Aleppo pepper (or Halaby pepper) is a Middle Eastern spice made from a dried chili pepper that's crushed into flakes. It's similar to an Ancho chili in terms of heat and has undertones of sweetness and a raisin-like flavor.
It's named after the Syrian city of Aleppo, although it's also grown in Turkey. Good Aleppo pepper will have a certain oiliness, meaning the flakes are fresher.
Recipes Using Aleppo Pepper
Aleppo pepper is a popular ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. It's often used as a rub for chicken or incorporated into sauces. Because it's a milder chili, it can be used to finish a dish, similar to red pepper flakes.
- Cilbir - this classic Turkish breakfast is made with poached eggs, yogurt, and a tasty pepper butter sauce.
- Turkish Stuffed Eggplant (Karniyarik) - stuffed eggplant with ground beef, pepper, and tomato. A wonderfully tasty dinner recipe.
- Turkish Potato Salad Recipe - This delicious Turkish potato salad is a great side dish or light lunch for a picnic.
- Quick Aleppo Pepper Dill Pickles - These will have the most vibrant color and snappiest crunch the day they are made.
- Aleppo Pepper Shrimp Toast - These shrimp only take about 15-20 minutes to prepare from start to finish.
- Grilled Aleppo Pepper Chicken Thighs - Made with a Turkish yogurt marinade that tenderizes and infuses the chicken with flavors of lemon, garlic, and amazing spices.
- Creamy Aleppo Pepper Pasta - Nothing better than pasta drenched in a creamy roasted red pepper sauce deliciously spiced with Aleppo pepper flavors and heat.
Aleppo Pepper Substitutions
If you can't find Aleppo Pepper, you can substitute either red pepper flakes or a mixture of 3 parts sweet paprika to one part cayenne powder.
Is Aleppo Pepper the same as Isot Pepper?
Aleppo Pepper and Isot Pepper (or Urfa Biber) are similar but not the same. Both are dried, crushed chili flakes commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine, but Isot Pepper has a smokier, deeper flavor than Aleppo Pepper.
Isot Pepper has undertones of coffee and chocolate, while Aleppo Pepper is known for its fruity, sun-dried tomato undertones.
More Middle Eastern Spices to Try
If you love Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spices, you might like these spices and spice blends as well.
- Baharat Spice Blend - ingredients include allspice, chili peppers, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and peppercorns. The mixture is finely ground and is often used on fish, chicken, lamb, vegetables, and in soups and tajines.
- Ras el Hanout Blend - a spice blend used in tagines, soups, rice dishes, and on vegetables. In Arabic, Ras el Hanout means “head of the shop”, a phrase that basically means top-shelf, signifying that this spice blend is the best thing in the shop.
- Za'atar Spice Blend - made from a herb mixture usually containing thyme, sumac, cumin, salt, and other spices. It’s used extensively throughout the Levant countries as a topping for Arabic pita bread, meat, yogurt, hummus, and salads.
- Sumac - has a tangy flavor that tastes lemony but is less intense than fresh lemon juice. The spice can be used as a dry rub, in marinades, or sprinkled on top of salads or sauces – it adds a beautiful pop of color to dishes.
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