- Paprika extract contains a lower concentration of the active compounds found in paprika, including the pigments and essential oils responsible for its color and flavor. It is often used for its coloring properties and may have a milder flavor profile compared to paprika oleoresin.

Making homemade cayenne powder is easy, but should always be done in a well-ventilated space, or ideally outdoors! We make tons of our own homemade cayenne powder every year, as it is a simple way to add heat to our cooking. For a more flavorful result, use your cayenne powder to make a tasty spice blend like shichimi togarashi.

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.

Not surprisingly, capsaicin can be found in the fruit of capsicums. Capsicum is the genus of plants producing the fruits we call ‘peppers’. The term Capsicum is derived from the Greek κάπτω (kapto), meaning “to gulp.” This morphed into Latin capsa, meaning ‘case’, referring to the fact that peppers hold seeds.

We finally boiled down to the last type: hot paprika, also called Hungarian paprika. Made with extra spicy red peppers, this variant packs a lot of heat compared to the first two types. That is why a pinch or a dash goes a long way for this spice. Use the following hot paprika substitute choices below: 

Incorporate this with a 1:1 Cajun spice to smoked paprika ratio (more if your bottle at home is milder or less if it’s spicier). 

However, its spiciness and heat level make it an excellent substitute for paprika powder. It's available in mild, moderately hot, and hot varieties, so you can easily replace any hot paprika variety in your recipe.

Hot sauce typically consists of chili peppers, vinegar, and salt, sometimes accompanied by other spices. Chili sauce, meanwhile, often has a more complex recipe, which can include ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, sugar, and various spices.

I would highly recommend using fresh Thai red chillies (the smaller variety) if you can find them. They deliver that flaming red color and leave behind that spicy tingle on the tongue, usually associated with Asian sweet chilli sauce. Thai red chillies are spicy though, so be careful.