Palillo substitute

Best substitute

Turmeric, at half strength

Use ½ tsp turmeric for every 1 tsp palillo

Best for arroz amarillo

Different taste

Use half the amount of turmeric, so half a teaspoon of turmeric for every teaspoon of palillo, because turmeric is far more bitter and musty and stains more orange. Ground annatto or achiote is the better flavour match at 1:1, since it colours strongly with only a mild peppery note. And in most recipes you can simply leave palillo out, because it is a colouring agent and there is no flavour hole left behind.

Other palillo substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Ground annatto or achiote
Close match
Use the same amount or 1 tbsp achiote oil per 1 tsp palillo
The best flavour match, because like palillo it is used primarily as a colourant and carries only a mild peppery, faintly nutty taste that stays in the background.
What changes
Best for
rice, stews, marinades, sauces
The colour lands warmer and more orange-gold than palillo's clear yellow. Whole annatto seeds are best steeped in warm oil for five minutes and strained, since they never fully soften and are gritty if left in.
3Turmeric plus sweet paprika
Different taste
Use Equal parts blended, then 1 tsp of the blend for every 1 tsp palillo
The paprika rounds off turmeric's bitter edge and warms the colour, giving a closer match to palillo's gentle character than turmeric alone.
What changes
Best for
rice, stews, chicken dishes, spice rubs
At full strength this blend works where straight turmeric at full strength does not, because half of it is mild. Use sweet paprika, not smoked, which would make the dish taste unmistakably of barbecue.
4Saffron
Different taste
Use A large pinch, about 15-20 threads, for every 1 tsp palillo
Produces a genuinely beautiful clear gold that is closer to palillo's colour than turmeric's, without any bitterness.
What changes
Best for
rice, special-occasion dishes, delicate sauces
Saffron brings a distinct honeyed, hay-like aroma that palillo does not have, so the dish tastes different even if it looks right. Steep the threads in a couple of tablespoons of warm water or stock for ten minutes first, then add the liquid.
5Leave it out
Close match
Omit entirely
In a recipe like aji de gallina or a Peruvian yellow rice, the aji amarillo paste already supplies most of the yellow, so removing palillo costs you a shade of colour and nothing else.
What changes
Best for
aji de gallina, any dish already using aji amarillo, stews
The honest answer for most cooks. Palillo is not a flavour spice like cumin or coriander, so there is no gap to fill. Expect a slightly paler dish and nothing more.
6Marigold or safflower petals
Different texture
Use 1 tbsp dried petals steeped in warm liquid for every 1 tsp palillo
Sometimes sold as bastard saffron or azafran, these are traditional cheap yellow colourants that behave much the way palillo does, adding colour and very little taste.
What changes
Best for
rice, broths, soups
The colour is softer and more golden-yellow than turmeric's. Steep and strain rather than leaving the petals in, since they turn papery in the finished dish.

What is Palillo?

Palillo is Palillo is a golden-yellow Peruvian seasoning powder, traditionally ground from the dried root of the Andean plant Escobedia grandiflora and sold as palillo powder or palillo entero, used almost entirely to colour food rather than to flavour it.

Cooking tips

Palillo is a colourant first and a seasoning second, which is why so many substitution attempts go wrong. Cooks reach for turmeric at 1:1 because both are yellow powders, then wonder why the arroz con pollo tastes bitter and slightly medicinal. Halve the turmeric and the problem disappears.
Confusingly, a great deal of powder sold as palillo today is turmeric, or turmeric blended with palillo, because turmeric is far cheaper and grows more readily. If your jar tastes noticeably earthy and bitter, you already have turmeric and should treat it as such when measuring.
Palillo entero, the whole dried root, is the traditional form and is simmered in the pot and then removed, rather like a bay leaf. If a recipe calls for a piece of palillo rather than a spoonful of powder, a strip of dried achiote-steeped oil or a pinch of powder added at the same stage does the same job.
Add palillo early, with the aderezo of fried onion, garlic and aji, so the colour disperses evenly through the fat before liquid goes in. Sprinkled on at the end it sits in streaks rather than colouring the whole dish.
Yellow colour in Peruvian cooking usually comes from three sources working together: palillo, aji amarillo and the fat itself. If your dish looks pale, the most likely fix is more aji amarillo paste rather than more palillo, since the paste contributes flavour as well as colour.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave palillo out?

Yes, in most recipes. It contributes colour and only a whisper of earthy savouriness, so omitting it gives you a paler dish that tastes essentially the same. This is genuinely the right answer if the alternative is adding so much turmeric that the dish turns bitter.

Is palillo the same as turmeric?

No, though they are used for the same purpose and are often sold under each other's names. Palillo traditionally comes from the root of Escobedia grandiflora, an Andean plant unrelated to turmeric, and it is far milder, less bitter and yellower rather than orange. Turmeric substitutes for it, but at about half the quantity.

How much turmeric equals a teaspoon of palillo?

About half a teaspoon. Turmeric is roughly twice as strong in both colour and flavour, and its flavour is the part you do not want. If the result still tastes too earthy, blend the turmeric half and half with sweet paprika next time.

What does palillo taste like?

Very little, which is the point. There is a faint earthy, slightly savoury warmth and no bitterness or pungency. Anyone expecting a strong spice flavour will be surprised by how neutral it is, and that neutrality is exactly why turmeric is such an imperfect swap.

Where do I buy palillo?

Peruvian and Andean grocers, both online and in cities with Peruvian communities, sell it as palillo or palillo molido, and occasionally as palillo entero in whole root pieces. Check the ingredients list, since many jars labelled palillo are wholly or partly turmeric.

Related substitutes

More spices & herbs substitutes

Palillo substitute

Other palillo substitutes

2Ground annatto or achiote

3Turmeric plus sweet paprika

4Saffron

5Leave it out

6Marigold or safflower petals