Kitchen Tips All About Ingredients Ingredient Substitutions Turn up the Heat With These Cayenne Pepper Substitutes The heat is on (but not too much!) with these swaps for cayenne. By Alice Knisley Matthias Alice Knisley Matthias Alice Knisley Matthias writes about food, gardening, family, and education. Her work appears in The New York Times for Kids, Washington Post Kids, and Food Network. She is a regular contributor for Parade covering food trends, product roundups, recipes, profiles, and celebrity chef interviews. Her work for Boys' Life and Kids Discover has covered subjects like a Master Chef Junior finalist, music and theatre kids at work, how to make food from kitchen scraps, and the science of yeast. Other credits include an America's Test Kitchen cookbook, EatingWell, Highlights for Children, Redbook, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, Meatless Mondays, and regional parenting publications. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on October 12, 2023 Close Cayenne pepper is a plant related to other pepper varieties, like bell peppers, serranos, and jalapeños. When the peppers mature, they are harvested and used whole or dried and finely ground to a powder. Cayenne brings a beautifully subtle heat that spices up dishes like pasta, chili, and savory rubs, If your pantry is painfully empty and you're looking for a cayenne substitute, we've got you covered. Cayenne Pepper vs. Chili Powder: What's the Difference? What Does Cayenne Pepper Taste Like and How Is It Used? The cayenne pepper is considered to be moderately spicy and measures between 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units or SHU. In terms of heat, cayenne peppers are ranked above the serrano and below chile de arbol. Cayenne peppers adds a dash of color and heat to seafood, meats and stews, soups, egg dishes, casseroles, cheese dishes, sauces, and curries Dianne Get the recipe: Blackened Seasoning Mix Best Cayenne Substitutes Sweet or Hot Paprika Sweet paprika is widely available in stores and can be a suitable substitute for cayenne pepper in recipes. It provides a similar flavor to cayenne, but paprika has a noticeabley milder presence. Hot paprika is a closer match for cayenne pepper as a substitute ingredient as it has more heat than the sweet version. Use either one of these paprika spices as a a substitute in sauces, stews, meatloaf and dips. Red Pepper Flakes Red pepper flakes will provide some heat but a different texture with the tiny pieces of pepper. The pepper flakes are a bit more tame when it comes to heat so the amount of red pepper flakes can be increased in a recipe. This substitute can liven up sauces, pasta dishes, pizza, and grilled vegetables. What Is Chili Powder and Can You Make Your Own? Chili Powder Many brands of chili powder found in the spice aisle have a good amount of cayenne pepper as an ingredient. As a general rule, chili powder and ground cayenne can be used interchangeably in recipes. Use chili powder in sauces, stews, marinades, and meat dishes. Chipotle Powder Chipotle has a smoky and peppery taste that is similar to cayenne. It doesn't deliver as much fire as the cayenne powder, so the amount used as a replacement will need to be adjusted according to taste and heat preference. Cumin Cumin is a spice that brings warmth and earthiness to a dish but it does not have the heat presence of a cayenne powder. Use this spice as a replacement for cayenne in rice dishes, stews, and soups. The Ultimate Guide to Cooking With Cumin Hot Sauce Hot sauce can replace some of the heat that cayenne provides in a dish. Look for a sauce with a short list of ingredients to get as close as possible to a concentrated pepper taste. This liquid dash of heat works well with hearty bowls of chili, pasta, and dips. Fresh Cayenne Peppers Fresh peppers can be substituted for cayenne but be careful when handling them and wear gloves. The heat lives in the seeds! Serrano Pepper Serrano peppers can step in for cayenne peppers in a recipe that calls for fresh pepper flavor. Start with a small amount and adjust to your heat preference as these peppers are up to five times hotter than the jalapeño. Serrano peppers are used in making pico de gallo, salsa, chili and meat dishes. Jalapeno Pepper Cayenne and jalapeño peppers are varieties of the same species so they work as substitutes for one another in recipes. Jalapenos are considered to be a milder pepper compared to cayenne, so use a bit more to compensate. Related: Top-Rated Spicy Recipes Featuring Fresh Chile Peppers 6 Secret Ingredients to Help You Make the Best Chili 5 Tips for Fixing Food That's Too Spicy Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit