¡Hola! Jalapeño’s Challenge Ingredient Recipes

Here’s your one-stop resource for all of ¡Hola! Jalapeño’s Challenge Ingredient recipes! Return to this post again and again to find the full list of all our monthly cooking club challenges.

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What is The Challenge Ingredient Cooking Contest?

The Challenge Ingredient Contest is a monthly series on my website. I started this fun challenge last summer to learn more about Mexican ingredients, connect with readers, and create a supportive cooking community. It has been so fun to see your creations and hear your experiences with these new ingredients. Participants who choose to make the monthly challenge recipe at home, leave a comment and star rating and share a photo will be entered in a drawing to win a $150 Amazon gift card. Don’t think of this as a cooking competition, but rather as a community cooking together.

At the beginning of each month, I share a new Challenge Ingredient recipe and encourage readers to make that recipe during the month. The point is to discover an ingredient that is common in Mexican cuisine but may be unfamiliar to us here in the US and abroad. On the last day of the month, a winner is randomly selected. Find details, and the current challenge recipe, on the Challenge Ingredient Page.

¡Hola! Jalapeño’s Challenge Ingredient Recipes

This list will be updated as new recipes are posted.

Challenge Ingredient Recipes 2025

1. January: Homemade Mexican Crema (challenge ingredient: crema)
2. February: Tamarind Agua Fresca (challenge ingredient: tamarind)
3. March: Nopales Con Carne (challenge ingredient: nopales)
4. April: Authentic Pambazos Recipe (challenge ingredient: guajillo chiles)
5. May: Verdolagas with Tomatillo (challenge ingredient: verdolagas)
6. June: Guasanas (challenge ingredient: fresh garbanzo beans)
7. July: Helado de Canela (challenge ingredient: canela)
8. August: Chicken Apple Quesadillas (challenge ingredient: Oaxaca cheese)
9. September: Chiles en Nogada (challenge ingredient: Poblano peppers)
10. October: Marigold Margarita (challenge ingredient: cempasúchil)
11. November: Pepita & Ancho Chile Stuffing (challenge ingredient: pepitas)
12. December: Ponche Navideño (challenge ingredient: tejocotes)

Challenge Ingredient Recipes 2024

Our very first Challenge Ingredient Recipe started in June of last year!

1. June: Squash Blossom Quesadillas (challenge ingredient: squash blossoms)
2. July: Roasted Chayote Squash Tostadas (challenge ingredient: chayote squash)
3. August: Grilled Chicken Adobo (challenge ingredients: ancho chiles)
4. September: Sopa de Requesón (challenge ingredient: requesón cheese)
5. October: One-Bowl Flourless Mexican Chocolate Cake (challenge ingredient: Mexican chocolate)
6. November: Leftover Turkey Instant Pot Pozole (challenge ingredient: dried corn)
7. December: Cheese Tamales (challenge ingredient: masa harina)

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