TikTok's Jalapeño Dust Trick Makes Us Wish We Thought Of It First
If you're a fan of spicy food, you've probably found several ways to use the ever-popular jalapeño pepper in various dishes. However, next to carving out time to make roasted tomato and jalapeño salsa and cowboy candy, you may be searching for easier ways to imbue your favorite dishes with a little more jalapeño heat. Sure enough, grating frozen raw jalapeños against a microplane may be the technique you've been missing. Of course, you can always take your time to de-seed and chop raw jalapeños when the mood for extra spice strikes. Yet this simple, unconventional method ensures your meal's entire surface area is adequately covered with the concentrated flavor of this likable pepper.
Among the many clever food hacks that have originated on TikTok over the years, the trendy app has again succeeded in introducing another unconventional way to enjoy popular, everyday foods. The best part about making this coined "jalapeño dust" is that the process couldn't be simpler. Toss raw jalapeños in your freezer ahead of time, and when it's time to eat, use your microplane to create a jalapeño-like ice that enhances both hot and cold foods. Many users on the TikTok platform showcase how to use this clever trick to upgrade several classic dishes.
Look to TikTok for jalapeño dust inspiration
Even though you don't need step-by-step instructions to make viral jalapeño dust, seeing shaved jalapeños applied to several foods and drinks may be enough inspiration for you to try this hack yourself. In a recent TikTok video, one social media user showcases this brilliant hack by adding jalapeño dust to cooked salmon.
@adallasdiamond You hear my gasp when its actually working, pure shock as I don't always believe what I see. This was the real deal and I'm impressed, it added the fresh smell and taste of jalapeño spread out like a seasoning. I'll be hitting my food with this dusting all the time! #amy #viralhacks #jalapenodust #jalapenodusting #jalapeno #dust #dusting #tearsforbreakfast #adallasdiamond #recipe #cooktok #mustwatch #viral #hack #hacking #foodhack #food #spicy #salmon #cauliflowermash #dinnertime
In the video, the user demonstrates how easy it is to grate a frozen jalapeño over a freshly prepared meal. While grating frozen peppers onto hot food may seem less than ideal, the video shows jalapeño's icy shards quickly lose their colder characteristics when hitting hot food. Add jalapeño dust to baked mac and cheese, avocado toast, and pizza bagels. This resourceful TikTok user posted another video showcasing how jalapeño dust can even be added to fried eggs.
If you want to fully ensure the frozen qualities of your jalapeños have little effect on your next steamy dish, try grating peppers into your food during the cooking process. However, avoid adding jalapeños too early. Overall, grated cooked jalapeños taste spicier than their frozen raw counterparts. If you want to continue to push your culinary skills, you have more than one way to make jalapeño dust in your home kitchen.
Fresh versus dried jalapeño dust
If you want more concentrated spice in your food, you may want to consider drying your jalapeños. While grated fresh jalapeños are easy to procure and add chilled flavor to many dishes, jalapeño peppers aren't the spiciest. Additionally, the moisture of a fresh frozen jalapeño pepper dilutes the heat factor of this grated topping. If you want just a touch of extra flavor without too much heat, frozen jalapeños are a perfect way to enhance classic margaritas. They also serve as a delicious add-in to traditional pico de gallo or savory toppings to sweet and milky ice cream.
If you're after a long-lasting alternative that provides more spice, consider making dried jalapeño dust or powder. Drying jalapeños in the oven at a low temperature removes all moisture, intensifying the flavor and spiciness. The dried peppers contain more capsaicin, the compound responsible for making peppers hot. When you want your jalapeño-infused addition to make more of an impact, jalapeño powder may be a better option, intriguing you to try this more potent version of jalapeño dust.
For those set on keeping the process simple, if fresh jalapeños aren't proving spicy enough, upgrade your pepper selection to a variety with more heat, like serrano or cayenne peppers. Yet, when all you're after is a convenient yet flavorful extra to adorn your favorite meals, freshly grated jalapeño dust may be worth a try.