Ninety five percent of restaurant menus now feature spicy food options, up from 91.6% in 2015, reported research firm Datassential.

The research found that the spicy food trend spans every American region, with the word ‘spicy’ now on “more menus than any other word besides ‘fruit’ or ‘vegetable.’ It even surpasses chicken, America’s favorite protein,” wrote Datassential.

The report noted that 65% of Americans either love or like spicy food, with 34% in the “love it” category actively seeking spicy food experiences, while 35% remain neutral or negative toward spicy food.

Datassential projections indicate that by 2029, 96.3% of menus will feature spicy food items.

The report highlighted that the fastest-growing spicy food categories include pizza with +53% spicy food options in 2025 (+121% over 10 years), coffee & bakery with +40% spicy food integration, burgers saw +35% spicy food offerings and barbeque with +30% spicy food menu expansion.

However, Datassential also reported that younger demographics also demonstrate faster spicy food trend fatigue. “While they initially champion trends like sweet-and-spicy combinations and Nashville Hot, they migrate to newer spicy food trends even as previous favorites gain mainstream acceptance.”

Last summer, NACS Daily reported on the ‘swicy’ food trend that swept across the nation. 7-Eleven debuted a new line of sweet and spicy menu items including a Mangonada donut with Tajin seasoning and a limited-edition peach candy lemonade Slurpee drink at 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores.

Starbucks had a limited-time spiced line of spring lemonade drinks in three flavors—spicy dragonfruit, spicy pineapple and spicy strawberry—combining sweet and spicy flavors by using fruit and Starbucks’ spicy chili powder blend.

Read more about how food and beverages are being influenced by many taste preferences, creating bold and new profiles for every demographic in the October 2024 issue of NACS Magazine feature “Flavor Forward.”