Not recommended: Ketchup alone

Apart from adding spiciness and heat to the recipe, hot paprika will also act as a colorant to make your dish or sauce look more appetizing.

Chipotle powder is probably the best smoked paprika substitute on your spice rack. Like the original ingredient, this replacement is also considered mildly spicy with a heat level that ranges from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) on the Scoville Scale. Made from smoked dried jalapeño peppers, this spice is also known for its remarkable smoky and earthy taste — the result of the smoking process. Its bright red color also closely resembles paprika. All things considered, the chipotle powder is a fantastic backup for smoky dishes rather than spicy recipes. 

Chipotle powder is probably the best smoked paprika substitute on your spice rack. Like the original ingredient, this replacement is also considered mildly spicy with a heat level that ranges from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) on the Scoville Scale. Made from smoked dried jalapeño peppers, this spice is also known for its remarkable smoky and earthy taste — the result of the smoking process. Its bright red color also closely resembles paprika. All things considered, the chipotle powder is a fantastic backup for smoky dishes rather than spicy recipes. 

Some common chili peppers and their approximate Scoville heat units (SHU) include:

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.

Homemade red chili powder is a popular spice used in cuisines around the world for its bold and fiery flavor. The demand for high-quality red chili powder has led to the growth of a market for homemade red chili powder exporters who specialize in producing and distributing this pungent spice to international markets.

Red Bell Peppers

In addition to the climate and soil conditions, Yidu's dried chili exporters also benefit from the region's rich agricultural tradition. Many farmers in the area have been growing chili peppers for generations, passing down traditional knowledge and techniques that have been refined over time. This expertise, combined with modern farming practices and technology, allows Yidu's dried chili exporters to produce some of the best dried chili peppers in the world.

This mix also allows you to keep just one jar on hand. If you use it in recipes that call for cayenne pepper, however, it could add extra flavors you weren't counting on.

The reason bell peppers are often used to make paprika is due to their mild and sweet flavor, as well as their vibrant red color. When dried and ground, bell peppers produce a sweet paprika with a rich red hue, adding both flavor and color to a wide range of dishes.

Hot sauce shines when used as a table condiment or added to recipes that call for a spicy kick. It's great with eggs, tacos, and soups, and also as a marinade for grilling.