7 ways to add heat to your Mexican favourites

Mango habanero hot sauce

This semi-sweet hot sauce could easily become your favourite hot sauce is perfect on tacos, with seafood, or even as a Bloody Mary kicker. The sweetness of the mango quickly dissolves into an assault on the tongue by the habanero.

Divorced eggs

Huevos divorciados is a common Mexican breakfast dish and is basically jazzy fried eggs. This recipe is so named because the eggs are served with two conflicting sauces: one red and spicy and the other green and cooling. The green apple salsa would usually be made with tomatillos (a relation of physalis), though it works really well here with apple and herbs. Or you could make a more simple salsa by simply dry-roasting guajillo chillies and blending them with water and a garlic clove. 

Pico de gallo salsa

This particular recipe pairs lean kangaroo tacos with a mouth-tingling pico de gallo salsa in this marriage of modern Australian and Mexican cuisines. But don't restrict the salsa to tacos - it makes for a great condiment at any barbecue!

Stuffed poblano chillies (chiles rellenos)

Fresh poblano chilli grilled over charcoal, peeled and stuffed with cheese, dipped in light frothy egg batter, fried and served with a deeply satisfying tomato, onion and chilli sauce. Who said chillies were just a side dish? 

Mexican ranch-style eggs with spicy tomato sauce and fried tortillas (huevos rancheros)

A classic Mexican dish in the style of a rural breakfast, huevos rancheros are stunning in their simplicity and extremely moreish. Good hot sauce is a must, as are runny yolks. Enjoy with coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice. Our version is made with both pickled Serrano chillies and hot sauce - we love using our mango habanero hot sauce! 

“Drowned” spicy shredded beef rolls (tortas ahogadas con carne deshebrada)

Chilli de arbol gives this succulent beef its kick, and is a long, red, hot Mexican chilli related to cayenne pepper. These rolls are a speciality of Jalisco and its capital, Guadalajara. Birote, the bread that is traditionally used for this sandwich, is quite dense, with a thick, hard crust, which prevents the roll from falling apart in your hands. The sandwich can be served either ahogadas – completely submerged in the spicy salsa – or media ahogada – partially submerged. 

Tomato and chipotle bathed corn chips with fried eggs (chilaquiles rojos)

Chilli for breakfast? Yes, please! This is a classic breakfast in Mexico that uses yesterday's stale tortillas to great effect. The smoky flavour of chipotle chilli works wonderfully with eggs and takes a simple breakfast dish to a new level. To save time, make the tomato sauce ahead of time and reheat before serving. 

Check out sbs.com.au/thechefsline for episode guides, cuisine lowdowns, recipes and more!