Mild Substitutes for Hot Peppers in Recipes

Question

Many of your Milk Street recipes call for various types of peppers. I am a fan, but my family, not so much. They don’t care for “hot” spicy. Is there something you recommend to substitute for that layer of flavor? Thank you!

April Dodd · Accepted Answer

Ann - great question! Any time we think about substitutions, the first step is to think about the "work" that any ingredient is doing in a recipe. A chili pepper will bring some heat, of course, but depending on which techniques are used and whether the chili is fresh or dried, it might be used to thicken a soup, add crunch to a salad, or something totally different. That said, a good jumping-off point for replacing spicy peppers is to look to sweet peppers. Use a red bell pepper to replace red chilies, like Fresno, since they share a fruity flavor profile; turn to a green bell pepper instead of green chilies, like jalapeño or serrano, as they all have a nice minerally, vegetal quality. Instead of dried chili flakes, sweet paprika is often a good option. If your family can tolerate mild heat, I'd play around a bit with Aleppo pepper, which has a mild heat and fruity flavor that won't overwhelm. If you are wondering about specific recipes where you want to replace a hot pepper, let me know and I'll be happy to work through the substitution puzzle with you! - April D.

Mild Substitutes for Hot Peppers in Recipes

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