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If I could name two most underused flavorings in the United States, I would pick paprika and dill weed. But, if I had to name the one that I love the most, it would be paprika. Paprika is nothing more than a blend of chile powders, yet, there is nothing that comes close to the taste of a good paprika, some of the best of which come from Hungary and Spain. Its sometimes sweet, sometimes fiery, sometimes smoky, and everything in between. I think I know why we use so little of it here in America. Americans use paprika wrong! This causes the average American to not realize the flavoring potential of this wonderful and vibrant spice.
Is There a Substitute For Paprika?
I’ll tell you the truth. There is no real substitute for paprika. I could make up some stuff to make you feel like I know what I’m talking about. But I’m going to assume you want the truth, and for that, we have to understand a little bit about paprika.
If you’re looking generally for a paprika substitute, you are undervaluing paprika. In case you haven’t guessed, paprika is by far my favorite dried spice. I always have two or three varieties on hand. I use sweet paprika, hot Hungarian paprika, and fancy Spanish smoked paprika, a favorite of which is Chiquilin Smoked Paprika (Pimenton Ahumado). I’ve rarely met a paprika I didn’t like.
How NOT To Use Paprika
Many cooks in America have a misconception that it’s nothing more than something to sprinkle on top of deviled eggs or casseroles for color. NO! It’s a flavor bomb that you should be putting in your chili, your soup, your stew, your barbecue sauce, etc. And you should be putting it inside casseroles, not on top of them.
Put it in your potato salad. Put it in your rice. Use it in your dry rubs. Have it on a plane, on a train, or in Spain. You get the picture.
In some places, Paprika is simply a name for chiles, similar to pimento. The name paprika is derived from the Latin piper, which developed into the Slavic forms pepperke and piperka. The term paprika only came to be used around 1175. In regards to the powdered spice, however, you’ll notice I mentioned varieties of paprika. Although you can go to the grocery store and buy “paprika,” such as McCormick’s brand (which is good to keep on hand), paprika is not a single product.
- High-quality paprika made in Spain
- Finely ground
- Marvellous smoked flavour and a great deep red colour
- Ideal for seasoning dishes
- For use in stir fries, stews, tajines, marinades, cold meats, Hungarian goulash, as well as in vegan and vegetarian recipes
- Packaged in a brass tin with hermetically sealed lid for perfect preservation
- Opaque container that maintains 100% product quality
- Kosher certified product
- Gluten-free
- Chiquilin has worked with the best spices since 1909
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Instead, paprika is a generic name for any number of cultivars of sweet or spicy red chiles. They usually come from Capsicum annuum, var. annuum, and are dried and powdered. For sweet varieties of paprika, the dried flesh is used, and for spicier or “hot” varieties, the seeds and ribs are used, but of course, the level of heat depends on the variety of chile. Paprika makers often blend two or more of these together in precisely controlled amounts to create the flavor they want.
You can read more about why ribs and seeds of chiles have more heat.
Although the chiles used originated in the New World, the particular varieties of chile used to make paprika powders were developed in Europe, and especially Hungaria, where paprika is the most oft-used spice. Only salt is used more. Hungarians use paprika in almost everything. It defines their cuisine and is not just for Paprikash or Goulash.
It is the particular varieties of chile that are important when assessing what to replace paprika with, and although there are a couple of good contenders, none of these are likely to be a regular part of your pantry.
The very well-known Hot Hungarian Paprika is made from a type of cayenne that Hungarians call spice paprika. All Hungarian paprika, even the sweet variety, is a bit more pungent than the typical grocery store brands we find in the spice aisle, or, for example, the Spanish varieties, made from a milder sweet pepper.
But paprikas are produced in so many places, including Morocco, Portugal, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Chile, the U.S., etc. it should be clear that this is not just one single product for which you can find one single substitute! It is simply a name for dried chile peppers.
Using Paprika the Correct Way
The habit of using paprika as a colorful topping rather than a cooking spice may be what has led many Americans to undervalue it. If you take a taste of dry paprika powder, you will find that it has very little flavor on its own, other than a hint of bitterness. The same is true of most dried chile powders. It’s a shame, as no one would expect a topping of chile powder to taste good! Well, paprika is chile powder. A taste of typical cayenne powder, bought in the United States, will reveal a trace of bitterness and heat, but little more. Since paprika is too often sprinkled on top of something that is fairly dry, such as cheese, or breadcrumbs, or deviled eggs, the result is simply a red color and a bitter flavor.
Sprinkle too much of it on top of a dish and you may get protests of “too much paprika.” For me, there is hardly such a thing as too much paprika. However, for the flavor of it to come out, it needs to be boiled in a liquid. To bring out the full flavor, it’s best to start by heating the paprika in oil over relatively low heat. This is considered “blooming” the paprika and helps bring out the fat-soluble flavors. But, for fullest flavor, in my experience, a combination of oil-blooming and boiling in water-based liquids is best. However, the idea that you must heat paprika in oil seems to be an internet myth. You can get plenty of paprika flavor by just putting paprika into boiling liquid. When sauteing other ingredients for a dish, it’s best to add paprika toward the end with low heat to bring out the flavor without buring the paprika, which will result in a bitter flavor.
So, use it in a stew or soup-like dishes, or anywhere where there is enough moisture and fat to bring out its true flavor. Then, you’ll be a paprika convert! When using it for deviled eggs, put it in the egg yolk mix, not on top of it.
- Rich and Authentic Hungarian Flavor: Indulge in the distinctive taste of Szeged Sweet Paprika Powder, carefully crafted from hand-picked Hungarian peppers for an authentic culinary experience.
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- Versatile Spice for Endless Culinary Creations: Elevate your recipes with the versatile nature of sweet paprika powder. Use it as a seasoning, rub, or garnish to enhance the flavor profile of a wide range of dishes, both savory and sweet.
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There is No GOOD Substitute for Paprika
It is not my purpose to criticize other websites, but here, I feel I owe my dear readers my considered opinion. Sure, we all run out of something now and again but that does not mean we want to be sold a bill of goods on what we can replace it with.
Many websites listing ingredient substitutions want to tempt you to buy a product or two they’ve linked. I am an affiliate as well, but if you’re going to buy anything special, and you were wondering about paprika, then buy a nice paprika!
Nothing is a direct substitute for paprika, but there are always alternatives. Remember that a substitute is something intended to produce the same, or very close to the same, results. An alternative is simply a choice that will also work well without necessarily producing the same results.
Most purported substitutes for paprika just won’t work. For example, cayenne chile powder is too hot and pungent and the flavor is completely different, even from hot Hungarian paprika.
One website reports that a combination of cayenne and ground black pepper works as a paprika substitute. The black pepper is probably an attempt to replace a certain depth and pungency found in paprika, but the combination of both will simply result in too much heat and not enough flavor.
You can use a LOT of paprika, whereas you can only use a bit of cayenne and black pepper. The Hungarians use tons of it and so do I.
- Cradled by the Veras microclimate and pampered by the most ancestral tradition, this delicate paprika is born.
- Both its excellent aroma and its particular smoky flavor are characteristics of the traditional drying system. The result of ancient methods passed down from parents to children and a careful process of elaboration.
- Peppers are smoked for 15 days on oak and holm oak wood, dehydrating slowly and gently, with patience and the work of expert hands, until acquiring that characteristic smell and color that makes them so special.
- An authentic artisan Spanish spice used in soups, stews, salsas and many other Spanish dishes.
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The closest substitute for any paprika you will find is a ground chile from a milder pepper, such as ancho chile powder. Ancho is the name for dried poblano peppers, which are mild with a nice fruity taste.
But using this as a substitute makes absolutely no sense, because paprika of any variety is more readily available than ancho chile powder, or pretty much any type of chile powder except cayenne or that confusing variety of product called “chili powder” that has other ingredients.
Read about the difference between chili powder and chile powder, an important one. There are other varieties of chile powder that could be used to replace paprika, but you’ll have to go to more trouble to get them than paprika itself.
What To Use To Replace Paprika In a Pinch
If you are out of paprika, I highly doubt you’ll have ancho chile powder on hand, or the other frequently named substitute, Aleppo pepper. The idea that fresh bell peppers are a substitute for paprika is just a fantasy unless you want to roast one and blend it down just to give some color.
Regardless, it will not taste like paprika and there are other ways you can get the color that paprika would have given you, depending on the dish. A little tomato paste, for instance, may do the trick.
Use a LITTLE Cayenne
The idea that you would intentionally go shopping for a paprika substitute is ridiculous when you can go to your regular grocery store and buy what you need.
However, if we assume that you do have cayenne pepper on hand, then for recipes that call for paprika in small amounts, use a very small amount of cayenne.
However, I have mistakenly used cayenne in dishes when I meant to use paprika, and I will tell you this is NOT a great substitute. It ruined my dish, to be frank. Use only a small amount of cayenne to lend a bit of pungency, but don’t rely on it to replace paprika in large amounts.
If you have another variety of chile powder on hand, use a small amount of that. Do not use the aforementioned chili powder, meant to use in chili. In fact, don’t even use that to make chili.
And for dishes that rely on paprika, such as Hungarian Goulash (I make this so often it’s ridiculous), there simply is no substitute.
