Homemade Chili Seasoning
Published 7/20/2023
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This homemade chili seasoning Is seriously the perfect blend of chili spices. It’s smokey and savory and only requires 6 total ingredients.
There are countless ways you can use this chili seasoning! Not only can you use it in any of our chili recipes, but you can use it in recipes like this tasty chili cheese dip, too!
If you look in my cabinet, you will see a giant jar of this homemade chili seasoning at all time. We use it in our award-winning chili recipe so I guess by default, this spice blend is also award winning!
I love that it only requires 6 ingredients and doesn’t use any additives or preservatives like you’d find in a chili seasoning packet.
Quick tip: Use anywhere from 3 to 4 tablespoons of this chili seasoning per chili recipe.
What You Need for Homemade Chili Seasoning (Chili Spices)
Our blend of chili seasonings is savory and smokey, not too spicy, and oh-so-flavorful. The key is having the perfect balance of all of the classic chili spices.
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Ground cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Ground pepper
Variations
Make it spicier: If you want your chili spicy, add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. You can even up the smoked paprika and/or add chipotle powder.
Make it sweeter: If you want to add a little bit of sweetness to your chili seasoning, add a teaspoon of brown sugar or coconut sugar to the mix. And, to really enhance this sweetness, you can add a pinch of ground cinnamon!
Can I add other flavors to my chili?
Yes! You can add any flavor other flavors you would like to your seasoning mix. Try adding:
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
- a little brown sugar
- cayenne pepper for more spice
- onion powder for a mild flavor
Glass
Spice Jars
Organize your homemade spices with this empty glass spice jar set!
FAQ
There are so many great options for spice storage these days. As long as you have an airtight container, you’re golden. If you don’t want to buy new spice containers, save old spice containers, wash them, and keep them for when you make homemade spice mixes!
Store your seasoning mix in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Good news for you, the majority of our homemade chili seasoning (and most store-bought recipes) is made from chili powder! So, yes, use chili powder, but then also make sure to add other key spices such as ground cumin, garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
The secret ingredient for chili, you ask? Our secret ingredient actually isn’t in this spice mix…but it could be! The secret ingredient we use in most chili recipes is maple syrup! A little bit of sweetness really helps bring out the flavors of the spices.
Storage
Store your chili spices in an airtight container or glass jar in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Use Your Chili Seasoning Recipe in Other Recipes!
- Roasted Root Vegetables – sprinkle on a couple of tablespoons to really give this wholesome roasted vegetable recipe more flavor.
- Grilled Chicken – use 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of spices per pound of chicken breast.
- Mexican Beef Skillet – don’t have taco seasoning? Use this in place instead! They are quite similar, actually.
- Baked Beans – swap out the spices in our baked beans recipe and use this mix instead.
Homemade Chili Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons chili powder
- 8 teaspoons garlic powder
- 8 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for the chili seasoning into a large glass container or mason jar.
- Cover the jar and shake until all spices are combined.
- Store chili seasoning in a cool, dry place with the jar covered tightly.
Tips & Notes
- This recipe yields around 1 cup.
- In a typical chili recipe, use around 3-4 tablespoons of homemade chili seasoning.
- Single batch: To make a single batch of this homemade chili seasoning follow the following measurements: 3 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made this today. It was fast and easy to make. I also used the chili spice recipe you supplied. I absolutely loved it.
Great!!
Delicious and super easy! I had everything in my pantry which made this perfect!
When you say chili powder, do you mean the spicy red chili powder, or is this the actual “chili powder” bought from the store?
Awesome!!! Thank you! Very, very much!!! My family wants me to make chili over and over again! Lol!