Homemade Chili Powder Recipe (Easy + No Special Ingredients)
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Homemade chili powder is easy to make, and the freshness can't be beat, but not all blends are created equal. My family taste-tested a lot of blends in our kitchen, and this recipe came out on top. So that's why I'm calling it the BEST Homemade Chili Powder.
It’s rich, aromatic, and easy to make using affordable pantry spices—no specialty chiles needed.
Not all homemade chili powder recipes require dried chiles and extra steps. This version is made with simple pantry spices you likely already have—and it tastes fresher and more customizable than store-bought blends.
Why This Is the Best Chili Powder
I get it. People say that their recipe is the best all the time. I've done it myself. But in this case, we did a bunch of taste testing of homemade chili powders, and this blend was actually the best out of all of the ones we tested.
I've made chili powder for a long time, but I decided to experiment with a bunch of recipes so I could recommend the best one for my family and for you as well.
Our testing was quite a sight to see. We tested chili powder:
- straight
- on popcorn
- on salad
- on beef
- and on pasta.
There were little bowls of chili powder-tasting dishes all over the kitchen, so it was messy, but totally worth it. Because we now have a winner, and not only does it taste great, but it's inexpensive to make, and you likely have all the ingredients needed in your pantry.
Fun Fact
Chili powder is very similar to other seasoning blends, like taco seasoning and quesadilla seasoning, but these blends have obvious differences.
Chili powder is typically made of chilis, while taco seasoning and quesadilla seasoning often have chili powder as one of their ingredients. They are interchangeable to a point, but each has its special flavor.
Why Make Your Own Seasoning Blends
There are loads of reasons to make your own spice mixes.
- 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.
- Adaptable for Taste — You can play around with the ingredients to find a mixture that you like best.
- 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.
- 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.
- Enjoyment — It's simply fun to experiment in the kitchen!
How to Use this Homemade Chili Powder
- Chili — Of course, use it in chili. Pretty clever, huh? Use about 1-2 tablespoons for each pound of meat or chicken.
- Sides — Sprinkle it on rice and beans, or even on veggies.
- Salads — Sprinkle on salads with a drizzle of olive oil and salt for a makeshift salad dressing.
- Eggs — Sprinkle on eggs.
- Pepper Substitute — As a substitute for pepper in a recipe. Just add a bit more chili powder than the amount of pepper that's called for.
- Desserts — Yes, it's true. Try some on chocolate ice cream, in brownies, on chocolate bark, etc.
- On Fruit — Sprinkling chili powder on fruit is really a thing. Try it and you'll see!
Recipe Notes
- I recommend toasting cumin seeds first and then adding the ground seeds to this recipe. This makes the recipe extra special!
- You can substitute ancho pepper for the paprika if you'd like. I love ancho peppers, but I made this recipe with paprika to keep the cost down since that's oh so important, especially these days.
Other Homemade Seasoning Blends
Here are some more homemade seasonings that I think you'll like as well.
- The “Best” Cinnamon Sugar – Made Healthier – we tested a bunch and we were surprised about the one that won!
- Mild Curry Powder – just enough heat, but you can turn it up or down as you like.
- Vegetable Broth Powder – makes everything taste better, including popcorn!
- Celery Salt
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Quesadilla Seasoning – great for so many more things than just quesadillas
Homemade Chili Powder Recipe (Easy Pantry Spice Blend)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon 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 tablespoons of chili powder per pound of meat, or to taste.
- Toasting the cumin seeds first before grinding will make this chili powder extra special!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
The images in this post were updated in 2020. Following is one of the earlier images for your reference.
Do you make your own seasonings? Which ones?
I’m so glad I came across this recipe. I had just ran out of chili powder and thought “there’s got to be a recipe out there to make it” since I knew that chili powder was a combo of different spices. This combo smell delightful.
My husband and I have no choice but to make everything at home now since he got a kidney transplant and he is allergic to corn.
I’m going to use this mix tomorrow in some beans and then later on in some chili for dinner.
I’m so glad you like it! So sorry about your husband. Please see this about de-gassing beans. I have a chili recipe or 2 coming soon. https://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/how-to-degas-beans/
I guess I’m confused. Will you girls help me. This looks like a recipe for chili seasoning not chili powder. Chili powder is ground up chilies, correct? Or have I been living a lie. I’ve even ground up dried New Mexico chilies. That makes great chili powder. Help!!!
Hi there. Typically it is chilies ground up, but I wanted something that was made with ingredients that most people have easy access to. Do you need a recipe for that b/c I have one. Thanks!
Chili powder may BE powdered chilis, may be a powder CONTAINING chilis, or may be any powder intended to be USED in chili (the dish). (Wig powder contains no wigs.)
Actually, Chili Powder is a BLEND of a few different spices, and usually contains cayenne (a chili) and/or paprika (a chili with regular or smoked versions).
So, yes, this Chili Powder Recipe DOES contain Chilis, and is correctly labeled Chili Powder
Imagine my dismay when I forgot chili powder for my favorite southern living chili that requires 6 tablespoons. I doubled your recipe and I must say after making this chili recipe for years, my husband and I agreed, it was the tastiest ever! I’ll never buy chili powder again. By the way I used a very hot chili powder from the Indian store, using les than required. Delicious! Thank you.
How wonderful – thanks so much for sharing!!
Thank you for doing the hard work for making our own seasonings. I am fascinated that we can mix them ourselves instead of buying them. Enjoying your site. Lots of hard work see here.
Thanks so much, Shirley!
This is awesome.. thank you. 🙂
Thank you!!!
while it is nice of you to post a recipe and im sure your mix tastes good. this is not chili powder. Chili powder is made with 70% ground dried chiles such as Arbol. Alton brown has an authentic recipe.
Hi Nick. I appreciate your sharing it but there are many others on the internet who use paprika in chili powder. I know it’s not authentic but I wanted to offer a simpler avenue for my readers. I typically use the ancho – LOVE them. But they are hard to come by.
I found your post on Google+ and had to tell you it was timely. I was just about to start making spice blends for Christmas gifts. This is perfect. Have a terrific holiday.
How wonderful, Kristi! That’s great. I hope you like it!
Great recipe, thanks!
As an aside, although there are lots of chemical nasties in processed food, silicone dioxide isn’t one of them – it’s actually a naturally occuring mineral!
I read that it is. However, I guess I would rather not have it in my spices – what do you think?
I think the jury’s still out on whether it’s a good idea to intentionally add silicon dioxide (a.k.a. silica) to one’s diet or not. Some people claim benefits; others claim undesirable side effects.
Since it’s THE major component of Earth’s crust, it makes it’s way into our food supply, like it or not. Plants, animals… it’s in all of them (including us). The question of whether artificially adding more to our diet is good, bad, or without consequences still seems open to debate.
One thing that is NOT open to debate is the notion that a naturally occurring mineral is safe. That thinking can get you killed. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. I would not recommend that you add that to your diet.
I agree with you. However, you meant “the notion that any naturally occurring mineral is safe”, correct?
“Any” is better than “a,” but even less ambiguous wording would be “the notion that a mineral is safe simply because it occurs naturally.”
Thanks for the catch. 🙂 And thanks for sharing your work.
You are so welcome. Thanks for the assistance. Much appreciated.
Homemade chilli powder… your recipe looks very interesting
You say it makes 4 tablespoons, but I can’t see how much to use per pound of minced beef????
Please reply asap as I want to get cooking 🙂
Hi there. I would try 3- 4 T per pound. It depends on how spicy you like it :). Hope you enjoy it! We just made a heap of chili with this last week!
I wish my boyfriend understood the value of DIY. I love making my own breads, crackers, seitan, etc., but he thinks it’s easier to just buy them. But there’s also the time driving to the store! I’m happy to find this recipe. I forgot chili powder at the store, but I have all of these ingredients. Crossing “chili powder” off of my list. Thank you!
Yea! So glad to have helped! The time of driving to the store is HUGE!!