Are you cooking a recipe that requires some form of heat, but you realize that you’re out of red pepper flakes? Here, I’ve come up with a few ideas of ingredients that would serve as a substitute for red pepper flakes that will definitely come in handy.
red pepper flakes substitutes
You might also know red pepper flakes as crushed red pepper flakes. They come in a dry form because they’re made from dried chilies or dried peppers. Therefore, the best substitutes will also be dry or ground.
Dried flakes are considered condiments, which you can use for spicing and flavoring of sauces, soups, or curries. There’s nothing better than adding a bit of heat into a delicious beefy stew or adding some punch into a simple chicken curry.
Red pepper flakes score between 30,000 – 50,000 Scoville heat units. These chili flakes originated from the Southern Balkan region of Europe.
It only took a few years for this handy condiment to arrive in Italy. Today, you’ll find a red pepper mill at most Italian pizzerias.
top products you need
Here is a list of products you’ll need if you’re cooking with chili or making red peppers recipes:
- Red pepper mill – it’s so satisfying to grind them yourself
- Organic crushed red pepper – always go for organic!
- Hot crushed red pepper flakes – this is for you if you like ’em hot
- Crushed red pepper – or buy it in bulk!
how to make your own pepper flakes
Oven-bake them and dehydrate them for more than six hours. This requires you to cut open the chilies in half, keeping the seeds.
Once the chilies are completely dry after the six hours, just grind the chilies and store them in an airtight container.
Otherwise, the second method of making your own red pepper flakes includes naturally drying the chilies out on a piece of string. This process takes roughly four months for the chilies to dry out completely without any chemicals.
Once they are dry, remove the stem and grind. Then you can enjoy a teaspoon of the red pepper flakes yourself.
7 Substitutions for Red Pepper Flakes
Have you run out of red pepper flakes? Don't worry, here are 7 ingredients that will make a great substitute for red pepper flakes.
Ground cayenne powder is most likely one of the best alternatives to red pepper flakes regarding flavor. However, don’t use a 1:1 ratio as ground cayenne pepper is quite spicy. The cayenne pepper works very well in stews like this one, or a delicious Indian beef curry. So, go for cayenne powder!
It scores 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units. I wouldn’t recommend using this as a pizza topping. However, it can work well flavoring bbq meatballs, or can jazz up a sweet coconut fish curry.
In terms of spice levels, chipotle powder isn’t as hot. Add it into pico de gallpico de gallo salsa salsa, guacamole, or refried beans.
Hot paprika powder and paprika powder will work in a simple Italian chicken stew. It will also work in a traditional simmered fresh tomato sauce.
Dried arbol peppers are very similar. You might have to grind them yourself. They score 15,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units. You can use the chile de arbol in a spice rub in this air fried salmon recipe.
If you are looking to flavor sauces, soups, or stews, you can also use a liquid substitute instead of chili flakes. Sriracha sauce is basically a paste of chile peppers that is heavily used in Thailand and other Asian countries. People use it as a dipping sauce for dishes like Thai fish cakes or Thai spring rolls.
Ordinary chili powder from dried peppers or chili flakes will do the trick. I recommend sticking to the mild chili powder where the heat level of the peppers isn’t too high. This way it will be comparable to the red pepper flakes.
Which red pepper flakes alternative would you choose?
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