H-E-B Is Selling Carolina Reaper-Infused Cooking Oil (Yes, Really)

H-E-B is bringing Carolina Reaper heat to the cooking aisle with two new infused oils: Carolina Reaper Infused Avocado Oil and Carolina Reaper Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The oils were spotted on H-E-B shelves this week, giving the grocery chain’s existing Carolina Reaper lineup a decidedly more practical application. Instead of adding the notoriously spicy pepper to your snack rotation, you can now drizzle it over pizza, pasta, roasted vegetables, or pretty much anything else that could use a little chaos. H-E-B specifically suggests using the oils in everything from marinades and dressings to soups and stir-fries.

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Carolina Reaper Has Entered Its Cooking Era

Carolina Reaper has long been associated with hot sauces, spicy snacks, and the kind of food challenges that make you wonder who first decided suffering should be a form of entertainment. But an infused oil puts the pepper in a slightly different category.

Rather than biting directly into the pepper or trying to figure out how much fresh Carolina Reaper you can safely add to a recipe, the oil gives you a way to incorporate its heat into everyday cooking. You can use it as a finishing oil, mix it into a marinade, or add a little to a dish that needs more kick.

Of course, “a little” is doing some heavy lifting there.

Two Oils, Same Fiery Idea

The new lineup gives shoppers a choice between avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil, depending on how they plan to use it. But these aren’t just your average pantry staples. They’re more like a tiny bottle of mayhem waiting next to your regular cooking oils.

And while the oils could technically go on almost anything, they’re probably best suited to foods that can actually stand up to the heat. Think tacos, grilled meats, roasted potatoes, eggs, pizza, or a bowl of mac and cheese that was already perfectly good before you decided it needed a little danger.

H-E-B Is Going All In On Heat

The oils also fit neatly into H-E-B‘s existing Carolina Reaper lineup, which includes a range of spicy products for shoppers who apparently believe regular levels of heat are no longer sufficient.

The difference here is that the new oils aren’t just another novelty snack. They’re a pantry ingredient, meaning Carolina Reaper can make an appearance at breakfast, lunch, and dinner if you’re committed enough.

Whether that’s an exciting development or a threat to your taste buds probably depends on your own definition of “spicy.” But if you’re wondering whether your perfectly respectable weeknight pasta really needs Carolina Reaper in it, that’s between you and your dinner.

Personally, I’d start with a very small drizzle.