8 Best Substitutes for Chipotle Chili Powder

Chipotle, which is made from ground jalapenos, has a distinct taste that may be difficult to replicate. Like other chili-based powders, it has a strong heat, but it also has hints of smokiness and earthiness. Its taste diversity makes it an ideal spice for soups, stews, and other dishes.

A modest bit of chipotle chile powder may transform a bland food into a delicious sandwich wrap, whether used as a spice, topping, in marinades, or as a rub. But what if you run out of chipotle chili powder in the middle of a recipe?

You may easily replace ancho chiles, cayenne powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, pasilla powder, Gochutgaru powder, adobo sauce, and chipotle peppers for the chipotle chili powder.

Let’s take a brief look at how you may use these alternative choices to substitute chipotle chile powder in your cuisine!

Chipotle Chili Powder Substitutes

1. Smoked Paprika

The most essential thing to remember while creating a substitute is to hunt for anything that is closely linked to it before evaluating other alternatives.

When chipotle chile powder is unavailable, smoked paprika may be an excellent replacement. You must use smoked paprika since the ordinary and sweet forms of paprika may give your food a slightly different flavor.

One thing to keep in mind is that the smoked paprika does not have much heat, so if the chili powder was an important component in your recipe, you may want to add a touch of your favorite spice or hot sauce to bring that peppery flavor.

2. Ancho Chiles

With a Scoville heat rating of 1000-2000 SHU, Ancho Chile is likely one of the finest choices for chipotle chili powder.

Ancho chiles are also widely accessible in many places, including Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the United States; they are available in fried pepper flakes or powdered form.

Ancho chiles may also be used in a variety of soups, stews, and salads, with great results. Since ancho chiles and pasilla have almost identical Scoville heat levels, you may use the same ratio when swapping one for the other.

3. Chili Powder

Chili powder is the perfect and simplest kind of chili to replace for chipotle chili powder for those who do not feel comfortable experimenting with ingredients and creating custom mixes.

Chili powder is a seasoning blend made out of ground chilies and additional spices such as oregano and cumin.

By using chili powder, you are not only adding heat to your cuisine, but also a few more spices. As a result, you should double-check the recipe to verify that you are not doubling up on a spice that the recipe already specifies.

4. Cayenne Powder

If you’re looking for a spicy replacement, cayenne powder is the powder to use. Cayenne powder has a rather neutral flavor, making it a flexible replacement.

If your dish asks for a lot of smokey hot tinge, combine the cayenne pepper with a few other spices. In a more concrete sense, whereas chipotle powder has a Scoville scale rating of about 2500-8000, cayenne has a level of 30000-50000.

Because of the difference in heat intensity, you should exercise caution when switching cayenne powder for chipotle powder.

5. Gochutgaru Powder

Gochutgaru is a well-known condiment used in Korean recipes, and for those who are unfamiliar with it by that name, you may recognize it from the component gochujang, a spicy Korean paste.

This spice is not widely available at any grocery store, but if you like Asian cuisine and have a stash of ingredients on hand, you could discover this in your home.

Gochutgaru is mostly made from sun-dried chili peppers. It’s an excellent alternative for chipotle powder since it has all of the smokey qualities that chipotle powder requires. In addition, Scotchville, which is ranked first in the world, has a track record of success.

6. Pasilla Powder

Pasilla Chile is a Mexican chili that is often used in a variety of Mexican dishes. They are typically black and quite long, and may be found at grocery stores or supermarkets due to their popularity.

Pasilla chilies have a Scoville heat of roughly 1000-2500 SHU and should be used with caution since too much pasilla Chili might make your food overly hot and entirely inedible.

One disadvantage of pasilla powder is that it is not as widely accessible as most other alternatives. For this specific item, you may replace it in a 1:1 ratio for a flawless outcome.

7. Chipotle Peppers

If you want to replicate the true flavor of chipotle powder, the finest replacement is the actual pepper itself.

Since the chipotle chili powder is produced after the chipotle peppers, it has an advantage over alternative replacements. You should be mindful of the consistency of whits when using this as a replacement.

No matter how finely chopped, entire chipotle chiles are difficult to include into a cuisine that calls for delicate components.

8. Adobo Sauce

Some recipes call for chipotle powder, but adobo sauce works just as well. This sauce is smokey and spicy, making it an excellent replacement for chipotle chile.

But, you may only want a few pieces of the sauce from the huge jar; after removing that amount, all you have to do is freeze the remaining sauce and use it anytime you need it as long as there is no power outage.

Adobo sauce has a similar taste to chipotle powder and may be used in salad dressings in place of chipotle powder.

Since you’re using adobo sauce as a basic ingredient, exactly like chipotle powder, a 1:1 exchange is excellent because they have comparable heat levels and characteristics.

What Is the Difference Between Chipotle Chili Powder and Regular Chili Powder?

The distinction between these powders is that chipotle powder is derived from dried and powdered chipotle chiles, whilst the other powders are not. Chili powder, on the other hand, is a blend of spices such as ground chilies, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Harissa Instead of Chipotle?

Sure, you may replace homemade harissa for chipotle, however it is known to taste harsh after a time in the fridge.

What Is the Difference Between Chipotle Paste and Harissa Paste?

The chipotle paste is simply created from chipotle chili peppers, while harissa is often mixed with cumin, coriander, and caraway.

What Are the Ingredients Used in Chipotle?

Chipotle is a smoked and dried ripe jalapeño pepper with no additives. Although having just one pepper, it can provide a smokey spicy flavor to any meal.

What Is Chiles in Chipotle?

Jalapeno peppers are used in chipotle. Chipotle chiles are often smoked and dried ripening jalapeño peppers. In Europe and the United States, these peppers are used in a variety of recipes.

What Does Chipotle Taste Like?

The distinguishing flavor of chipotle powder is smokiness, but if you dig deeper, youll notice a sweaty flavor.