BEST Chili Powder (from scratch)
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Move over store-bought chili powder! With an incredibly robust and vibrant flavor, NOTHING compares to homemade chili powder made from scratch – it’s a total game changer! This Chili Powder recipe is easy to make and I can practically guarantee that after tasting this you’ll never want to buy it again!
We all know people who claim to make THE best chili on the planet. You may be one of them. And you may be right. But what I’m offering you is a secret ingredient to add to your already amazing chili that will elevate it to even greater flavor heights.
Why? Because nothing – and I mean no fancy doodad gourmet store-bought or special ordered chili powder – can compare to this homemade chili powder made completely from scratch! I’m talking about using fresh, whole dried chili peppers and whole spices, and roasting and grinding everything for the most fantastically fabulous flavor EVER.
What is Chili Powder?
Chili powder is a spice blend made from ground dried chili peppers and a combination of other spices and herbs such as cumin, coriander, garlic, and oregano. Additional spices can be used to add depth and complexity of flavor. Chili powder is used in a variety of cuisines including Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Southwestern dishes to add flavor, color, and heat (depending on if it’s a hot or mild chili powder).
Chili powder is used in a wide variety of dishes, for example chili con carne, tacos, enchiladas, salsas, marinades, and rubs for grilled meats.
Best Chile Peppers for Chili Powder
Which variety you use comes down to personal preference but there are some favorites that I especially recommend for the best flavor combination:
Guajillo: Bright red with mild to medium heat and are sweet with a touch of acidity. With its earthy-sweet flavor it’s one of the most popular chilies in Mexican cuisine.
Ancho: Dark red and very mildly spicy with a rich fruity and lightly smoky flavor. Ancho chilies are poblano chilies that have been allowed to fully ripen to a deep red and then dried. They contribute a beautiful dark red color and rich flavor to foods and are also one of the most popular dried peppers.
Pasilla: Sweet, fruity flavor with medium heat. The name “pasilla” comes from the word pasas, meaning “raisins”, because of its deep fruity flavor.
Arbol: Earthy flavor and very spicy. These don’t add a ton of flavor but are added if you like your food spicy hot.
For the best tasting chili powder, use a variety of chiles. My favorite two are ancho and guajillo. And if you like a bit heat, add some arbol and/or cascabels.
Incidentally, you’ll need these same chile peppers to make my authentic Enchilada Sauce.
How to Choose the Best Dried Chiles
A critical key to making the best chili powder is to select quality dried chile peppers.
Many dried chiles I come across in grocery stores and online are unfortunately quite poor in quality. They’re old and brittle and flavorless. Here’s how to know if the dried chiles are “fresh”:
1) The peppers should be pliable and flexible (like a very stiff fruit leather), not overly dry or brittle. 2) Look at their skins; they should be glossy, not dull. 3) They should have a good deal of fragrance, a little like dried fruit, not a dusty smell.
I have been very happy with and recommend this brand’s ancho and guajillo peppers.
Chili Powder Recipe
Let’s get started!
Remove the stems from the dried chilies and scrape out and discard the seeds and membranes. Heat a cast iron or heavy pan over medium-high heat and place the chilies in the pan single file so they’re not overlapping. Roast on both sides just until fragrant (approx. a couple of minutes) being very careful not to scorch them or they will taste bitter. Remove and let cool.
Place the whole spices in the pan and roast until very fragrant, being careful not to scorch them (a couple of minutes). Remove and let cool completely.
Once the chilies and spices are completely cooled, place them in a blender or spice/coffee grinder with the remaining ingredients and pulse until it’s a powder.
Transfer to an airtight jar for storage.
For best flavor use within a few weeks.
Enjoy!
How to Use Chili Powder
Use this homemade chili powder blend in any recipe that calls for chili powder. Deliciously versatile, this blend will add a deeply rich flavor and color to a whole host of dishes, Mexican and otherwise. Here are a few ways to use chili powder:
Sprinkle some on your chicken or beef before roasting or grilling, or add a spoonful to give life and zest to your soups, stews, beans and vegetables.
- Seasoning Meats: Use this as a dry rub for seasoning your beef, pork, chicken, and seafood.
- Chili Con Carne: A key ingredient in making chili con carne, this homemade blend will add life and flavor like no other. Add it to the ground beef while cooking it. Try our recipes for Instant Pot Chili, and Spicy Chipotle Chili with Hominy.
- Tex-Mex and Mexican Dishes: Incorporate this chili powder into Mexican or Tex-Mex recipes such as tacos, enchiladas, burritos, or use it to make our steak fajitas.
- Spicy Sauces and Marinades: Add chili powder to your homemade sauces, marinades, or dressings for a spicy twist. It can enhance the flavor of barbecue sauce, salsa, or hot sauce. Try it in our ultimate BBQ Sauce and Cherry Barbecue Sauce.
- Beans and Soups: Chili powder can be added to a variety of bean and lentil-based dishes, soups and stews to give them a deep and robust flavor. Try it in our Pozole Rojo, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Albondigas Soup.
- Roasted Vegetables: Sprinkle this on roasted vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, or cauliflower before baking for a deliciously smoky flavor. For a Mexican twist, replace this with the paprika to make our Sweet Potato Fries. It’s also terrific in salads like our Mexican Corn Salad.
- Seasoning Rice or Grain Dishes: Use this to season rice dishes, pilafs, or grain bowls to add flavor and some kick. Use it to make our Spanish Rice and our Cheeseburger Macaroni.
For more seasoning blends from around the world try my:
- Greek Seasoning
- Elote Seasoning
- Carne Asada Seasoning
- Sazon Seasoning
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Creole Seasoning
- Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
- Poultry Seasoning
- Za’atar
- Dukkah
- Pot Roast Seasoning
- Curry Powder
- Garam Masala
- Herbes de Provence
- Chinese Five Spice
- Mixed Spice
- Berbere
- Baharat
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BEST Chili Powder (From Scratch)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dried red chile peppers (we highly recommend a combination of ancho, guajillo and any other variety you like, and if you want heat add some arbol and/or cascabel peppers)
- dried ancho chiles (I use this brand)
- dried guajillo chiles (I use this brand)
- 3 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 whole cloves (or 1/8 teaspoon ground)
- 2 small allspice berries (or 1/8 teaspoon ground)
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the dried chilies and scrape out and discard the seeds and membranes. Heat a cast iron or heavy pan over medium-high heat and place the chilies in the pan single file so they’re not overlapping. Roast on both sides just until fragrant (approx. a couple of minutes) being very careful not to scorch them or they will taste bitter. Remove and let cool. Place the whole spices in the pan and roast until very fragrant, being careful not to scorch them (a couple of minutes). Remove and let cool completely.
- Once the chilies and spices are completely cooled, place them in a blender or spice/coffee grinder with the remaining ingredients and pulse until it’s a powder. Transfer to an airtight jar for storage. For best flavor use within a few weeks.Makes about 1 cup of chili powder.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet January 11, 2019
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
For those of us who are newbies, can you please provide ratios for the original 4 ounces of dried chilis? I don’t know what to use as a baseline. Thanks!
Hi Gayle, I’m not sure I understand your question. You need a total of 4 ounces of dried chilis and you can use any combination you like. For example, 2 ounces of guajillo plus 2 ounces of ancho.
You were right–NO store-bought or homemade chili powder I’ve tried has compared to this! And by “homemade” I mean “mixing store-bought spices together.” The flavor is AMAZING, RICH and NUANCED! Yes, it’s a little extra work, but I’m not stranger to spending more time to make it homemade, because I know it’s a better result in the end. Anyways, for this I used guajillo, ancho and chile japaones! The result was sweet, moderately spicy powder! It’s great! I can’t wait to use it for chili!!
Thank you, Faith, I’m so happy you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback! :)
Does something make the cast iron preferable to oven roasting?
Hi Marco, not really, it’s just simpler, easier to keep an eye on to prevent burning. You can roast them in the oven if you prefer.
How much of this per pound of meat is recommended
Hi Michael,
It’s been over a year since your question was asked and I see it has not been answered. If you are substituting this for store-bought “Chili Powder” (such as McCormick) I would start off using 1 Tablespoon per pound of meat and then make the rest of your recipe as you normally do. My chili uses four pounds of meat and I add 4 TBSP of store-bought Chili Powder and then add fresh diced and sauteed ingredients (peppers, onion, garlic, etc…) to attain the taste that I am looking for.
Thank you for providing such a creative recipe. It reads the best of all I’ve been reading on the net. I find it strange, however, that anyone serious about cooking with the best, freshest ingredients, would consider using garlic powder rather than the ubiquitous fresh garlic. Many of these recipes on the web are also including onion powder as well! These powdered versions of garlic and onion ruin any recipe in my mind. Come on people. If you’re going to take the time to make a serious chilli masala, then let’s smash some garlic and chop some onions!
Tom, how do you suggest incorporating fresh garlic and fresh onion into a DRY powder?
Good for you Kimberly, I was thinking the same thing. Love this recipe, glad I found it.
I’m pretty sure Tom means to make this recipe without onion or garlic powder and then add add fresh onions and garlic directly into the food being prepared.
Orrrrrr……..do what we do and take Freeze Dried Garlic and Onion Flakes and grind up a batch of our own that will last a few weeks :-)
If he’s like me, I dry my own fresh garlic and onion if needing for a spice mix. I use a dehydrator. I also roast my peppers BEFORE drying. Doesn’t make sense to me to attempt to roast after they have been dried. Roasting to burn the skin slightly and then removing skin after is what gives that deep rich flavor. Do love the recipe other than that.
He’s clearly not like you, Cilenia, as his complaint is using “powdered versions of garlic and onion” and instead advocates fresh ingredients, “smash[ing] some garlic and chop[ping] some onions.” As already stated, you can’t incorporate wet ingredients into a dry chili powder blend. In any case, as for dehydrating your own garlic and onions and grinding them up, of course you’re more than welcome to do that and there is nothing in this recipe suggests otherwise.
I agree. I seed and core the dried peppers then simmer for 30 minutes in a little water. Puree the peppers and their liquid in a food processor. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Then add it to your recipe when appropriate.
The chili’s were from a local Mexican grocery store. They were soft and pliable. Not like some from the chain grocers where they are hard as rocks. It may be a combination. I suppose I could have cooled longer also. I am taking your advice and spread it out onto cookie sheet for a while. So excited about this recipe. Thank you
Right, soft and pliable is a good thing. Another thing you can do also is store it in the fridge for longer safe-keeping, or even freeze it and then get out what you need when you need it. But when I make it it’s also on the “soft” side (though I wouldn’t call it moist, but I know what you mean) and I’ve never had a problem with it going bad or moldy. Happy cooking with that chili powder! :)
After blending it seems, I guess kinda moist. Is that normal?? The taste is definitely there and I sure want this to turn out.
Hi DMW, were the dried peppers you used fully dry? Were they fully cooled when you ground them? If they were still warm that will trap moisture in. If you’re using “fresh” dried peppers the chili powder will be what you could describe as a little “soft” but not moist. If you’re not certain you can spread the chili powder out onto a lined cookie sheet and let it either air dry out a bit or put it in the oven on the lowest setting and check it frequently until it feels dry to you.
I seriously can’t wait to give this a try!
I love the idea of making spices from scratch! I can’t wait to try this chili powder!
This will be great to have on hand this week! My husband will go crazy over this chili powder recipe!
I had never even considered making chili powder from scratch! What a great idea. So much more flavor!
Thank you….Love this recipe! Looks yummy. Going to make this tomorrow…I am making chili for my husband.
Looks awesome! I love everything about this recipe, absolutely a must try!
I’ve been making my own chili powder for years and I’ve never tried it with allspice, definitely giving it a go on my next batch!
I will Definately be trying this! Thank you so much!