Originally published on January 7, 2021. Updated and republished on July 1, 2024.
Your spice rack is probably well acquainted with that beautifully bold red color spice, paprika.
The commonly used spice comes from finely ground sweet pepper pods from the Capsicum annuum plant. Keep reading to find out what to do when you need a paprika substitute.
Table of Contents
Paprika Benefits
Paprika benefits are much more than just a spice rub ingredient or a final garnish on deviled eggs. It can boldly impact the color and bring a unique flavor to many recipes. The vibrant red pigment is indicative of its carotenoids, which can lower you risk of chronic disease.
Types Of Paprika
This lovely spice is sometimes called Paprika, Paprika Powder, or by its more specific names.
Even if you are a novel cook, your spice cabinet could have several types of paprika.
- Hungarian Paprika comes in sweet and hot varieties.
- Hot Paprika comes from grinding dry hot peppers. It brings a higher heat level than regular paprika.
- Smoked Paprika is made from smoked peppers dried over oak wood fires and turned into a pepper powder.
- Spanish Paprika is generally sweet and smoked.
- Sweet Paprika is made from mild peppers.
Paprika Substitute List
We could talk more about how awesome paprika is in cooking, but what do you do if you’ve run out of paprika and your recipe calls for some?
You can still add an original taste to distinguish your dish using paprika substitutes. Maybe you only need paprika as a final garnish, or for a touch of color, and there are other options for that too.
If you’ve simply run out of paprika or looking for a little variety, check out this list of paprika alternatives. More information on each of these is below.
Please note, these seasonings are not all interchangeable.
Recipes may call for sweet paprika, mild paprika, smoked paprika, or hot paprika. Sometimes paprika is used for flavor and sometimes for color.
Also, if you are choosing an alternative due to paprika allergy, night shade allergy, or a similar condition, be sure to select an ingredient that is safe for you.
- Achiote Powder (Annatto)
- Aleppo Pepper Powder
- Ancho Chili Powder
- Bell Pepper Flakes
- Black Pepper
- Cajun Blend Seasoning
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Chipotle Powder
- Coriander
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Cumin
- Gochugaru Pepper
- Guajillo Pepper
- Hot Sauce
- Liquid Smoke
- Maras Pepper Flakes
- Pink Peppercorn
- Red Curry Powder
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Saffron
- Smoked Sea Salt
- Sumac
- Tomato Paste
- Tomato Powder
- Turmeric
- White Pepper Powder
Achiote Powder (Annatto)
Achiote powder is another not so common spice that is derived from ground annatto seeds. Annatto seeds are bright red-orange.
Its flavor profile boasts nutty, peppery, and earthy notes. In small amounts, it can be useful as a paprika substitute if your recipe is needing a similar color without adding a particular flavor.
Aleppo Pepper Powder
Aleppo pepper is a red spice from Syria that’s derived from Aleppo peppers. It brings a mild level of heat, earthy flavor, and some acidity to its taste.
Popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, this spice is found in a flaked form, so consider that when substituting for paprika in a recipe.
Ancho Chili Powder
When ripe poblano peppers are dried, they become known as ancho chilies.
Ancho chilies are sweet chilies with a mid-level heat, earthy notes, and smoky flavor.
Bell Pepper Powder
Bell pepper powder is also known as pepper powder. Green, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are dried and ground into this powder with zero heat level.
It’s very similar to paprika and is described as sweet and fruity. This spice is Vitamin C rich and is a great paprika substitute.
Black Pepper
The Piper nigrum plant produces berries known as peppercorns. The peppercorns turn dark when they are dried in the sun.
The flavor profile of black pepper is described as floral and fruity. When used as a paprika substitute, be aware that you may have visible black specks in your dish.
Cajun Blend Seasoning
This versatile seasoning may contain black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, mustard powder, and cumin. Blends vary by brand but most contain paprika and offer a robust flavor and red color.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is similar to paprika in color but is a bit more orange compared to paprika’s dark red color. That doesn’t change the fact that it can work as a garnish and can be used for color in a recipe like paprika.
It is made from ground dried cayenne chilies that packs a moderate level of heat. It will bring a fiery taste to your dish. Cayenne powder is definitely hotter than paprika, so we recommend using a smaller amount of cayenne powder than the usual amount of paprika.
Chili Powder
This red powder can be easily mistaken for paprika if you ignore the label.
Chili powder is made from ancho chili peppers but usually includes other spices like paprika, cumin, or even garlic. The combination of spices gives more flavor complexity compared to paprika.
This powder will bring more heat than regular paprika because of the ancho chili peppers.
Chipotle Powder
Chipotle powder comes from dried and smoked jalapeno peppers.
It is a good substitute for smoked paprika because of its rich smoky flavor, but its brown color doesn’t compare to paprika.
Coriander
Coriander comes from grinding the dried seeds of cilantro.
The coriander’s flavor profile is different from cilantro leaves and paprika because of its warm, citrusy, earthy, and buttery notes. It’s nowhere near as beautiful in color as paprika, but like paprika, it won’t overwhelm your dish either.
Coriander might be a good choice if you need to add a gentle flavor to a meal.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Crushed red pepper is found in flake form and contains seeds. It is also known as Red Pepper Flakes or Crushed Red Pepper.
It brings heat to your dish due to its use of a medley of peppers, including jalapenos, serrano peppers, and chili peppers. It has a mild pungency with a slight sweet capsicum flavor.
Cumin
Cumin is grown worldwide today and comes from the dried seeds of the Suminum cyminum herb.
If you’ve ever opened up cumin spice, you’ve noticed its aroma right away. The savory zero heat spice brings warm earthy flavors to a variety of foods, including Tex-Mex cuisine. Cumin is often combined with paprika and other ingredients to make chili powder.
Gochugaru Pepper
Gochugaru is a Korean chili powder. It is similar to Crushed Red Pepper Flakes but does not contain seeds. It is made from sun dried peppers. It is moderately spicy, bright red, and comes in flake and powder form.
Guajillo Pepper
Guajillo peppers are dried mirasol chilis. They are described as having a rich, complex flavor as well as a bright, fruity, and tangy flavor. They have a medium heat. They are used in Mexican cuisine.
Liquid Smoke
Liquid Smoke is a produce made from burning wood. Smoke and steam from burning wood is collected and distilled in to a concentrate. It is used to add a smokey flavor to many foods.
Maras Pepper Flakes
These beautiful red pepper flakes are often used as a garnish to add a beautiful red color as well as a mild heat and fruity, chili flavor. Marash peppers are used in Turkish cuisine.
Hot Sauce
Many types of hot sauces are sold as easy to use condiments and can be used to add heat, flavor, and color to recipes. Hot sauces are usually made of various type of peppers and may be used as a paprika alternative.
However, the vinegar content of some hot sauces may alter the flavor of some recipes.
Pink Peppercorn
Pink peppercorn may sound like the middle sibling of the black and white peppercorn family. However, there is no relation here. Pink peppercorn comes from two types of trees in South America.
Cranberry red in color, pink peppercorn is known to bring a higher heat level than paprika. Like a juniper berry, it has a distinctive sweet piney taste that you won’t find with paprika.
Although not a close match, pink peppercorn may give some color and heat to your food.
Red Curry Powder
Red curry powder is essential in Indian cuisine and is made up of a blend of spices like cumin and turmeric.
Red curry powder is not as red as paprika. It’s made from red chili peppers, which are responsible for its reddish color. Paprika and red curry powder have vastly different flavor profiles, and some red curry powders can be spicy.
However, if you need some red for garnish, this product may do the trick.
Roasted Red Peppers
Saffron
Saffron is an expensive and versatile spice that is popular in the Middle East.
Saffron comes from the crocus flower plant. Compared with paprika, saffron is more orange-red. Its complex flavor profile is described as “bitter” and “slightly metallic.”
Although the flavors are different, both can be used to add color to foods such as fish, chicken, rice, and potatoes.
Smoked Sea Salt
Smoked Sea Salt is made by exposing sea salt to the smoke from burning wood for an extended period of time. This product can add a smoky flavor profile.
Sumac
Sumac berries are grown on wild bushes in regions of the Mediterranean and Middle east.
Sumac spice has a deep burgundy color making it a good option for color in a recipe. Fruity and tart flavors describe sumac spice.
Tomato Powder
Tomato Powder can be used as a base ingredient in sauces as well as a seasoning or a garnish. It is made from dried tomatoes which have been ground in to a powder.
Turmeric
Turmeric comes from an herbaceous perennial plant that is related to ginger.
The anti-inflammatory spice is known for its vibrant orange-yellow color which historically was used as a dye. Its flavor can be described as earthy, slightly gingery, bitter, and pungent. While the flavor profiles of turmeric and paprika are quite different, both can be used to add color.
White Pepper Powder
Even though white pepper comes from the same plant as black pepper, it is said to be spicier. After the peppercorns are dried, the dark outer layer is removed, thus producing white pepper powder when ground.
White pepper might be a good choice when substituting for hot paprika.
Smoked Paprika Substitute
As described above, some spices have a smoky flavor and are better as a smoked paprika substitute. Here’s a quick summary:
- Ancho Chili Powder
- Chipotle powder
- Smoked Sea Salt
Hot Paprika Substitute
If you are in a pinch and need to add some heat, try one of these:
- Cayenne Pepper
- Guajillo Pepper
- Hot Sauce
Color or Garnish Substitute
If you need some red color or garnish, consider the following:
- Carrots
- Red Cabbage – finely chopped
- Red Peppers – dried, fresh, or roasted
- Tomato products
Paprika Allergy
If you have a known or suspected allergy to paprika (or sensitivity to paprika or paprika intolerance), avoiding paprika should be a top priority. It is possible that you may have an adverse food reaction to foods in the same food family as paprika.
Paprika Food Family
Paprika is part of the Potato Food Family, also known as the Solanaceae food family. The following foods are in the same food family as Paprika:
- Eggplant
- Potato
- Tobacco
- Tomato
- Peppers:
- Bell Peppers
- Cayenne Peppers
- Chili Peppers
- Green Peppers
- Hot Peppers
- Paprika
- Pimento
- Red Peppers
- Yellow Peppers
If you are looking for a paprika substitute and can not eat paprika, it is probably best to avoid substitutes that are made from any type of pepper or any food in the nightshade food family.
Help For Paprika Allergy
If you know or suspect that you can’t eat paprika due to an allergy, sensitivity, or other intolerance, help is available.
In case of severe symptoms or difficulty breathing, seek urgent medical attention.
We recommend working with an Allergist, Registered Dietitian, or Certified Leap Therapist to identify which foods are safest for you and which foods you should avoid.
Bottom Line
Substituting spices in your recipe can undoubtedly shake things up.
You have these options to choose from, taking into account the various colors, textures, and flavor profiles that come with each spice.
Even if you are a novice chef, running out of paprika could be the very thing that grows your culinary creativity and adds a brand new twist to a traditional recipe.
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