6 Tips to Fix Dishes That Are Too Spicy (2024)

FAQs

6 Tips to Fix Dishes That Are Too Spicy? ›

Sweet Defeats Heat

Adding something sweet to a too-spicy dish is another great way to reduce spiciness. A sprinkle of sugar or honey should do the trick. Or add a touch of sweet ketchup. If it's a tomato-based sauce, stir in a little more tomato sauce and maybe a touch of sugar.

Sweet Defeats Heat

Adding something sweet to a too-spicy dish is another great way to reduce spiciness. A sprinkle of sugar or honey should do the trick. Or add a touch of sweet ketchup. If it's a tomato-based sauce, stir in a little more tomato sauce and maybe a touch of sugar.

Balancing it with an acid can help neutralize the molecule's activity. This means drinking or eating something acidic — such as lemonade, limeade, orange juice or a tomato-based food item or drink — may also help cool your mouth down. (Milk is also acidic, by the way.)

Enjoy every bite by pairing your spicy dish with a refreshing glass of milk. Milk helps your mouth handle an oily chemical compound in chili peppers called capsaicin that causes the well-known burning sensation from consuming spicy foods. This relief is thanks to casein, a protein found in cow's milk.

Peanut, almond, or cashew butter are all rich in fat and can help dissolve capsaicin and mitigate some of the heat from chiles. If you're hesitant to add fat, you can also dilute the heat of a curry or stew by adding more water.

The most commonly espoused home remedy is consuming dairy products, as they contain proteins called caseins that bind neatly with capsaicinoids, preventing any capsaicin that hasn't already hooked onto a receptor from latching on, safely washing the now-neutralized compounds down your gullet instead.

This means that drinking or eating something acidic can give you some temporary relief from the burning sensations. Things such as lemonade or orange juice are great options. You can also try a tomato-based item. And if you're a milk lover, you'll be happy to know that milk is also acidic!

Vinegar works because it is acidic, and other acidic foods—like tomatoes, lemons, or limes—can help calm the fire from a chile pepper, particularly if the tomatoes are not themselves infused with chiles in a salsa or other spicy application.

Add more broth to help dilute the spices.

Use the same broth or stock so you don't affect the other flavors in your soup. Stir in about ¹⁄₂–1 cup (120–240 ml) of the broth at a time before tasting the soup again. If it still tastes too spicy, keep adding more broth until you're satisfied with the flavor.

Neutralize Spice with Acidity

Try adding a splash of these acidic ingredients to cool down the spiciness in your dishes: Lemon Juice. Lime Juice. Vinegar.

How to make a spicy dish less spicy? ›

Another effective remedy is to eat bread, which can help to neutralize the capsaicin molecules due to its starchy nature. Similarly, peanut butter or honey can also provide relief as they contain oils that help to dissolve and wash away the capsaicin molecules.

Try mixing in a spoonful of honey or sugar to cut the spice with sweetness. Sometimes, a sweet flavor can counteract spiciness and make your soup taste more balanced. Only add in a spoonful at a time and mix it into the broth.

Cool Down Too-Spicy: Tomato Sauce

Drizzle in some heavy cream to cut back heat significantly, or try copious amounts of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to lighten the sauce a touch. Good backups that will also work include mascarpone, sour cream, yogurt (preferably Greek-style) and milk. Taste as you go.