TikTok never fails to make another crazy food trend. Just when you thought chopped sandwiches and hashbrown toast would take first place in the platform’s unofficial creative food challenge, “swicy” meals are stealing the show.
If you’re a fan of spicy burritos and hot sauce that makes your tongue melt, the swicy food craze could be your newest favorite thing. Don’t worry — it’s also perfect for casual chefs on a budget. Check out what swicy food is and how you can enjoy it at home.
What Is Swicy Food?
Swicy food is any meal or snack that combines sweet and spicy ingredients. The New York Times first mentioned it back in 2021 as a potential food trend because people were already seeking ways to merge their favorite flavors. Now swicy food is taking off on TikTok.
Influencers like Mitz Tiang kicked off the trend in early 2022 by showcasing packaged swicy Korean food from her local grocery store. Brands jumped on the bandwagon once everyone started making videos with their own swicy creations.
Planters introduced the world to swicy pancakes at their food truck, expanding the trend from international dinners to all meals of the day.
The creative food trend is easy to understand and even easier to replicate. If you’re curious about using swicy recipes to boost your health, here are a few you can try.
TikTok’s Best Swicy Food Recipes
You don’t need to be a professional chef to whip up some swicy meals. Try these to see if they jive with your taste buds and become a permanent part of your daily diet.
1. Curry
People love curry because it has an earthy, sweet foundational flavor topped with an array of spices. It’s also easy to customize, depending on how much heat you can handle.
Make the dish at home for your next meal. It’s the perfect sauce to spoon over chicken and rice, but it also tastes delicious over a salad or flatbread sandwich. As you savor each bite, the curcumin in the turmeric will soothe the inflamed cells irritating your inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) or psoriasis.
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 3/4 cup drained diced tomatoes
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons of water
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients except the heavy cream and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes or until the onion and garlic cloves are soft. Add the heavy cream and warm for another minute or two, stirring occasionally. Serve over your favorite foods.
Image credit: Sticker Mule from Unsplash
2. Homemade Takis
If you can’t help but grab a bag of Takis while you’re out and about, congratulations — they’re a swicy snack. Recreate them at home by following these simple steps when you’re in a snacking mood.
Ingredients
- Your favorite bag of tortilla chips
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon powdered cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon dark chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chili lime powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
Instructions
Combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and pour the tortilla chips into a large bowl. Drizzle the lime juice over the chips and toss gently. Shake the spice mix over and toss them again.
Enjoy immediately or save the lime juice until you’re ready to eat. You’ll prevent the chips from getting soggy.
3. Sweet Hot Sauce
Hot sauce is the ultimate topping. It goes on everything, especially seafood. The next time you want to boost your immune system with crab rangoon, top it with a swicy sauce made with the following ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
Instructions
Heat the first three ingredients in a small pot over low heat. Stir gently until the sugar dissolves. Add the rest of the ingredients until the sauce thickens, then enjoy with your crab rangoon or any other meal you prefer.
Image Credit: Ting Tian from Unsplash
4. Swicy Simple Syrup
Your love for all things swicy doesn’t have to stop at meals and snacks. Create sweet and spicy cocktails or coffees with this simple syrup recipe. You could even add it to homemade juice recipes that fight respiratory infections to stimulate your taste buds while you’re sick with a cold.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup sliced jalapeño
Instructions
Put all of your ingredients in a small pot over low heat. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the syrup thickens, pour through a strainer or contain the entire mixture in a Mason jar. It will grow more spicy as the jalapeños sit in syrup.
Cool completely before adding to cocktails or mugs of coffee. It stays fresh for a week in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.
5. Sweet and Spicy Pizza
Who can resist a delicious homemade pizza? It’s a tasty treat full of melty, gooey cheese. Each bite provides calcium that strengthens your bones, so savor every swicy bite with this creative recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 package of refrigerated pizza dough
- 1 8-ounce bag of mozzarella cheese
- 1 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce
- 1–2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon basil
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to the time indicated on the dough’s packaging. Place the dough on a pizza pan and pour the marinara sauce into a bowl. Add the spices, hot sauce and honey. Mix until combined, then taste test and add more hot sauce if needed.
Cover the dough in your sauce and cheese, then bake according to the package’s instructions. The entire pie will have a swicy flavor evenly distributed beneath the cheese.
Image Credit: Christopher Farrugia from Pexels
6. Jalapeño Honey
People use honey for all kinds of things. It’s a dip on charcuterie boards, a spread for biscuits and a sweetener in teas or coffee. Dice a few jalapeño slices and pour a jar of honey into a saucepan. Once it warms over low heat and is bubbling, add your diced jalapeño slices.
Simmer and mix continuously for five minutes, then move to an unused burner. When the honey is at room temperature, it will stay fresh in a jar for three months if refrigerated.
Explore the World of Swicy Food
Ready to start your next culinary adventure? Try these swicy food ideas today. You may find it’s your favorite TikTok food crazy and worth making every day.
