If you’ve ever heard a friend rave about a delicious, last-minute meal they threw together using a homemade herb-infused oil, your first thought might’ve been something along the lines of, “I could never do that.” It does sound intimidating! But the truth is, infusing herbs into oil is a simple, engaging process that’s easy to master whether you’re just beginning to explore herbalism or have studied it for years. An especially delicious way to get started is with the paprika oil recipe I’m sharing today.

Paprika oil will instantly elevate the flavor and nutrient profile of soups, stir-fries, and vegetables. The taste is so rich and well-rounded that it’s almost addictive – a dinner guest in my home once drank the remnants from her plate!

This paprika oil recipe is basic enough that you likely have the ingredients in your house, or can easily find them on your next trip to the grocery store. The hands-on time is minimal, but the herbs take about a month to infuse into the oil. So the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll find your home cooking rivals restaurant fare while offering a nutrient-rich health boost to anyone who tries it.

What Is Paprika?

Many of us are familiar with the vibrant red powder used to garnish deviled eggs or potato salad, but only some know that paprika is made from peppers. In fact, it’s closely related to cayenne powder. Both spices are made from peppers in the Capsicum annuum species, which includes a range of peppers from sweet to spicy. And both are dried, then ground to make the spice we sprinkle from a jar.

Like the C. annuum species itself, paprika’s flavor ranges from mild and sweet to hot and spicy. As I note in my book, The Herbal Kitchen, Hungarian paprika carries the rich flavor of chile pepper without overwhelming heat. We keep a small bowl on the table and sprinkle it on anything from rice to vegetables. We use paprika more often than salt!

When infused in coconut oil, paprika goes beyond a garnish, adding a richly nourishing flavor to the core of the dish.

Health Benefits of Paprika

Paprika is brimming with nutrients, including vitamin A, beta carotene, and vitamin E, giving it an overall toning and immune-supportive effect.

The body converts beta carotene into vitamin A (retinol), an essential nutrient for immune health, vision, and proper function of organs, including the heart and lungs.

Both beta carotene and vitamin E are antioxidants, helping to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. (Free radicals are a natural byproduct of the metabolic process, but increase after exposure to environmental stressors, including air pollution and ultraviolet light.)

Vitamin E is also an immune booster keeping the body resilient after exposure to bacteria and viruses. It’s vital to every day cellular function and helps to widen blood vessels, ensuring proper circulation. This is one reason I consider paprika a cardiovascular tonic.

Why Make Your Own Paprika Oil?

Herbalism, at its root, is about building robust health rather than treating disease – this is a much-needed paradigm shift for our culture. One reason I’ve made this my life’s work is that, at 19, I became a statistic in the fine print of the disclaimer on a pharmaceutical drug and needed brain surgery as a result. Finally able to see that our medical industry is designed to save lives but not to build basic health, I found a way to help others avoid such needless hardship and tragedy: weaving our innate wellness with herbs.

If you cook at home, you’re already using oils. Why not bring in the health benefits and flavor of herbs? Oils extract both the taste and phytonutrients from herbs, so adding a splash of paprika oil is a quick and simple way to craft a healthful, tasty meal at the end of a busy day.

This paprika oil recipe uses coconut oil, which is nourishing and remains stable in cooking, meaning it doesn’t oxidize as readily as other oils. I recommend using coconut oil made from organically grown coconuts and processed without heat and chemicals.

How to Use Your Paprika Oil

Add to salad dressings
Sauces
Soups
Stir-fries
Drizzle over bread
Add to marinades

Print Recipe

Paprika Oil Recipe

Author: Kami McBride

Ingredients

2 tbsp powdered paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
Dash of ground cayenne, or to taste
1 cup coconut oil

Instructions

Mix the herbs and coconut oil in a sterilized jar. Depending on the temperature of your home, you might need to gently heat the coconut oil until it is liquid (76°F) so you can mix the herbs in easily.
Let the herbs infuse in the oil for 4 weeks. Shake the jar occasionally. If the coconut oil solidifies, stir the mixture instead of shaking the jar.
When making oil with dried herbs, it is not necessary to strain the herbs from the oil.
Once you’ve used all of the oil, use the remaining herbs in a marinade.

Notes

I generally like to use my herb-infused oils within one year. Remember that exposure to light, excess heat, moisture, and fluctuating temperatures cause the oil to break down faster. You can refrigerate all or a portion of your herbal oil to help preserve its shelf life.

Let This Recipe Grow with You

While I’m confident that you’ll love this paprika oil recipe, I also hope it inspires you to get creative in the kitchen and try infusing your favorite beneficial spices into cooking oils. This simple practice will grow with you as you deepen your herbal knowledge. Along the way, you’ll enjoy many delicious meals and the health benefits of any herbs calling to you.

We all need points of entry into the art of using herbs to care for our bodies at home. Beyond that, simple practices like cooking with herbal oils deepen our connection to the plant world and reintroduce almost-forgotten herbal knowledge to the next generation. This simple yet profound path will redirect us to a balanced, vivacious future.

If you love the idea of creating medicinal meals to support your and your family’s health, then I hope you’ll join us in my online course, My Herbal Kitchen. With simple, creative recipes and time-tested tips, this video-packed course will teach you how to support your family’s health with healing meals, even if you’re short on time or dealing with the pickiest of eaters. Learn more or enroll here.