Cayenne pepper Substitute

Ran out of cayenne pepper or are you finding it is too hot for you. The following 6 cayenne pepper substitute could ease your task. So that, you can never miss using this to spice up the meals and to boost up the flavors. 

Cayenne peppers are moderately hot with intense flavors. And these are used as fresh peppers and also in the powder form. These are widely used in Southern, Mexican, and Cajun cuisine.

Unlike green peppers, fresh cayenne peppers are not easily available when they are not in a season. But ground version is easily available in any leading grocery store irrespective of the season. 

If you are here reading this article, your primary intention may be for any reason, like finding a replacement with milder heat or learning about a close ingredient that matches cayenne pepper. Check out out jalapeno pepper's substitutes as well.

No matter what, this article about cayenne pepper substitute covers most of your questions. And particularly these are hand-picked six substitutes. Lets see them below.

Also look into other popular substitutes for curry powder, poblano pepper, Thai chili, and green chili.

Cayenne pepper’s average heat level measured in Scoville scale as 40,000 SHUs in the Scoville scale. 

Paprika

There are multiple types of Paprika available in the market. That includes regular paprika, sweet paprika, California paprika, Spanish paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika or Hungarian style paprika. All these varieties differ in the heat level but have a similar flavor profile. 

Choose regular or smoked paprika if you want to keep your heat level minimal. Opt in for hot paprika, Spanish, or Hungarian style paprika for rich heat. 

Red pepper flakes

One of the most handy and pantry staple ingredients. That is excellent to use as an instant substitution for any kind of pepper. And that works highly with this cayenne pepper as well.

Crushed red pepper flakes are made from the dehydrated, red bell peppers. Hence the aroma it brings in, exactly matches up.

Whenever a recipe calls for cayenne pepper, you may directly add them as flakes or add them as powder(by pulsing them in the blender jar).  

The only difference between flake and powder is the color that is brought into the dish. The ground red pepper flakes make the dish with the hint of red color, same as the Cayenne pepper does in any recipe.

Chili powder

Chili powder Scoville scale units measure between 500 to 1,500 SHU in the Scoville scale.  A fact to consider here is, chili powder has 40 times less heat than the Cayenne pepper. 

This works as a good cayenne pepper substitute to achieve its signature red color but with a mild heat.

 by retaining the texture and the color of the dish but with a minimal heat. 

Serrano peppers

Best cayenne pepper substitute? Serrano peppers work particularly well when a recipe calls for fresh peppers. Serrano peppers SHU averages about 15000, that's three times milder than the Cayenne pepper. 

On the plus side, serrano peppers are available in abundance during the late summer season. And may be available in the speciality stores throughout the year.

Jalapeno peppers

These are meant as the substitution not for its heat but for the smacking peppery aroma. Furthermore, these are larger than the cayenne pepper and the flesh is thicker as well. 

Chop them finely, or pulse them in the food processor to match the thin structure of the cayenne pepper.

Green peppers

These turned out to be an excellent substitution to retain the punch. Green peppers have zero level of heat and a thick flesh. This turns into a good substitute for the taste, but does not bring any heat to the dish. 

Poblano peppers, banana peppers, are also considered as close substitutes like green peppers.