Thin the sauce
The easiest way to cool the dish down is to thin the sauce using your choice of liquid. If you're cooking a stock-based soup or stew, try adding a little more stock or water. If it's a tomato-based dish, add another tin of crushed tomatoes. Failing that, and if you have all the ingredients on hand, try making another batch of the sauce leaving the chilli out. Once done, mix the two together and freeze the leftovers for another day.
Add dairy
When it comes to taming the heat in spicy food you can't beat dairy. That's because the casein protein in dairy coats the capsaicin and what makes the food hot, preventing the tongue from experiencing the true punch in the food. Choose cream, yoghurt or sour cream to immediately temper the heat and prevent it from overwhelming your dish.
Add coconut milk
Even though coconut milk doesn't contain the same casein protein that magical ingredient in dairy that helps cool down spicy food it does contain plenty of fat, which helps to calm the heat in a dish and cool it down. Remember to add a little at a time, and taste as you go, to ensure you don't lose all the other vital flavours in the process.
Swirl in a nut butter
Just like coconut milk, nut butters can use their richness and high fat content to help calm down the spiciest dishes. These are a great option for South East Asian curries, where nuts are a common ingredients, and will add a little more richness to the dish.
Throw in some potato
If your dish is a natural companion to potato, consider cubing or grating a potato to add to the pot. The starch in the potato will help absorb some of the heat, making it seem instantly less fiery.
Balance it with a little sweet and sour
It's well known that a tablespoon of sugar, palm sugar or honey, can help take the edge off a too-spicy dish. However, by adding something sour – a little lime juice, lemon juice or vinegar you can further balance out the flavours to tame the fire and achieve that legendary mix of flavours.
Mild recipes to try
If you're worried about making your dishes too spicy, start with a mild recipe and err on the side of caution. Here are a few of our favourite recipes that are family-friendly and gentle on the palette:
Hot and fiery recipes
Throw caution to the wind with this collection of spicy dishes that are sure to get the tastebuds working. These dishes should come with a warning, so make sure everyone knows what's in store before dishing them up:
FAQs
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.
What helps break down spicy food? ›
6 Quick Ways to Tone Down a Dish That's Too Spicy
- Add more ingredients to dilute the spiciness. The easiest way to tone down a dish that's too spicy is to add more ingredients to lessen the proportion of the spicy element. ...
- Add dairy. ...
- Add acid. ...
- Add a sweetener. ...
- Add nut butter. ...
- Serve with bland, starchy foods.
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.
What cancels out spicy food? ›
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.)
What helps cool your stomach from spicy food? ›
Ice cream, milk, cottage cheese, and bread or another starchy food might help settle your stomach after eating spicy food. 4 A small amount of peppermint oil may help reduce inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. 7 Be careful about eating any dairy items if you are lactose-intolerant.
What breaks spicy food? ›
Starchy foods like bread and albumin proteins in eggs can also help prevent capsaicin from binding with nerve receptors. Serve chile-loaded food with a starch side, like rice, boiled potatoes, or bread; some recipes might also benefit from adding these ingredients, like chunks of boiled potatoes in a spicy curry.
What drinks neutralize spicy food? ›
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!
What neutralizes spicy food on skin? ›
Chili peppers are an alkaline food because capsaicin falls on the base side of the pH scale. This is why acidic foods like vinegar or tomato sauce can be used to neutralize capsaicin oil on your skin. Dip or rub your hands with an acidic food like vinegar, tomato sauce, or lemon juice to find relief.
Does milk help with spicy food? ›
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.
How do you build a tolerance to spicy food? ›
“People can try to desensitise themselves to the burning sensations caused by spicy food by slowly and gradually introducing spicy foods into their diet over a period of time,” says Yang. “This repeated exposure could increase tolerance slowly and people will start to enjoy hot food.”
How to Make Hot Sauce Less Spicy
- Add more of the non-spicy ingredients.
- Use sour flavors.
- Add a sweetener.
- Add alcohol.
- Add butter or olive oil.
- Add coconut milk.
- Add yogurt.
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.
How to make jalapenos less spicy? ›
Soak Chiles in a Vinegar and Water Solution
If after that time they are still too hot for your taste, drain them, add more vinegar and water, and let them soak a little more. This method helps temper the jalapeños' heat without destroying their distinctive flavor. Peppers need to be cut open for this to work.
How to make salsa less spicy? ›
Cool Down Too-Spicy: Salsa
For red-based salsas, add more tomato, if possible, or add finely chopped cucumber, avocado, fresh leafy herbs, mango, melon or oranges. A touch of honey or sugar may also help.
What is the fastest way to cool down hot food? ›
Air must be able to circulate around the food. Place a pan of food in an ice-water bath and stir the food. Stirring allows warm air to escape and cool food faster. Use chilling equipment if available, such as an ice wand or blast chiller.
What drinks cool down spicy food? ›
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!
How to stop bum burning after spicy food home remedies? ›
Clean your butt.
The receptors are on the inside of your GI tract, so putting something on the outside is unlikely to help in the long run. But as a short-term fix, you could apply a soothing cream to a clean butt—use one such as Calmoseptine ointment, which contains calamine to reduce itching and burning.
Does hot water neutralize spicy food? ›
Don't drink water: As we discussed earlier, water can actually make the burning sensation worse. Stick to the other drink options we mentioned, like milk, something acidic, or something sweet. Take breaks: If the heat becomes too intense, take a break and let your mouth and throat cool down before continuing.
