cayenne pepper substitute spices

What can be a great substitute for cayenne pepper?

Substitutes for cayenne pepper

1. Hot paprika chili powder. Paprika is a type of chili powder that is available in the spice section of most supermarkets. ...
2. Tabasco sauce. Tabasco sauce is made from tabasco peppers which score 30,000-50,000 Scoville heat units. ...
3. Red chili flakes. ...
4. Gochugaru. ...
5. Fresh chili peppers. ...

Are there any alternatives for cayenne pepper?

Cayenne Pepper Substitutes – 7 Tasty Alternatives

• Chili Powder. With a similar flavor and a similar makeup to cayenne pepper powder, chili powder is a great alternative to cayenne pepper.
• Hot Sauce. Many of the most common grocery store hot sauces are made using primarily cayenne peppers. ...
• Fresh Hot Peppers. ...
• Paprika. ...
• Red Pepper Flakes. ...
• Korean Gochugaru. ...
• Jalapeno Pepper Powder. ...

What can you substitute for Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper?

Red Chili Alternatives

• Tabasco Pepper: Tabasco is the closest match (heat-wise) to the cayenne pepper. ...
• Serrano Pepper: Use serrano chilies when you don’t want the same spicy heat as cayenne, but you prefer something hotter than a jalapeno.
• Jalapeno Pepper: Jalapenos are milder than cayenne and rank between 2,500 to 8,000 SHU. ...

More items...

What spice is similar to Cayenne?

What Spice Is the Same as Cayenne Pepper?

• Chili flakes. ...
• Substitution: Double the number of red chili flakes to have a one to one-half times greater amount.
• Gochugaru. ...
• Substitution: Mix together equal parts of gochugaru to use as cayenne.
• Hot sauce. ...
• Substitution: You should use half of each for hot sauce.
• Other options. ...
• Substitution: Is Cayenne Pepper and Paprika the Same? ...

What can you substitute cayenne pepper with?

Another good cayenne pepper substitute? Hot paprika. Chances are if you don't have cayenne you might not have hot paprika around. But the spicy version of paprika works well as substitute.

What spice is most like cayenne pepper?

Check out some of our favorite cayenne pepper substitutes below.Red Pepper Flakes.Paprika.Chili Powder.Hot Sauce.Thai Peppers.Gochugaru.Serrano Peppers.Jalapeño Peppers.More items...•

Is paprika same as cayenne?

Is cayenne pepper the same as paprika? In short, no. While they share a lot of similarities, paprika and cayenne are different spices. Paprika and cayenne originate from dried chili peppers ground into the deep orange-red powders you've come to know and love.

Is cayenne same as chili powder?

They taste different. All chili peppers don't taste the same. While the cayenne is hot, pungent, and earthy, poblanos and other members of the Capsicum family are much milder. Since chili powder is usually made with a variety of peppers, it's bound to have a different flavor than pure ground cayenne pepper.

Is cayenne pepper and paprika the same?

Despite similarities, cayenne pepper and paprika are not the same. Both are made from chilies that are dried and ground into powder. Both are a viv...

Can you use cumin instead of cayenne pepper?

You can’t use cumin in place of cayenne pepper, but you can use spice mixes as a quick substitute and these often contain cumin. Cumin is a spice t...

Can you use red pepper instead of cayenne pepper?

Yes, you can use red pepper flakes as a substitute for cayenne pepper, but they don’t generally have the same heat level. If you want to make this...

What is the difference between cayenne pepper and chili powder?

Chili powder is made from a blend of dried and ground chili peppers, whereas cayenne pepper is just ground cayenne. This gives a different flavor,...

Paprika

Paprika is readily available at all grocery stores and brings more of a smoky flavor than intense heat to any dish.

Red Chili Flakes

Red chili flakes are also widely available in most stores and they’re pretty much a coarser and slightly milder version of cayenne pepper powder.

Chili Powder

Whilst chili powder is not as hot as cayenne pepper, it will still be a decent substitute. The powder is made from dried chili peppers that have been ground.

Gochugaru

Gochugaru is hugely popular in Korean cooking and is made up of coarsely ground red pepper flakes.

Jalapeno Powder

If you’re lucky enough to have your own plant patch or pots in or around your home, then you should try to grow your own jalapeno peppers so you can ground your own jalapeno powder.

Chipotle Powder

If you want to replicate the hot, smoky flavor of cayenne pepper then you should try out chipotle powder.

Black Pepper

If there’s one thing you will most certainly have around your kitchen (we hope anyway!) is black pepper.

What Is Cayenne Pepper?

Along with bell peppers and jalapeños, the cayenne pepper belongs to the pepper species called Capsicum annuum. Generally, it is considered moderately spicy, measuring between 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units or SHU. Using the Scoville Scale as a base, cayenne sits above the serrano and below chile de arbol in terms of heat.

10 Best Cayenne Pepper Substitutes To Use

Found your bottle of cayenne empty just when you’re about to add a dash to this grilled cajun chicken? There’s no need to be flustered. Here are 10 best cayenne substitute options you can use, so you don’t have to go spice-free for dishes that need it!

Delicious Cayenne Pepper Recipes To Try

Not afraid to taste some recipes that offer a little kick or maybe a bit more? Here are a few recipes that feature cayenne’s memorable flavor and heat:

Notes On Cayenne Pepper Substitutions

Each substitute has a quantity recommendation for replacing cayenne. The sections below go into detail on dry, fresh and hot sauce choices so you know how much to use for each cayenne alternative.

Cayenne Pepper Powder Alternatives

You have several choices when it comes to replacing ground cayenne pepper. Here are some common options that are easier to find in stores.

Fresh Cayenne Pepper Options

When you run out of fresh cayenne peppers, you can replace them with other types of chilies. Some of these alternatives are easier to find than others. The following chili pepper varieties have different heat levels, but they all make good cayenne replacements.

Cayenne Pepper Sauce Substitutes

A Louisiana-type hot sauce is another cayenne pepper alternative. Here are two sauce examples that work well as a substitute.

Common Cayenne Pepper Substitute FAQs

Cayenne peppers contain an upper mid-level heat that ranges from 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). For comparison, the cayenne is at least three times hotter than the serrano pepper and about 12 times as hot as a jalapeno.

Closing Notes

I hope this answers the question, What can I substitute for cayenne pepper in a recipe? It helps to have a heat level and flavor profile in mind so you pick the best cayenne pepper substitute for your recipe.

Chili Flakes

Chili pepper flakes, just like cayenne pepper, are one of the most popular spices on the marker. It is mostly used to spice up your food after it has been cooked, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put it in your dishes while cooking.

Black Pepper

Do I even have to ask if you know about black pepper? It is the one essential ingredient in the kitchen and I am sure that own, no matter if you like the taste of it in your dishes.

Chili Pepper Powder

Chilli pepper powder may look similar to Cayenne and Paprika but they are not the same. Chili powder is a spice made from sun-dried chili peppers (the most popular pepper) with a sweet, mild, flavor but with a good chili kick. It is made from different varieties of chili peppers.

Cayenne Powder

Well, this is the most obvious substitute for fresh Cayenne pepper in powdered form. If you want to substitute cayenne peppers in your dishes, then the Cayenne pepper powder will definitely help you, and of course, vice versa.

Fresh Peppers

Hot peppers can help when it comes to substituting a spice that you don’t have in your pantry. Granted, your dishes may not have that smoky flavor that usually comes from Cayenne pepper, but it does the job perfectly fine, giving your dish a nice, peppery, spicy.

Paprika

Paprika is made from a variety of chili peppers and gives your dishes a smoky flavor. You can find it in your nearest grocery stores, sold in different heat levels, from sweet paprika, to mild, and of course, hot paprika. I recommend getting the hot paprika, as it can mimic the heat level of cayenne pepper with no problem.

Hot Sauce

What is the easiest way to add some heat to your dishes without thinking twice about it? Well, of course, we have the hot sauce as one of the easiest ways to spice up any dish. Hot sauce is usually made from Tabasco peppers and chili peppers.

What Are the Best Cayenne Pepper Substitutes

We listed the 6 best cayenne pepper alternatives that you can choose from.

What Does Cayenne Pepper Taste Like

In terms of heat tolerance, most people should be fine with fresh cayenne peppers. It’s hot enough to be flavorful but not so intense that it would turn off the vast majority of palates. Because it has more capsaicin than a jalapeño and lower-heat peppers, this is a hot pepper that may be used in different ways beyond its culinary uses.

Related Questions

Although they both come from the same plant, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes are often different spices. Red peppers are usually sweeter and less spicy than cayenne pepper. Ground Cayenne pepper typically has a higher rating on the Scoville scale. How there are quite a few styles so check how hot your one is.

What is Cayenne Pepper?

First, cayenne pepper is a chili pepper that belongs to the Capsicum genus.

The 5 Best Substitutes for Cayenne Peppers

If you are looking for an alternative to cayenne pepper, here are five substitutes you can use instead.

2 – Red Chili Flakes

Red chili flakes are a good substitute for cayenne pepper because they have a lot of heat and flavor.

3 – Chili Powder

Chili powder is a great substitute for cayenne pepper for people who enjoy medium spicy flavors.

Conclusion

Cayenne pepper is a popular ingredient that adds spicy flavor and heat to many dishes.

What Is Cayenne Pepper?

Dried, ground cayenne pepper starts out as long, fresh red chilies ( Capsicum annuum ). They originated in South America. Mature cayenne peppers are about 2 to 5 inches long and typically harvested red, when they are hottest, then they are dried and finely ground.

What Does Cayenne Taste Like?

Cayenne doesn’t have a smoky or earthy a flavor as some other dried chiles do. Mostly, it’s hot and a little fruity, and that’s about it. This is an asset, not a drawback. Cayenne may be a power player in heat, but it works nicely with other flavors.

Fresh vs Dried Cayenne

Fresh cayenne peppers have thin walls, which makes them not well-suited to shipping. But this characteristic makes them excellent for drying, and that’s why the cayenne you encounter in stores is almost always dried and ground.

How to Cook with Cayenne

A strategic dash of ground cayenne enlivens many dishes. It’s been popular in American cookery for years. Grab a pinch of cayenne when you want an underlying thread of heat in something rich, like macaroni and cheese from scratch. Or use a lot for a blast of straightforward heat, as in our Nashville hot chicken.

Where to Buy Cayenne Pepper

Since it’s a spice rack standard, you can get ground cayenne pepper at nearly any supermarket. Just look in the spice aisle. For freshness, buy it from a purveyor that sells it in bulk or has a good turnover. Shopping online? We’re always fans of The Spice House .

Cayenne Pepper Substitutes

For recipes where you’re only using a pinch or a small fraction of a teaspoon, a few dashes of red pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) is a fine substitute for ground cayenne. You can also use dried red pepper flakes, which are coarser and can be milder.

How to Make Your Own Cayenne Pepper

The best way to make your own cayenne pepper is to grow your own cayenne peppers. They’ll thrive in a garden in a hot climate or in warm summer seasons. You can also grow them in containers. After harvesting the ripe red peppers, dry them in a dehydrator or oven, or hang them to air-dry (the latter works best in a dry climate).