How to Substitute for Hungarian Paprika

Hungarian paprika is the most widely grown paprika type in the U.S.

Paprika is a pepper type, mostly dried and ground to flavor and color food. According to the University of Florida, the most widely grown paprika type in the United States is the Hungarian paprika. However, if you are short of Hungarian paprika supplies or you cannot find it in a local store, you can easily substitute for it by using other types of ground paprika.

Things You'll Need

• Spanish pimenton powder
• Cayenne pepper powder
• Sweet or hot chili powder
• Paprika paste

Instructions

1. Use Spanish pimenton paprika powder to flavor or color the food you are cooking. Use the same amount of Spanish powder the recipe calls for as you would do if you were using Hungarian paprika powder.

2. Add Cayenne pepper powder to flavor or color your foods. Cayenne pepper is widely available and gives the same red color and paprika taste to your foods as Hungarian paprika.

3. Mix sweet or hot chili powder into the food if you do not have Hungarian paprika powder. Use the same amount of chili powder as you would use if you had Hungarian paprika.

4. Use paprika paste, sweet or hot, to substitute for Hungarian paprika. When using a paste, double up the portions to get the same result you would get if you used paprika powder.

Tips & Warnings

• Most Hungarian foods need paprika powder, so if you are cooking something Hungarian try to get Hungarian paprika powder to get the best results.

References

• Food Reference: Paprika
• University of Florida: IFAS Extension: Paprika --- Capsicum annuum L.1
• Budapest Tourist Guide: Hungarian Paprika History, Facts & Recipes