To recreate the spice of hot paprika, the best substitute is another dried chilli, like ground cayenne, aleppo pepper powder, crushed red pepper flakes, red chilli powder, or even a dash of hot sauce. If your recipe calls for smokiness and sweetness, try chipotle chilli powder or ancho pepper powder. Chipotle powder has a smoky taste, but is hotter than paprika with a more earthy flavour, lending itself to barbecue sauces, rubs and chillis. Due to the difference in heat, use a ¼ teaspoon of chipotle powder for every teaspoon of paprika and adjust depending on your taste buds.

If you’re looking to replicate the flavour of sweet paprika add a pinch of sugar or some honey. Adding mild chilli powder or tomato powder works too. Bell peppers are another great substitute for sweet paprika and they come from the same Capsicum annuum family. Mild, sweet and aromatic, bell peppers give the same delicious taste and aroma, while adding a splash of colour too. When buying your bell peppers, make sure they’re nice and ripe.

One of the best substitutes for paprika is cayenne pepper. It’s a spicy chilli pepper, used to flavour many different cuisines and quite similar in colour. It’s a lot stronger and hotter than paprika, so if you’re using it as a substitute in your cooking, make sure you use a lesser quantity. If you have a lower tolerance to spicy food, you can add salt, cream, chopped tomatoes or more liquid (water or broth) to try and dial down the heat.

Like paprika, chilli powder packs a lot of flavour and is another worthy substitute. It’s also not as spicy as cayenne pepper, so you can use the same quantities.  The same goes for cajun spices. A combination of black and white pepper, plus other herbs and spices, it can work as a good substitute for smoked or sweet paprika, offering a similar flavour. But you won’t get the same beautiful red colour – more of an orange, warm hue.

You can also use cumin instead of paprika. But it’s a lot hotter, so go easy on the quantities. Like cajun spices, you won’t achieve the gorgeous red colour of paprika, as cumin has more of a yellowy-brown colouring, but you’ll still get an earthy flavour with hints of bitterness and sweetness.

On the other hand, chili powder is a blend of spices typically used in Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisines. It usually contains ground chili peppers along with other spices such as cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Chili powder is known for its earthy, slightly spicy flavor and is often used to season chili con carne, tacos, and other Mexican-inspired dishes.

Types of Paprika

I hope this article has helped you learn the differences between paprika, chili powder, and cayenne. These spices are all delicious and useful in the kitchen, and we never let ourselves run out of stock. Happy cooking!

Now, let’s say you don’t have any of these ingredients, your last resort would be to use black and white pepper to replicate the peppery and smoky kick that paprika offer. Chili flakes will also do in some recipes that use paprika as a garnish such as deviled eggs and potato salad.

Paprika, made from ground sweet or hot peppers, is known for its vibrant red color and versatile flavor profile. It ranges from mild and sweet to hot and smoky, making it suitable for a wide variety of dishes. In Hungarian cuisine, paprika is essential in dishes like goulash and chicken paprikash, where it provides both color and flavor. In Spanish cuisine, it is a key ingredient in chorizo and paella. Paprika's mild version can also be used as a garnish, adding a dash of color and a hint of flavor to deviled eggs, potato salads, and soups.