done, serve topped with a bit of extra paprika, sour cream, fresh herbs, crumbled bacon and jalapeño slices.
8. Jalapeño Poppers
These spicy jalapeño poppers filled with crispy bacon, cream cheese and parmesan are so simple and crave-able you’ll be looking for any excuse to make them this festive season. Mix the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, cooked bacon, garlic, chives, and spices. Halve the jalapeños and scoop out the seeds. Toss in the panko with melted butter and spoon over the filled jalapeños. Cook for around 30 minutes until the bread crumbs are golden and the creamy filling is bubbling. There are certain foods that, once put out at a party, are certain to disappear quickly, and this 12 days of Christmas hot sauce recipe is one of them.
8. Cheese board
Light and tasty, cold meat and cheese boards are the most irresistible festive appetiser, paired perfectly with the bubbly that flows in abundance at this time of year. First, you must pick a selection of your favourite cheeses before choosing a few delicious snacks to compliment your cheese, including nuts, fruits, and drinks that’ll pair nicely. Accessorise your cheese board with an array of complementary charcuterie, pickles and a mixture of pitted olives. Complete your cheese board with a generous serving of traditional English horseradish.
9. Deviled eggs
While the name implies otherwise, these delectable deviled eggs are nothing short of divine. The term “devil’ has been used for at least 200 years to refer to highly-seasoned, spicy foods. Deviled eggs are a simple Christmas hot sauce recipe consisting of mayo, dijon mustard, a dash of pickle juice, and perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, complete with a sprinkle of chilli flakes. You can also get creative with your deviled eggs by garnishing them with chopped chives, bacon, paprika and radish slices.
10. Christmas pizza
Over the festive season, get the family together for an evening of Christmas pizza making. A superb Christmas hot sauce recipe for the whole family, let the kids get creative with their favourite toppings and festive pizza shapes. You can even cut out some ham or pepperoni with a star cutter to make it extra special. Drizzle a generous serving of pizza chilli oil over your pizzas for the perfect, fiery finish.
11. Queso fundido
Possibly one of the best Christmas hot sauce recipes to try this festive season, queso fundido’s translation is “melted cheese” and is served as an appetiser in many restaurants throughout Mexico. Queso fundido typically consists of melted cheese and chorizo, a smoky, spicy ground pork sausage. Opt for your favourite melty, mozzarella-style cheese, a spicy ground Mexican chorizo, a handful of red chilli flakes and some Pico de Gallo. Serve up with a side of warm, soft tortillas.
Get prepared for the festive season and start planning your favourite 12 days of Christmas hot sauce recipes, mouthwatering delights guaranteed to please the most discerning guest.
