Recipe Tips & Notes

Hot chili sauce is a type of sauce or condiment made from chili peppers and other ingredients. It is used as a seasoning, marinade, or condiment. Chili sauce originates from Mexico and Central America and has become a staple in many cuisines around the world. Here, we’ll give you a brief history of chili sauce and some tips on how to use it in your cooking.

Indian red chili powder is very different from the red chili powder that is available in American stores. These may actually be spice blends where the chili powder may contain onion powder, cumin powder, garlic powder and other spices, typically used in the dish called ‘chili’.

Crushed red pepper factories are responsible for processing and packaging the dried and crushed fruits of the Capsicum annuum plant, typically the cayenne pepper variety. These peppers are harvested when they are fully ripe and have developed their signature spicy flavor. The peppers are then dried and ground into flakes or powder, which are then packaged and sold to consumers.

Paprika and chili are not just spices but essential components of diverse cuisines worldwide. This article explores the versatility of sweet paprika spice, the allure of chili condiments, and the culinary excellence achieved through dishes like carne con chili, highlighting the significance of pure and premium paprika varieties.

To recreate the spice of hot paprika, the best substitute is another dried chilli, like ground cayenne, aleppo pepper powder, crushed red pepper flakes, red chilli powder, or even a dash of hot sauce. If your recipe calls for smokiness and sweetness, try chipotle chilli powder or ancho pepper powder. Chipotle powder has a smoky taste, but is hotter than paprika with a more earthy flavour, lending itself to barbecue sauces, rubs and chillis. Due to the difference in heat, use a ¼ teaspoon of chipotle powder for every teaspoon of paprika and adjust depending on your taste buds.

If you’re looking to replicate the flavour of sweet paprika add a pinch of sugar or some honey. Adding mild chilli powder or tomato powder works too. Bell peppers are another great substitute for sweet paprika and they come from the same Capsicum annuum family. Mild, sweet and aromatic, bell peppers give the same delicious taste and aroma, while adding a splash of colour too. When buying your bell peppers, make sure they’re nice and ripe.

One of the best substitutes for paprika is cayenne pepper. It’s a spicy chilli pepper, used to flavour many different cuisines and quite similar in colour. It’s a lot stronger and hotter than paprika, so if you’re using it as a substitute in your cooking, make sure you use a lesser quantity. If you have a lower tolerance to spicy food, you can add salt, cream, chopped tomatoes or more liquid (water or broth) to try and dial down the heat.

Like paprika, chilli powder packs a lot of flavour and is another worthy substitute. It’s also not as spicy as cayenne pepper, so you can use the same quantities.  The same goes for cajun spices. A combination of black and white pepper, plus other herbs and spices, it can work as a good substitute for smoked or sweet paprika, offering a similar flavour. But you won’t get the same beautiful red colour – more of an orange, warm hue.

You can also use cumin instead of paprika. But it’s a lot hotter, so go easy on the quantities. Like cajun spices, you won’t achieve the gorgeous red colour of paprika, as cumin has more of a yellowy-brown colouring, but you’ll still get an earthy flavour with hints of bitterness and sweetness.