Is paprika the same as cayenne?

No. Both are ground from Capsicum peppers, but paprika is mild, sweet, and fruity and used for color, while cayenne is a sharp, hot powder used mainly to add heat.

Can I substitute cayenne for paprika?

Not by the same amount. Cayenne is far hotter, so a one for one swap will make a dish very spicy. Use a small pinch of cayenne for heat and add something else for the lost color and body.

Which is hotter, paprika or cayenne?

Cayenne, by a wide margin. Standard paprika is mild, while cayenne is one of the hotter ground spices on the shelf.

Paprika vs cayenne

Both are red powders ground from dried peppers, so they look almost the same in the jar. But paprika is mainly about color and a mild, fruity sweetness, while cayenne is mainly about heat.

No. 5

Paprika

Sweet, mild, fruity, gently warm

mild

sweet warm

Paprika is a ground powder made from dried red peppers in the Capsicum annuum family, ranging from sweet and mild to lightly hot. Despite its strong association with Hungary and Spain, the pepper itself came from the Americas and reached Europe after the Columbian exchange. Sweet paprika tastes fruity and gently warm rather than spicy, and it does as much for color as for flavor, lending a deep red to stews, rubs, and deviled eggs. It is the defining spice of Hungarian goulash and a workhorse in spice blends. Because it burns easily, paprika rewards gentle heat.

No. 21

Cayenne

Sharp, hot, clean heat

strong

pungent

Cayenne is a fine red powder ground from dried hot chile peppers in the Capsicum family, used mainly to add heat. It carries a sharp, clean burn with only a little pepper flavor behind it, so a small pinch goes a long way. Unlike chili powder, which is a blend cut with cumin and other spices, cayenne is pure ground chile and much hotter spoon for spoon. It appears across Indian, Mexican, Cajun, and many other cuisines wherever a dish needs heat without much change in color or flavor. Ground cayenne is potent and fades over time, so buy small.

Which to use when

Use paprika when you want red color and a mild, fruity, gently warm pepper flavor, in rubs, goulash, and deviled eggs. Use cayenne when you want clean, sharp heat with little else, added by the pinch. Paprika is mild enough to use by the spoonful; with cayenne a little goes a long way. They are not interchangeable by volume.

Common questions

Is paprika the same as cayenne?: No. Both are ground from Capsicum peppers, but paprika is mild, sweet, and fruity and used for color, while cayenne is a sharp, hot powder used mainly to add heat.
Can I substitute cayenne for paprika?: Not by the same amount. Cayenne is far hotter, so a one for one swap will make a dish very spicy. Use a small pinch of cayenne for heat and add something else for the lost color and body.
Which is hotter, paprika or cayenne?: Cayenne, by a wide margin. Standard paprika is mild, while cayenne is one of the hotter ground spices on the shelf.