A list of 7 spices you can easily use as a paprika substitute for sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and 8 varieties of hungarian paprika. These alternatives work for replacing the sweet pepper flavor and still create a brilliant dish and splash of color.
Paprika happens to be one of my favorite spices to cook with and I always try to have it on-hand. When the jar runs empty, these are the swaps that save the dish. For more swaps see my maple syrup substitute, tarragon substitute and cinnamon substitute.
Quick Look
- 🔎 The Swap: 7 spices that can stand in for paprika
- ✅ Best Pick: tomato powder or chipotle powder, from my own culinary experience
- 🔥 Smoked Paprika Fix: mix cumin, regular paprika, and cayenne pepper equally
- 🌶️ Sweet Paprika Fix: mild chili powder or tomato powder
- 💪 Why Eat It: 2 teaspoons of paprika offers 21% of your daily dose of vitamin A
- ✋ Rule of Thumb: match the variety you are replacing, then add heat a little at a time
Quick Answer
The best paprika substitutes are ancho chili powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper powder, chipotle powder, tomato powder, and Cajun spice. In my culinary experience, tomato powder or chipotle powder work best, especially for garnishing deviled eggs. If you want a little more heat, add a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper powder to taste. For a smoked paprika substitute, mix cumin, regular paprika, and cayenne pepper equally. Sweet paprika can be substituted with mild chili powder or tomato powder.
Jump to:
About paprika seasoning: paprika is only available as a powder and is used in numerous dishes around the world. It is a beautiful sweet red pepper that is dried and ground adding beautiful flavor and pops of color to food. It is commonly used in Eastern European dishes, and adds vivid red color and flavor to eggs, chana masala, broccoli soup, shrimp seasoning, and more!
The taste and color of paprika will depend on where it's from and what type of red pepper is used. For example, you may find some recipes call for "hot paprika" while the others call for "smoked paprika" or just "paprika." Hungary produces the most well-known paprika, which can be either mild to bold in flavor.
Why These Substitutes Work
Click to see why each swap works
- Tomato powder and chipotle powder are the closest match. In my culinary experience, I have found that tomato powder or chipotle powder has worked best as a paprika substitute, especially for garnishing deviled eggs.
- Heat is adjustable. If you want a little more heat to tomato powder, add a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper powder to desired taste.
- The smoked trio rebuilds the smoke. A great smoked paprika substitute is combining a mixture of cumin, regular paprika, and cayenne pepper equally.
- The color comes from carotenoids. Paprika has a vibrant red, orange, or yellow color that comes from mixing various types of the pepper and their carotenoids, so red-pepper-based swaps keep the splash of color.
- Sweet stays mild. Sweet paprika is sweeter than smoked paprika and is mild to taste, which is why mild chili powder or tomato powder are its best stand-ins.
- Origin drives flavor. The taste and color of paprika depend on where it's from and what type of red pepper is used, so pick the substitute that matches the variety your recipe calls for.
Why You'll Love This List
- 7 options from the spice rack, covering sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and all 8 varieties of Hungarian paprika.
- It still creates a brilliant dish. These alternatives work for replacing the sweet pepper flavor and still deliver the splash of color.
- A vitamin A bonus. Foods rich in this color are an excellent source of vitamin A, and 2 teaspoons of paprika offers 21% of your daily dose.
- Tested in real recipes like deviled eggs and Cajun shrimp seasoning.
- Part of the substitute library with my tomato paste substitute, potato starch substitute and oat flour substitute.
The 7 Paprika Substitutes
- Ancho Chili Powder - a dried ground pepper that brings the deep red color with mild heat.
- Chili Powder - use the mild version to substitute for sweet paprika, or add a bit to tomato powder for more heat.
- Cayenne Pepper Powder - the hottest option, add to desired taste when a dish needs a kick.
- Chipotle Powder - one of my two favorites, it has worked best as a paprika substitute in my culinary experience.
- Tomato Powder - my other favorite, especially for garnishing deviled eggs.
- Smoked Paprika Mix - mix cumin, regular paprika, and cayenne pepper equally to stand in for smoked paprika.
- Cajun Spice - a ready-made blend, and it works great when putting together a Cajun shrimp seasoning.
Paprika Varieties
Sweet Paprika
That comforting taste and vibrant red hue of sweet paprika just brings out the best of aromas in soups and meat such as chicken and shrimp. It is sweeter than smoked paprika and is mild to taste.
Spanish Smoked Paprika or Pimentón
Smoked paprika or pimentón is made from peppers that have been smoked before being ground into a powder. It has a smoky flavor and works lovely to use in a chicken rub, taco seasoning, and shrimp seasoning. It comes in mild, semi-hot, and hot paprika flavors.
Hungarian Paprika
There are 8 varieties of Hungarian paprika, all lending a different taste.
- Noble sweet - slightly pungent
- Special quality - most mild form
- Delicate - a mild paprika with bold flavor
- Exquisite delicate - similar to delicate, but more piquant
- Pungent exquisite delicate - more tasty version of delicate
- Rose - has a strong aroma and mild pungency
- Semi-sweet - medium pungency
- Strong - the hottest paprika and can sometimes be found as hungarian paprika, or listed as hot paprika. This one is commonly used in Mexican, Hungarian, and Spanish dishes to take them up a notch!
How to Substitute for Paprika
1Match the variety first. Check whether your recipe calls for "hot paprika," "smoked paprika," or just "paprika," since the taste and color depend on the type of red pepper used.
2Reach for tomato powder or chipotle powder. In my culinary experience these two have worked best, especially for garnishing deviled eggs.
3Adjust the heat. If you want a little more heat to tomato powder, add a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper powder to desired taste, which works great when putting together a Cajun shrimp seasoning.
4Rebuild smoked paprika when needed. Mix cumin, regular paprika, and cayenne pepper equally for a great smoked paprika substitute. Sweet paprika can be substituted with mild chili powder or tomato powder.
Expert Tips
- Keep paprika on-hand. It happens to be one of my favorite spices to cook with and I always try to have it in the pantry, so the substitutes only need to bridge the gap.
- Garnishes want the mild swaps. Tomato powder or chipotle powder work best for garnishing deviled eggs where you want color more than heat.
- Save strong Hungarian paprika for bold dishes. The strong variety is the hottest paprika and is commonly used in Mexican, Hungarian, and Spanish dishes to take them up a notch.
- Add heat a little at a time. Chili powder and cayenne pepper powder go in to desired taste, so start small.
- Eat it as often as you can. Two teaspoons of paprika offers 21% of your daily dose of vitamin A, so paprika itself earns a regular spot in dishes like chana masala and broccoli soup.
- Think color as well as flavor. These alternatives replace the sweet pepper flavor and still create a brilliant dish and splash of color.
Crimson Hue
The spice, paprika, has a vibrant red, orange, or yellow color that comes from a source of mixing various types of the pepper and their carotenoids. Foods rich in this color are an excellent source of vitamin A, and in fact 2 teaspoons of paprika offers 21% daily dose of vitamin A. So yep, eat it as often as you can! And when you can't, here are the paprika substitutes to use in its place.
Substitute for Smoked Paprika
A great smoked paprika substitute is combining a mixture of cumin, regular paprika, and cayenne pepper equally.
Substitute for Sweet Paprika
Sweet paprika can be substituted with mild chili powder or tomato powder.
Paprika Substitute FAQs
Tomato powder or chipotle powder work best, especially for garnishing deviled eggs. If you want a little more heat to tomato powder, add a bit of chili powder or cayenne pepper powder to desired taste.
A great smoked paprika substitute is combining a mixture of cumin, regular paprika, and cayenne pepper equally. It rebuilds the smoky flavor that makes pimentón work in chicken rubs, taco seasoning, and shrimp seasoning.
Sweet paprika can be substituted with mild chili powder or tomato powder. Sweet paprika is sweeter than smoked paprika and mild to taste, so keep the substitute mild too.
Paprika is a sweet red pepper that is dried and ground, adding beautiful flavor and pops of color to food. It is only available as a powder, and the taste and color depend on where it's from and what type of red pepper is used.
There are 8 varieties of Hungarian paprika: noble sweet, special quality, delicate, exquisite delicate, pungent exquisite delicate, rose, semi-sweet, and strong, which is the hottest and sometimes listed as hot paprika.
Paprika's vibrant color comes from carotenoids, and foods rich in this color are an excellent source of vitamin A. In fact, 2 teaspoons of paprika offers 21% of your daily dose of vitamin A.
More Recipe Substitutes and Alternatives
More substitutes and alternatives: Tarragon Alternative, Maple Syrup Substitute, Potato Starch Substitute, Almond Flour Substitute, Oat Flour Substitute, Tomato Paste Substitute and Gluten-Free Flour and Starch Substitute. We hope you find this article about the best substitute for paprika helpful! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
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