Homemade Chili Seasoning is a quick mix of seven pantry spices: chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and a little cayenne. Stir them together in 5 minutes and you have about 2 tablespoons of seasoning, enough for a pot of chili and the same job as one 1.25-ounce store-bought packet. This chili seasoning recipe also works on roasted vegetables, meat, dips and tacos.
How to make it: Measure the spices into a small bowl and stir, or shake them together in a small jar with a tight lid. Use the whole batch in a pot of chili, or keep it sealed, away from heat and moisture, for up to 6 months.
Why You’ll Love It
- Pantry spices only: seven basic ground spices you probably already have.
- Ready in 5 minutes: measure, stir and it’s done.
- Replaces a packet: one batch does the work of a store-bought packet, without the additives or preservatives.
- You set the heat and salt: cut back the cayenne or the salt to suit your family.
Ingredient Notes
Chili powder: The base of the blend. Classic chili powder is itself a mix of ground chiles, cumin, paprika and garlic powder. Ancho chili powder, made from poblano peppers, brings more flavor and more heat. Either one works here.
Ground cumin: It adds a warm, earthy taste with a hint of citrus and gives the seasoning its depth.
Onion and garlic powder: Half a teaspoon of onion powder and a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder round out the mix.
Cayenne pepper: A small kick of heat that doesn’t take over. If your chili powder is already spicy, use less cayenne or leave it out.
Salt and black pepper: Plain salt or kosher salt both work. Decrease the salt if you want or need to. Freshly ground black pepper adds a little more heat and an earthy note.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, less or none if your chili powder is spicy
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
How to Make Homemade Chili Seasoning
1. Measure the spices. Measure all of the ingredients into a small bowl, or straight into a small jar.
2. Mix. Stir until evenly combined, or close the jar lid tightly and shake until evenly mixed.
3. Use or store. Use the whole batch for one pot of chili, or store it in an airtight container away from heat and moisture for up to 6 months.
How Much Chili Seasoning to Use
In place of a packet. One batch makes about 2 tablespoons. Use it wherever a chili recipe calls for one 1.25-ounce packet of chili seasoning.
Per pound of meat. One batch is the right amount for a chili made with 2 pounds of beef, which is a large pot for 6 to 8 people. For a more strongly seasoned chili, use about 3 tablespoons per pound of ground meat, or roughly one and a half batches; the extra seasons the beans, tomatoes and everything else in the pot too. Use a little more or less to suit your taste.
When to add it. Brown the ground beef or turkey first and drain off the extra fat if needed. Stir in the seasoning and cook it with the meat for about a minute. That toasts the spices and makes them a bit more pronounced. Then add the diced tomatoes, beans and whatever else goes in your chili. You can also stir the seasoning in with the tomatoes and other liquids and let the flavor develop as the pot simmers. Either way, cook ground beef to 160°F and ground turkey or chicken to 165°F.
Tips for Success
What if the chili powder is already hot?
Cut the cayenne back or leave it out. It is there only for a small kick, and a spicy chili powder already brings the heat.
What’s the easiest way to fill a jar?
Measure the spices straight into a small mason jar, close the lid and shake. If you mixed the blend in a bowl, pour it in through a small funnel; a paper towel rolled into a cone works too.
Can I make it with less salt?
Yes. Decrease the salt as much as you like or need to; the rest of the blend stays the same.
Variations
- Smoky: add 1 to 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika for a smoky undertone.
- With oregano: add up to 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano for a peppery, zesty flavor.
- Deeper and darker: add up to 1 tablespoon of plain cocoa powder for a rich, earthy undertone that doesn’t taste like chocolate.
- Ancho and chipotle: use ancho chile powder in place of the chili powder and add chipotle chile powder, smoked paprika and dried oregano for a medium-spice mix.
- With a thickener: keep masa harina separate from the spices. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons with 1/4 cup of water and stir it into the chili during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking. It thickens the pot and adds a sweet, earthy corn flavor.
- Big batch (8 packets): 1/2 cup chili powder, 2 1/2 tablespoons cumin, 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 4 teaspoons onion powder, 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt and 4 teaspoons black pepper. Use 2 tablespoons per pot of chili, or wherever a recipe calls for one packet.
For the chili itself, a few extras go well with the seasoning: cocoa powder or dark chocolate for an earthy flavor, a light Mexican beer or a dark beer, brown sugar or molasses for a sweet contrast to the spice, cinnamon, red wine in a beef chili, or coffee or espresso for a deep, earthy note.
Storage and Shelf Life
Keep the seasoning in an airtight container, such as a small mason jar, in a cool, dry, dark place like the pantry or a spice cabinet, away from heat and moisture. It keeps for up to 6 months. It is a dry mix with nothing cooked in it, so there is nothing to refrigerate or reheat.
What to Serve With It
Start with a pot of chili, such as Wendy’s chili. Beyond chili, rub the seasoning on vegetables, meat or fish before roasting or grilling, or toss it with potatoes and vegetables for a pan like roasted potatoes, carrots and zucchini. Stir some into white queso dip, hummus or sour cream for a quick dip, or into a 4-ingredient cheese dip. It also seasons tacos and potato bakes like taco stuffed baked potatoes, and a little is good in mac and cheese. For another homemade blend to keep in the pantry, try this Texas Roadhouse steak seasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in chili seasoning?
Chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Smoked paprika, dried oregano and cocoa powder are optional additions.
What can I use if I don’t have a chili seasoning packet?
Mix this blend. One batch, about 2 tablespoons, replaces one 1.25-ounce packet, and it takes 5 minutes with spices from the pantry.
What’s the secret to a really flavorful chili?
Fresh spices and a minute of toasting: use dried spices less than 6 months old and cook the seasoning with the browned meat before the tomatoes go in. Cocoa powder, coffee or a dark beer in the pot add an earthy depth.
Is chili seasoning the same as chili powder?
No. Chili powder is one ingredient in the seasoning, and it is itself a mix of ground chiles, cumin, paprika and garlic powder. Chili seasoning adds more cumin, onion and garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne, so one batch seasons a whole pot of chili.
Final Notes
Mix a batch, use it in your next pot of chili, and adjust the cayenne and salt the next time to suit your family. If you make it, tell me in the comments how much you used and what you put it on.
Homemade Chili Seasoning
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper less or none if your chili powder is spicy
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Measure all of the ingredients into a small bowl, or straight into a small jar.
- Stir until evenly combined, or close the jar lid tightly and shake until evenly mixed.
- Use the whole batch for one pot of chili, or store it in an airtight container away from heat and moisture for up to 6 months.
