Natural form

Smoked paprika powder in a small ceramic bowl showing its deep brick-red color.

Shows the distinctive color and fine texture that identify smoked paprika at a glance.

Spices

Smoked Paprika

Deep, smoky ground pepper for a campfire warmth

Smoldering and smoky, Spanish pimentón gives chorizo, paella, and rubs their signature depth and crimson color. A pinch goes far. Keep it airtight and dark.

Smoked paprika — Spanish pimentón — is made from peppers slowly dried over smoldering oak, giving it a deep, smoky, campfire warmth and a crimson color that defines chorizo, paella, and countless Spanish dishes. The smoked style is specifically Pimentón de la Vera (oak-smoked); Murcian pimentón, by contrast, is sun-dried and unsmoked. It comes sweet (dulce), bittersweet (agridulce), and hot (picante). Just a pinch carries enormous smoky depth, so use it with restraint. Like all paprika, it blooms in fat and scorches over high heat, so add it gently. It lends instant smokiness to rubs, beans, roasted vegetables, and even vegetarian dishes that want a bacon-like savor.

Measured in: g
Storage: Airtight

Find it in

Spices Seasoning

Types & varieties

Pimentón dulce

Sweet smoked paprika — the most versatile.

Pimentón agridulce

Bittersweet, with a touch of heat.

Pimentón picante

Hot smoked paprika with real chili kick.

Pimentón de la Vera (DOP)

The benchmark, oak-smoked in Extremadura.

How to use

Bloom smoked paprika in warm oil to release its color and smoke, then build a sauce or stew on top. Use it where you want smokiness — chorizo, paella, beans, deviled eggs, roasted vegetables — and start small, since its smoke can dominate.

Bloom in fat, off high heat to avoid scorching
A pinch adds bacon-like smoke to vegetarian dishes
Choose sweet, bittersweet, or hot to control heat

Sweet vs smoked

Smoked paprika is not interchangeable with regular sweet paprika — it adds an assertive smoke that can overwhelm delicate dishes. Use it where smokiness belongs; for pure color and mild sweetness, reach for plain paprika.

Common uses

Chorizo and Spanish sausagePaella and Spanish riceSmoky bean and lentil stewsBarbecue and grilling rubsRomesco sauceRoasted potatoes and vegetablesPatatas bravas sauce

Tips & pitfalls

A little goes far — its smoke can dominate a dish quickly.
Adds a bacon-like savor to vegetarian beans and stews.
Bloom in oil off high heat; it scorches like all paprika.
Seek Pimentón de la Vera for true oak-smoked depth.
Match the type — dulce, agridulce, or picante — to your heat goal.

Nutrition

No USDA FoodData Central match for Smoked Paprika yet. We surface a per-100 g profile once a generic whole-food entry is matched and verified.

In the shops

Matched grocery products

Sweet Smoked Paprika from La Vera
Hacendado · 75 g · Mercadona
€1.85

Good to know

Flavor: Deep, smoky, sweet-to-hot, earthy
Form: Ground; dulce (sweet), agridulce, picante (hot)
Add when: Bloom in warm fat off high heat
Cuisines: Spanish, Portuguese, modern global
How to buy: Pimentón de la Vera (DOP) for oak-smoked depth; Pimentón de Murcia (DOP) is the sun-dried style — both cheap, everyday tins on Spanish shelves
How to store: Airtight, dark, cool; potent but fades with light

Substitutes

Sweet paprika plus a drop of liquid smoke — Approximates the smoky note when pimentón is unavailable.
Chipotle powder — Smoky and hot, for a spicier swap.

Pairs with

Garlic Tomato Beans Chicken Olive oil Cumin Almond

Also called

pimentón ahumado · pimentón de la Vera · pebre vermell fumat