What Can Be Substituted for Sweet Paprika?

Despite its misleading name, sweet paprika, of which Hungarian paprika is one variety, isn't sugary or sweet at all. Instead, it's called sweet paprika to distinguish it from other types of paprika that are spicy. The end zing, or lack thereof, depends on what type of peppers were used to make the spice. Some paprika is made from red bell peppers, while other paprika is made from chili peppers. If you don't have sweet paprika on hand, you can use any number of substitutes, many of which will yield flavorful results.

Chili Pepper

Swap Paprika for Paprika

Not all paprika tastes the same, but that doesn't mean that you can't use one that's different than what's called for in your recipe. For example, you can used spicy paprika in place of sweet, but the final product will have much more of a kick. Smoked paprika will impart a different flavor, too.

Mix Up the Peppers

Paprika is made from bell or chili peppers that have been finely ground two or more times without the veins and seeds, according to Katherine K. Schlosser, author of "The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs." Because of that, you can swap sweet paprika for another pepper-based spice, such as cayenne or chili powder. Like using other types of paprika, these spices will lend your recipe a different flavor than you would get from the sweet paprika.

Opt for an Entirely Different Spice

If you don't have any paprika in the house, you can use any number of alternate spices, as long as you realize that the flavor of the final product won't taste the same as it would with the sweet paprika. Use nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves instead of paprika in a deviled egg or potato salad recipe. Replace the paprika in chili with mace, mustard, garlic powder or cumin, or use ground ginger or black pepper instead of paprika in your favorite fried rice recipe.

Make the Switch

Experiment with different types of paprika in the recipes you usually include the spice in. if you're worried about using spicy paprika in place of the sweet paprika, you might be pleasantly surprised to discover that a spicy paprika creates a tasty end result. A different kind of paprika in cold dishes, such as deviled eggs, won't have much of a difference, however, since cooking is what brings out the flavor of the paprika, according to Schlosser.

Powdered cayenne pepper vs chili powder may look similar, but they taste very different. While both of these spices contain capsaicin, the substance in hot peppers that makes your mouth burn, cayenne pepper usually packs a bigger punch.

It also lacks the extra ingredients that you'll find in most blended chili powder preparations. You can substitute one for the other in some recipes, but you might need to adjust your other ingredients to account for the change in flavor.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, both cayenne pepper and chili powder can be used to season food if you're watching your sodium intake. Healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the American Heart Association.

Check the Heat

Food scientists classify cayenne as a medium-hot variety of pepper. According to Colorado State University Extension, this spice clocks in at between 30,000 and 50,000 units on the Scoville scale, a method of measuring the amount of capsaicin in a hot pepper.

New Mexico University points out that the Scoville scale is a subjective spiciness scale and some people can be more sensitive to capsaicin than others.

Chili powders come in at between 500 and 1,500 Scoville units. That's enough to produce a mild burn, but not enough to make really spicy foods.

Consider a Blend

As its name implies, chili powder works well for making meaty, bean chili. This convenience mix includes ground chili peppers and spices like cumin, garlic powder, oregano and salt. You can add it to your chili or other recipes without worrying about how to balance the spices.

This mix also allows you to keep just one jar on hand. If you use it in recipes that call for cayenne pepper, however, it could add extra flavors you weren't counting on.

While most "chili powder" sold in US grocery stores contains blended spices, this term can also be used for powdered hot peppers on their own. This usage is common in Asian recipes and grocery stores. These powders tend to be much spicier than blended American chili powder.

If you are using a recipe that calls for powdered chili peppers of this kind, you can usually use cayenne pepper substitute without significantly changing the taste of the dish.