Paprika Substitutes, Ranked by the Job Paprika Is Doing

Paprika is dried, ground Capsicum,¹ and chile peppers of the species Capsicum annuum were domesticated in Mexico.² McCormick Science Institute names Spain, Hungary, China, India and the United States as important producers.³ Paprika’s red comes mainly from two carotenoids, capsanthin and capsorubin,⁴ and its heat, where it has any, from capsaicinoids. Under the international Codex standard, dried Capsicum sold as paprika has 480 Scoville heat units or less, and “hot paprika” sits above 480 but below 900.¹ That low ceiling is the main problem with substitutes: almost every other ground chile is hotter. So the right swap depends on whether paprika is in the dish for color, for sweet pepper flavor, for heat, or for smoke.

Quick answer

The rest of the page explains each choice and how the heat of each substitute compares.

How the ratios on this page are labeled

Every ratio carries one of four labels.

• Computed: based on a measurable physical relationship, with the source named.
• Attributed: a named source publishes this ratio. We quote it as theirs.
• Disputed: named sources give different answers to the same swap. We show each one and do not average them.
• Method: we found no published ratio. We give a direction and a cautious starting point, and say so.

We found one published ratio, and it is for a hotter result than paprika: PepperScale suggests cutting ancho powder or chili powder with an equal part cayenne (Attributed; see the hot paprika section).⁵ The Spice House and Chili Pepper Madness both name substitutes without giving amounts,⁶⁷ so every other amount here is a Method starting point.

How hot are paprika and its substitutes?

Heat is where the substitutes differ most. NMSU notes that HPLC, which measures capsaicinoids directly, is the most accurate way to measure chile heat.⁸ The figures below come from different kinds of sources and describe different things, so they sit side by side and are not combined.

PepperScale’s two paprika figures come from two of its articles and do not agree with each other. Both reach above the Codex boundary for paprika, and the 500–1,500 range runs past the ceiling for hot paprika as well; Codex is the international standard and the stronger source, so the PepperScale figures are shown as published, not adopted. A figure of 15,000 SHU for the hottest paprika also circulates. We found no source for it, and it sits far above the Codex boundary for hot paprika.

If paprika is there for color

Dusted over deviled eggs or potato salad, or used in quantity in a rub, paprika’s job is mostly red color with a mild, sweet pepper taste. The best substitute has color and no heat.

1. Red bell pepper powder

Bell pepper is Capsicum annuum, and researchers at The Ohio State University report that the sweet bell pepper they tested scored 0 SHU.¹¹ Dried and ground, it is the same kind of product as paprika: dried Capsicum.¹ So it brings color and sweet pepper flavor with no heat at all. In our judgment it tastes more like fresh pepper and less toasted than paprika, and it can be harder to find.

Ratio (Method): No published ratio. Start one for one.

2. Tomato powder

The Spice House lists tomato powder, along with mild chili powder, as a substitute for sweet paprika.⁶ It adds red color and a tart, savory taste rather than pepper; that description is ours.

Ratio (Method): No published ratio. Start with half the paprika amount, since it brings acidity paprika does not, and taste. Tomato paste works the same way in a sauce or stew; stir it in a teaspoon at a time until the color looks right.

If paprika is sweet pepper flavor in a cooked dish

In a stew, braise or sauce where paprika is used by the tablespoon, flavor matters as much as color. For Hungarian dishes like goulash and paprikash, nothing replaces paprika well; in our judgment it is worth buying.

Ancho powder

In its list of smoked-paprika substitutes, The Spice House suggests ancho powder for the sweet kinds.⁶ PepperScale calls ancho an excellent paprika alternative, mild and only a little hotter than the pimento pepper, with a slight smokiness that can show in a dish.⁵ The Chile Pepper Institute describes ancho, the dried poblano, as mild, with sweet, smoky flavors and hints of dried fruit.¹² Ancho is C. annuum,¹² but every ancho figure in the table above is higher than the Codex ceiling for paprika, so it will add a little warmth. Expect a darker, browner color; that is our description.

Make sure it is pure ancho. American chili powder is a blend: the USDA purchasing specification says it should include ground chili pepper, cumin, oregano, salt and garlic powder.²⁰

Ratio (Method): No published ratio for this direction of the swap. Start with three quarters of the paprika amount and taste before adding the rest.

Guajillo powder

Guajillo, also called mirasol, is another C. annuum chile grown for drying in Mexico.¹⁴ Its heat figures run higher than ancho’s (see the table), so it is a second choice here. In its smoked-paprika list, The Spice House suggests guajillo for the hot or sharp kinds,⁶ and Chili Pepper Madness notes that other chile powders may work in place of paprika, though they are less common.⁷

Ratio (Method): No published ratio. Start with half the paprika amount.

If you need the heat of hot paprika

Hungary’s food codex sorts ground paprika into four heat classes by capsaicinoid content, from non-pungent to very hot,⁹ and Pimentón de la Vera comes in sweet, bittersweet and hot types.²¹ If a recipe asks for hot paprika, you need both color and some heat.

A sweet substitute plus cayenne

For hot or sharp smoked paprikas, The Spice House suggests cayenne.⁶ Chili Pepper Madness notes that cayenne is quite a bit hotter than typical mild paprika.⁷ By the figures above, cayenne is dozens of times hotter than the Codex ceiling for hot paprika, so cayenne alone is not a one-for-one swap. PepperScale agrees, calling it a big jump in spiciness.⁵

PepperScale’s blend (Attributed): cut ancho powder or chili powder with an equal part cayenne, which PepperScale says lessens the heat of cayenne while still giving more bite than typical paprika.⁵ Half of that blend is cayenne, so by the figures above it is still far hotter than anything Codex would call hot paprika; use it only where you want real heat.

Ratio (Method): No published ratio. Use bell pepper powder or ancho powder for the bulk, as above, and add a small pinch of cayenne per teaspoon. Taste and add more only after the dish has simmered a few minutes.

Chili powder, where its other flavors fit

Chili Pepper Madness says chili powder is usually hotter than paprika and is a blend of ingredients.⁷ PepperScale notes that its cumin and garlic make a definite flavor difference, but that where paprika is only a dash or a pinch for color you are unlikely to notice.⁵ Because it brings cumin, oregano, garlic and salt,²⁰ it suits chili, tacos and rubs but not a goulash or a dusting on eggs.

Ratio (Method): No published ratio. Start with half the paprika amount and reduce the salt in the recipe.

If paprika is a garnish with a little heat

Aleppo pepper

The Spice House describes Aleppo pepper as flakes that add “color, mild heat, and a unique salty-raisiny flavor,” with notes of raisin, pomegranate and sun-dried tomato.¹⁸ The pepper takes its name from Aleppo in Syria, and the product’s ingredients are chiles, vegetable oil and salt.¹⁸ PepperScale describes Aleppo as earthy, a little smoky, with a tomato-like tang, more complex than mild paprika and much milder than cayenne, but harder to find.⁵ It is coarse, slightly oily and salted, so it suits a finishing sprinkle better than a smooth sauce; that is our judgment.

Ratio (Method): No published ratio. Start with half the paprika amount and cut back the salt slightly.

If the recipe calls for smoked paprika

Pimentón de la Vera is smoke-dried, and its specification describes a smoky, intense and penetrating flavor and aroma.²¹ Sweet paprika will give color but no smoke. The Spice House suggests chipotle powder for smoked sweet paprikas.⁶ Chipotle is a smoke-dried jalapeño,²² much hotter than paprika (see the table), so use a fraction of the amount. For the full set of options, see smoked paprika substitutes.

Ratio (Method): No published ratio. Start with a quarter of the smoked paprika amount in chipotle powder and make up the rest with sweet paprika or bell pepper powder.

What isn’t known

• No published study compares the flavor of paprika with any substitute, and the only ratio we found is PepperScale’s ancho-and-cayenne blend, which is hotter than paprika.
• No Scoville measurement for paprika as a product, or for any named paprika cultivar, was found; only category boundaries, the Hungarian codex’s capsaicinoid classes and general ratings without a stated method. The only heat figure found for Aleppo pepper is PepperScale’s general rating.
• Paprika is sometimes called an excellent source of vitamin C. USDA’s FoodData Central lists 0.9 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of paprika, and a teaspoon weighs 2.3 g,²³ which works out to about 0.02 mg per teaspoon against a Daily Value of 90 mg.²⁴
• Paprika is sometimes said to have originated in Central America. The species was domesticated in Mexico, and the evidence points to central-east Mexico.²

Related

• Paprika, smoked paprika and smoked paprika substitutes
• Paprika vs. cayenne, paprika vs. chili powder
• Bell pepper powder, ancho powder, guajillo powder, chipotle powder
• Cayenne pepper and cayenne substitutes, chili powder and chili powder substitutes
• Gochugaru, red pepper flakes