Smoked paprika
smohkt pap-REE-kuh
Capsicum annuum
Smoky, sweet, deep, gently warm.
What it is
Smoked paprika is paprika made from red peppers that are dried slowly over oak fires before grinding, which is what gives it its deep, smoky aroma. The benchmark is Spanish pimentón de la Vera, sold in sweet, bittersweet, and hot grades. It tastes of wood smoke and ripe pepper, and it can bring a barbecued, slow-cooked depth to a dish in seconds, which makes it valuable for vegetarian cooking and quick weeknight stews. It defines Spanish chorizo and patatas bravas, and a small spoonful can carry beans, roasted potatoes, and roast chicken.
Similar but different
Easy to mix up, different enough that swapping changes the dish.
- Paprikasweet, mild, fruity, gently warm.
Compare head to head
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: delicate fish, fresh fruit.
Whole vs ground
Like sweet paprika, this is sold ground. The difference is in the drying: the peppers are smoked over oak before milling, so the smoke is built into the powder.
How to handle it
A little goes a long way. Bloom it gently in oil with onions or rub it onto meat and vegetables before roasting. Too much over high heat turns acrid.
Storage
Airtight, cool, and dark. The smoke aroma fades first, so buy small tins and use within a year.
Buying note
Look for pimentón de la Vera with a sweet (dulce), bittersweet (agridulce), or hot (picante) label. Tins protect the color and smoke better than bags.
Classic dishes
patatas bravas, Spanish chorizo, smoky bean stew, roast chicken rubs.
Out of smoked paprika? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet paprika plus a tiny pinch of ground chipotle | 1:1 paprika, smoke to taste | you supply the smoke separately, easy to overdo |
One odd thing
In La Vera, Spain, the peppers are dried for weeks in two-story smokehouses over slow oak fires, a method that predates refrigeration and gives the powder its signature taste.