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Home » The Best Basic Chili Powder Recipe

The Best Basic Chili Powder Recipe

by Adrienne 159 Comments Published July 26, 2013 Updated: Dec 30, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
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Homemade Chili Powder Recipe
Homemade Chili Powder Recipe

Are you looking for a great Chili Powder Recipe that doesn't use a lot of fancy ingredients? I've got one for you right here.

Here's how to make your own Homemade Spice Blends, have super fresh taste, and save money as well.

homemade chili powder in a glass jar with a spoon on the side on white table top

Today I'm sharing one of our favorite recipes--a fantastic Basic Homemade Chili Powder Recipe.

I love making my own homemade seasonings.  In fact, if it's a seasoning blend, you had better be sure that I will try to make it--I just have a thing about "DIY"s and saving money, and all of the good things that go along with it.

Chili powder is no exception.

For the past year or so I've been on the hunt for a great chili recipe.

We're tried tons of recipes, and so you can imagine I've gone through a ton of chili powder.

(Well-maybe about 2 pounds is more like it :).)

I've always made my own Homemade Chili Powder and the recipe has served us well, but this week I decided to experiment with a bunch of recipes and do some taste tests so I could recommend a recipe for you all.

The chili powder recipe that we were using called for a base of chili peppers.  And while we like it a lot, the chilis are a little hard to come by, and they are a little pricey, so I wanted to find a recipe with a base of paprika--a spice that is in almost everyone's kitchen.

I hope to share my original at some point, but for now, this one should keep you pretty happy.

One other chili powder came in a close second, but it needs a bit more work before I share that one.

After literally making and trying about 15 different recipes, we have a winner (and I now have a bunch of "non winners" that I'll blend together to put in a corporate chili powder container so nothing goes to waste.)

First of all, just to share a bit about me if you haven't been around my blog for a long time, I LOVE making my own just-about-everything.

Partially because I am cheap frugal, but also because I think it's a fun challenge.

I also do it to avoid icky ingredients in things.

Why Make Your Own Seasoning Blends

I have a whole post written on homemade seasoning blends, but here's a brief synopsis:

1.  Save Money - It's a lot cheaper to make your own seasoning blends--you're basically paying "the other guy" to do the measuring and blending.

2.  Adaptable for Taste - You can play around with the ingredients to find a mixture that you like best.

3.  Adaptable for Special Diets - You can adapt to special diets easily.  (Some spice mixes have gluten, dairy, or other ingredients in them that folks with those allergies need to avoid.

4.  Avoid Toxins - Many spice blends have chemical nasties in them (like silicon dioxide) to make them free flowing.  Personally, I'd rather break up a few lumps in my spices than eat silicon dioxide, thank you very much.

5.  Enjoyment - It's fun to experiment in the kitchen :)!

How to Use this Homemade Chili Powder

1.  Chili - Of course, use it in chili.  (I'm pretty clever, huh?)

2.  Sides - Sprinkle it on rice and beans, or even on veggies.

3.  Salads - Sprinkle on salads with a drizzle of olive oil and salt for a makeshift dressing.

4.  Eggs - Sprinkle on eggs.

5.  Pepper Substitute - As a substitute for pepper in a recipe.  Just add a bit more chili powder than pepper.

6.  Desserts - On Desserts - really?  Yes, it's true.  Try some on chocolate ice cream, in brownies, etc.

7.  On Fruit - try sprinkling chili powder on fruit for a fun twist.

Homemade Chili Powder Recipe
I hope you like this as much as we do.

Chili Powder is very similar to other seasoning blends, like taco seasoning and fajita seasoning, but these blends have obvious differences.  Chili powder is made mostly of chilis, and taco seasoning often has chili powder as one of its ingredients.  Since they are similar, they are interchangeable to a point, but each has its special flavor.

It's great on so many things -- we taste-tested these mixtures on popcorn and brown rice, veggies, and salads.  While we were working on finding "the winner", my boys and my husband had a great time sampling the options while we were moving a "new to us" trundle bed into our boys' room.

It went like this -- move mattress in--taste rice--move bed piece in--taste rice.  You get the picture.

You should have seen my kitchen after doing all of these taste tests --little containers of rice with chili powder on top and popcorn is just about everywhere :).  I had my sons help me with the blending and measuring so things are a bit more messy than usual.

It's hard not to have a mess in a whole food kitchen, isn't it?

And in case you are wondering where I buy my spices, right now I buy a lot from this company in bulk (I think the have superior flavor and fragrance) but check my Resources Page for more options.

So now you have another great homemade seasoning blend to add to your frugal pantry arsenal.

And now I get to go back to working on a really great chili recipe to share with you all.

Other Homemade Seasoning Blends:

- Taco Seasoning
- The "Best" Cinnamon Sugar - Made Healthier
- Mild Curry Powder
- Vegetable Broth Mix | All-Purpose Seasoning
- Celery Salt and How to Use It
- Pumpkin Pie Spice

Recipe Notes

I recommend toasting cumin seeds first and then adding the ground seeds to this recipe. One of my readers said that it makes this recipe extra special!

homemade chili powder in a glass jar with a spoon on the side on white table top

The "Best" Basic Chili Powder Recipe

Looking for a Great Chili Powder Recipe that doesn't use a lot of fancy ingredients? This is it! Make your own Homemade Spice Blends and save money!
4.55 from 24 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dressings, Seasonings, etc.
Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, THM, Vegan, whole30
Keyword: Chili Powder Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp paprika
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (omit or increase to taste)

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a bowl.
  • Blend thoroughly.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Paprika is a pepper and should be refrigerated for maximum shelf life and potency.

Notes

Use 1-2 Tbsp of chili powder per pound of meat, or to taste.
I recommend toasting cumin seeds first and then adding the ground seeds to this recipe. One of my readers said that it makes this recipe extra special!
Tried this recipe?Mention @wholenewmom or tag #wholenewmom!

The images in this post were updated in 2020. Following is one of the previous images for your reference.

Do you make your own seasonings?
How would you use this Homemade Chili Powder Recipe?

Homemade Chili Powder - made simple. We did a taste test of tons of homemade recipes and this one came out on top. It's super easy to make and has none of the chemical nasties that store-bought spice mixes often have. Enjoy!

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About Adrienne

Adrienne Urban is the Founder and Owner of Whole New Mom. She has a background in research, journalism, insurance, employee benefits, financial markets, frugal living, and nutrition. Seeking a better life for herself and her family, she uses research and consults with many physicians and other practitioners to find solutions to the variety of issues they have dealt with including life-threatening food allergies and thyroid and adrenal concerns. WholeNewMom.com is the result of her experiences and knowledge gained throughout the process. Posts are reviewed and verified by the Whole New Mom team.

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    Recipe Rating




     

  1. Damion

    December 23, 2020 at 5:06 am

    5 stars
    Quick question, are you aware that this website doesn't open correctly on Edge?

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      December 29, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      Hi there. I had someone check it and it appears that it does work on Edge. Thanks for the comment---unless this is just spam, of course!

      Reply
  2. Anne

    December 18, 2020 at 2:52 pm

    This is a great basic recipe and I know it’s very good because I have been using this recipe for many years (at least back as far as 2015) I found it submitted by someone else on Allrecipes. I liked it because there was no salt. I basically have it memorized. Then I found it with your story on Pinterest.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      December 18, 2020 at 11:22 pm

      Awww thanks for coming by to comment about that. Yes, someone stole my recipe and put it there. Terrible. If you are so inclined, coming back and leaving a star rating helps me and helps others see that you liked it. Thanks much again for taking the time!

      Reply
  3. Marcus Toole

    June 23, 2020 at 6:33 pm

    4 stars
    Thank you for this recipe. I'm growing an assortment of habanero, scotch Bonnet and super hot pepper varieties and am looking for chilly powder recipes that I can make with them. I think yours will be a good one because the base does not start with heat. I will just just use the powder that I get from my peppers in place of the cayenne but of course will use less of it on account of these peppers being so much hotter. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      June 28, 2020 at 11:24 pm

      You're welcome! Hope it works well w/ your peppers!

      Reply
  4. judy m. pugh

    April 30, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    What amount of cumin seeds should I toast for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      May 07, 2020 at 11:25 am

      One tsp will yield about 1 1/4 tsp ground. Hope that helps! You could always toast extra and have it on hand, however.

      Reply
      • Chanel Pugh

        May 07, 2020 at 11:32 am

        How do you toast cumin?

        Reply
        • Adrienne

          May 07, 2020 at 11:39 am

          A shallow pan works great.

          Reply
          • Chanel Pugh

            May 07, 2020 at 11:46 am

            Can you give me instructions on how to toast cumin seeds?

            Reply
            • Adrienne

              May 07, 2020 at 12:26 pm

              I would toast over medium heat, stirring or swirling constantly until they seem a bit darker and are really aromatic.

              Reply
  5. LindaMiller

    February 29, 2020 at 2:22 pm

    5 stars
    I am really happy with the taste of this combo. I retired in Colombia and no stores carry it to my knowledge as well as many other spices that I was accustomed to using stateside for years and years and even more years. In this recipe, I did use whole cumin seeds that I heated up in a skillet until fragrant and whizzed all the ingredients together in a nut/grinder. yum yum. Gives it a little je ne said quoi.
    Thanks so much for posting this, turned out great and oh-so-easy!!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      March 30, 2020 at 10:01 pm

      I'm sooo glad to hear this! You made my day. We love it too! I love your idea of toasting the cumin--yum!! Adding that to the post!

      Reply
  6. gil

    September 05, 2019 at 5:07 pm

    why do all these chili powder recipes not have chili pepper as the main ingredient?

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      September 05, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Hi there - by "all these" which do you mean? There is just one here. I did this on purpose to have it be made from things that people could easily get b/c I found chilis to be a little harder to come by.

      Reply
    • N Duke

      December 08, 2019 at 12:58 pm

      Paprika is pepper, but I have found recipes that begin with other mild dried peppers too.

      Reply
      • Adrienne

        December 08, 2019 at 1:23 pm

        Hi there -- yes, it's a pepper but it's much more common in people's pantry than the speciality chili peppers are. Hope you like it!

        Reply
  7. Sylvie

    May 30, 2019 at 10:15 am

    5 stars
    Tksss, save me a trip to the store....will never buy chili powder again.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      May 30, 2019 at 10:17 am

      You are so welcome!

      Reply
  8. UnamusedChef

    February 10, 2019 at 12:57 pm

    If you're going to steal someone else's recipe, you could at least give them credit:
    . (that recipe link has changed and is now here so blog owner replaced it with where the chili powder link is now: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/237172/chili-powder/) aspx

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      February 10, 2019 at 2:13 pm

      Hey "Unamused"-- My recipe was published back in 2013. The earliest comment on that recipe is from 2014. Mine was first. THEY copied off of me. That happens all the time w/ All Recipes. I give credit where credit is due.

      Here is the info on the publication: Published on: Jul 26, 2013 @ 17:43 Edit

      Reply
      • Adrienne

        February 13, 2019 at 12:25 pm

        Side note - just checked and that recipe appears to have been removed. If I remember correctly I commented on it that they had stolen it so hopefully they realized that they had really messed up. Hope that clears things up even more.

        Reply
    • Adrienne

      July 04, 2020 at 12:52 pm

      Hi again - they did remove it perhaps but it's back w/ a different link now. Upsetting! https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/237172/chili-powder/

      Reply
  9. Olen

    January 14, 2019 at 5:51 pm

    4 stars
    Try it with smoked paprika too, if you like a smoky overtone. Otherwise, I like your ratios.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      May 11, 2019 at 6:59 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  10. Michael A Hibbard

    June 24, 2018 at 2:48 pm

    5 stars
    If I didn't already have two wives I'd ask you to marry me. Good food is my greatest weakness.

    Reply
  11. Barbara

    April 15, 2018 at 1:17 am

    Thank you....don't like buying bottled spices...they have anti caking agents in them. Going to make this tomorrow...I am making chili for my husband.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 15, 2018 at 3:07 am

      You are so welcome! Hope you like it (and that he does too!!)

      Reply
  12. Judy

    March 17, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    4 stars
    Sounds fabulous. When you talk about oregano in the recipe, do you mean leaves or powdered?

    Reply
    • Judy

      March 18, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      4 stars
      I made this recipe and then used it to make taco seasoning. They are both fabulous, and no salt, and no MSG!!!

      Reply
    • Adrienne

      May 19, 2018 at 11:13 am

      Thanks - leaves. The post should have the appropriate link - let me know if it doesn't. Thanks!

      Reply
  13. Nancy

    February 22, 2018 at 3:48 pm

    5 stars
    Been cooking all my life but just started making my own spices. Love it. I doubled this because I use a lot of chili powder in some of my cooking. In Texas is a staple.

    Reply
  14. Gina

    February 13, 2018 at 9:48 am

    Okay, I must be dreaming. This is the first chili powder recipe I've seen that doesn't consist of those chili peppers. Would this be considered a "mild" chili powder? If not, do you know how it could? Thanx for your response

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      February 13, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      I think it's quite mild. Hope you enjoy it! You can not use the cayenne to make it the most mild.

      Reply
    • Dave

      July 21, 2018 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      If you look online for a chili powder recipes, none of them will contain actual chili peppers. This is because chili powder's name comes from the stew (chili) and not the pepper.

      Reply
  15. Ulrike

    January 31, 2018 at 6:01 am

    5 stars
    Great combination of Spices and absolutely no Salt . I have been trying to find a Taco Seasoning mix that is salt free and to my surprise people don’t seem to understand that commercial Chili Powers is spiked with Sodium aka Salt. That’s you for posting this and I am using your Taco seasons recipe as well (minus the salt) This is a keeper

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      January 31, 2018 at 7:49 pm

      Thanks so much - so glad you like it!

      Reply
  16. Julie

    November 24, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    I have just finished making your spice recipe for my chilli dish.
    It tasted wonderful.
    I had all the ingredients on hand and I just loved the idea of having made my own homemade spice recipe.
    This is the first time, but it is now going to be my go to for all of my chilli dishes.
    Thank you so much for all your time and effort.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      November 25, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
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