Are you running out of cayenne pepper, or are you finding it too hot? The following 6 cayenne pepper substitutes could ease your task. So, you can never miss using this to spice up the meals and boost the flavors.
Cayenne peppers are moderately hot with intense flavors. These are used as fresh peppers and also in powder form. These are widely used in Southern, Mexican, and Cajun cuisine.
Unlike green peppers, fresh cayenne peppers are not readily available when they are not in season. But the ground version is readily available in any leading grocery store regardless of 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 jalapeno pepper substitutes as well.
No matter what, this article about the Cayenne pepper substitute covers most of your questions. In particular, these are hand-picked six substitutes. Let's 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 heat level but have a similar flavor profile.
Choose regular or smoked paprika 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 pantry staple ingredients. That is excellent to use as an instant substitution for any pepper. And that works highly with this cayenne pepper as well.
Crushed red pepper flakes are made from 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 powder(by pulsing them in the blender jar).
The only difference between flake and powder is the color brought into the dish. The ground red pepper flakes make the dish with a hint of red color, the 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 that chili powder has 40 times less heat than the Cayenne pepper.
This works as an excellent 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 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, three times milder than the Cayenne pepper.
On the plus side, serrano peppers are abundant during the late summer season. And may be available in the specialty stores throughout the year.
Jalapeno peppers
These are meant as a substitution not for its heat but for the smacking, peppery aroma. Furthermore, these are larger than the cayenne pepper and the flesh is thicker.
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 thick flesh. This becomes a good substitute for the taste but does not bring in the heat to the dish.
Poblano peppers and banana peppers are also considered close substitutes like green peppers.
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