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How To Tame Overly Spicy Dishes With One Popular Juice By Amrita Ray Sept. 8, 2025 4:09 pm EST
Teerapong mahawan/Shutterstock
In your attempt to figure out last-minute dinner plans, you've cooked up a bowl of chili in a hurry that turned out fantastic. The only issue is that it's hotter than expected, and you're afraid it might set your guests' tongues on fire. But the next time this happens, there's an unexpected quick fix. It's orange juice. Orange juice can be one of the best ways to balance out an overly spicy dish.
When paired with capsaicin — the component in chili peppers behind that hit of heat – orange juice helps neutralize the burn. How? Since capsaicin is an alkaline molecule, the citric acid in orange juice pulls the flavors back into balance. Tha