Jamie Oliver's Go‑to Pepper For Adding Flavor To A Dish

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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver knows a thing or two about seasoning food. The British cooking personality specializes in a vast array of flavorful recipes, from his mouthwatering steak sarnie sandwich to simple but delicious roast potatoes and more creative concoctions. Yet whenever a recipe calls for peppers — and their requisite hint of spice — Oliver reaches for one particular pepper variety. The chef's go-to seasoning? Espelette pepper, which he integrates throughout his cooking.

"It makes food taste delicious," he said in a 2024 interview with "The Times." "You might think that it looks a bit like chili powder, because it's red, but that's where the similarities stop. It's dried peppers, and you can sprinkle it on almost everything."

This versatility  — Oliver cites the pepper "as a third seasoning" akin to salt and pepper — proves its worth, as Espelette does everything but stay inside Oliver's pantry. As for what recipes benefit from a sprinkle — or two — of the spice? Oliver takes advantage of its distinctive flavor level by incorporating it whenever he can, upgrading savory dishes into soon-to-be spicy delights.

In the wide, wide world of spicy peppers, Espelette — a Basque red chili – may rank among the lesser-known pepper variations ... and that's a shame. Sure, jalapeños and cayenne peppers may be household names and pantry spices, but Espelette sits among the most useful of seasonings, offering a bit of kick, color, and well-balanced flavor to pretty much any savory dish imaginable. It combines spicy, smoky, and sweet elements, and therefore imbues food with a taste that's less potent than more powerful and intense peppers like cayenne and paprika.

As such, Jamie Oliver uses Espelette pepper across most all types of food, including vegetables, salads, soup, and both meat and fish. Basically, flip to any savory recipe in Oliver's cookbook, and you may find an outlet for Espelette. "It goes with almost everything," he told The Times, going so far as to call the seasoning "the most versatile spice in [his] cupboard." 

As for where you can find Oliver's beloved pepper? You can order different brands of the spice on Amazon, so you can spice up your cooking with ease and convenience.