Paprika Substitutes, Ranked by the Job Paprika Is Doing

Paprika’s catch is heat, or really the lack of it. Under the international Codex standard, paprika has 480 Scoville heat units or less, and “hot paprika” stays below 900.¹ Almost every other ground chile is hotter than that. The right substitute depends on what paprika is doing in your dish: color, sweet pepper flavor, heat or smoke. For plain red color, red bell pepper powder is the closest match; for flavor in a stew, reach for ancho powder.

Quick answer

How the ratios on this page are labeled

Every ratio carries one of four labels.

• Computed: based on a measurable physical relationship.
• Attributed: a named source publishes this ratio. We quote it as theirs.
• Disputed: named sources give different answers to the same swap. You get each one, side by side.
• Method: our starting point, based on how the two compare. Taste and adjust.

How hot are paprika and its substitutes?

Heat is where the substitutes differ most. The figures below come from different kinds of sources and describe different things, so they sit side by side and aren’t combined.

PepperScale’s two paprika figures come from two of its articles, and they don’t agree with each other. Both run past the Codex boundary for paprika, and the 500–1,500 range runs past the ceiling for hot paprika too. Codex is the international standard and the stronger source, so we show the PepperScale figures as published but don’t go by them. You’ll also see a figure of 15,000 SHU for the hottest paprika. 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 by the spoonful in a rub, paprika’s job is mostly red color with a mild, sweet pepper taste. You want a substitute with color and no heat.

1. Red bell pepper powder

Researchers at The Ohio State University report that the sweet bell pepper they tested scored 0 SHU.⁵ Dried and ground, it’s the same kind of product as paprika: dried Capsicum. So you get color and sweet pepper flavor with no heat at all. It tastes more like fresh pepper and less toasted than paprika, and it can be harder to find.

Ratio (Method): Start one for one.

2. Tomato powder

The Spice House lists tomato powder, along with mild chili powder, as a substitute for sweet paprika.¹⁴ It adds red color and a tart, savory taste instead of pepper.

Ratio (Method): Start with half the paprika amount, since it brings acidity paprika doesn’t, 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 goes in by the tablespoon, flavor matters as much as color. For Hungarian dishes like goulash and paprikash, nothing replaces paprika well, so it’s worth buying.

Ancho powder

In its list of smoked-paprika substitutes, The Spice House suggests ancho powder for the sweet kinds.¹⁴ PepperScale calls ancho an excellent paprika alternative: mild, only a little hotter than the pimento pepper, with a slight smokiness that can show in a dish.⁴ The Chile Pepper Institute describes ancho, the dried poblano, as mild, with sweet, smoky flavors and hints of dried fruit.⁶ Every ancho figure in the table above is higher than the Codex ceiling for paprika, so expect a little warmth. Expect a darker, browner color too.

Make sure it’s pure ancho. American chili powder is a blend: the USDA purchasing spec says it should include ground chili pepper, cumin, oregano, salt and garlic powder.¹⁵

Ratio (Method): Start with three quarters of the paprika amount and taste before adding the rest.

Guajillo powder

Guajillo, also called mirasol, has heat figures that run higher than ancho’s (see the table), so it’s a second choice here. In its smoked-paprika list, The Spice House suggests guajillo for the hot or sharp kinds,¹⁴ and Chili Pepper Madness notes that other chile powders may work in place of paprika, though they’re less common.¹⁶

Ratio (Method): 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,² and Pimentón de la Vera comes in sweet, bittersweet and hot types.¹⁷ If your recipe asks for hot paprika, you need color and some heat.

A sweet substitute plus cayenne

For hot or sharp smoked paprikas, The Spice House suggests cayenne.¹⁴ Chili Pepper Madness notes that cayenne is quite a bit hotter than typical mild paprika.¹⁶ By the figures above, cayenne is dozens of times hotter than the Codex ceiling for hot paprika, so cayenne alone isn’t a one-for-one swap. PepperScale agrees, calling it a big jump in spiciness.⁴

PepperScale’s blend (Attributed): cut ancho powder or chili powder with an equal part cayenne, which PepperScale says tames cayenne’s heat while still giving more bite than typical paprika.⁴ Half of that blend is cayenne, though, so by the figures above it’s still far hotter than anything Codex would call hot paprika. Save it for dishes where you want real heat.

Ratio (Method): 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.¹⁶ PepperScale notes that its cumin and garlic make a definite flavor difference, but where paprika is only a dash or a pinch for color, you’re unlikely to notice.⁴ It brings cumin, oregano, garlic and salt,¹⁵ so it suits chili, tacos and rubs, not a goulash or a dusting on eggs.

Ratio (Method): Start with half the paprika amount and cut back 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.¹² Its ingredients are chiles, vegetable oil and salt. PepperScale describes Aleppo as earthy and a little smoky, with a tomato-like tang: more complex than mild paprika and much milder than cayenne, but harder to find.⁴ It’s coarse, slightly oily and salted, so it’s better as a finishing sprinkle than in a smooth sauce.

Ratio (Method): Start with half the paprika amount and ease off the salt a little.

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.¹⁷ Sweet paprika gives you the color but no smoke. The Spice House suggests chipotle powder for smoked sweet paprikas.¹⁴ Chipotle is a smoke-dried jalapeño,¹⁸ 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): 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

• We found no Scoville measurement for paprika as a product, or for any named paprika cultivar. There are only category boundaries, the Hungarian codex’s capsaicinoid classes and general ratings with no stated method. The only heat figure we 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,¹⁹ which works out to about 0.02 mg per teaspoon against a Daily Value of 90 mg.²⁰
• Paprika is sometimes said to have originated in Central America. The species was domesticated in Mexico, and the evidence points to central-east Mexico.²¹

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