Kitchen Tips How To 5 Tips for Fixing Food That's Too Spicy Heavy handed with the hot chile peppers? That's cool. Here are 5 flawless ways to neutralize the white-hot heat. By Carl Hanson Carl Hanson Carl Hanson is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes who has been writing about food and wine for nearly 20 years. He enjoys creating content that informs, entertains, and assists busy home cooks get nourishing meals on the table for their families. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on June 21, 2023 If you can't stand the heat, stay in the kitchen — and let's fix this thing by toning down the spiciness. Yes, it is possible to mellow the heat of a dish that turned out spicier than planned. It all comes down to incorporating ingredients that neutralize and balance spicy flavors. And you may just find that by the time you're finished, your modified recipe is even tastier than the original plan. How to Make Food Less Spicy Photo by KGora. Go Nuts on It For some dishes, such as stir-fries, curries, chilis, and stews, adding a scoop of peanut butter will help smother the flames. (Who knows, you might even end up liking the extra flavor and creamy texture.) Also try cashew or almond butter. Tahini is another option. Photo by LilSnoo. Lengthen and Un-strengthen If you have more of the recipe's ingredients on hand, toss 'em in. Or improvise, and add an additional ingredient that will play well with the recipe while neutralizing the spiciness. Good candidates might include broth, canned beans, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, avocados, coconut milk, and cooked rice. Homemade Creme Fraiche. Chef John Do the Dairy Now here's some news you can use. Turns out, the fiery chemical in hot chilis, capsaicin, likes to bind itself onto a compound in milk, which neutralizes the burn. Add a generous dollop of sour cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt to scorching hot chili or stews, or even a touch of milk or cream. For best results, though, go with full-fat dairy. For tomato sauces and stews that don't want dairy, try shredding some cheese on top. Photo by Meredith. 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. Moroccan Preserved Lemons. Allrecipes Add Some Acid Add a squeeze of lemon or lime. Bonus Benefit: A little lemon juice can also brighten up flavors. If it's a tomato-based sauce, adding more tomato sauce can help. Also effective, a dash of vinegar. Related: The Best Recipes with Spicy Harissa Sauce Our Favorite Sweet and Spicy Main Dish Recipes Spicy Korean Recipes That Showcase Gochujang Chile Paste Plus, check out our collections of Chile Pepper Recipes — and don't miss some of our Spiciest Appetizers. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit