Our homemade chili powder is so much better than anything from the store. We use real dried chile peppers and the perfect blend of spices to make the best chili powder we’ve used in our kitchen.
After finding so many of the store-bought options flavorless, we decided to learn how to make chili powder, and I am so happy that we did. The food coming out of our kitchen has never been better.
I use this homemade chili powder for many recipes on Inspired Taste, including our homemade beef chili, vegetarian chili, this easy enchilada sauce, and my favorite fajitas. I also use it as a base for this homemade taco seasoning.
Key Ingredients
Chiles: To make this truly the best homemade chili powder, we’ll start with whole dried chiles. You can buy them at larger supermarkets, Mexican markets, or online (they are inexpensive and last a while in your pantry). Plus, you can use leftover whole chiles to make our homemade enchilada sauce or this Texas red chili! I use three types of peppers in my blend, but you can always experiment with other chile peppers:
- Ancho chile peppers, which are mildly spiced but taste rich, sweet, and fruity.
- Guajillo peppers, which are more smoky and moderately hot.
- New Mexico chile peppers, which smell sweet, clean, and pack a little heat.
Spices: To round the flavor of our homemade blend, we stir in ground cumin, oregano, and garlic powder. Then, to add a bit more smokiness and color, I love adding smoked paprika.
How to Make Homemade Chili Powder
There are three simple steps for preparing the dried chiles for your chili powder.
Cut the stem and remove the seeds. The seeds can be bitter, so get rid of them. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the stem away and then shake or scrape the seeds from the inside of each pepper.
If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves to prevent the oils from getting on your hands. Also, be careful not to touch your eyes while working with peppers (ouch!)
Cut each cleaned pepper into small pieces, then add them to a dry skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant. This is my favorite part, the kitchen smells incredible!
Finally, grind them. Add the toasted chile peppers to your blender and blend until finely ground. Wait to open the lid, though. Let the dust settle for about a minute after blending. You don’t want a cloud of ground chiles in your face.
Now, it’s time to add spices to make the chili powder sing. We add garlic powder, ground cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. Add everything to a spice jar, shake it up, and store it in a dark pantry for up to six months.
You can play around with other spices if you like. Onion powder, a little heat from cayenne pepper, or sweet paprika are great options.
Seriously Good Chili Powder
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I’m obsessed with this homemade chili powder made by blending whole dried chiles. You can find dried chile peppers in most large supermarkets and any Latin market. We use three varieties: ancho chile peppers (sweet, fruity, and mild), New Mexico chile peppers (fresh, clean, and moderately hot), and Guajillo chile peppers (smoky and medium hot). You can swap or add other peppers based on what is available. We recommend including something sweet and fruity. They add complexity and flavor (in our case, the ancho pepper).
You Will Need
3 dried ancho chiles
3 dried Guajillo chiles
3 dried New Mexico chiles
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Directions
1Use kitchen scissors to cut the stem away and then shake or scrape the seeds inside each pepper. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves to prevent the oils from getting on your hands. Also, be careful not to touch your eyes during or after working with peppers.
2Cut each cleaned pepper into small pieces, then add them to a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast them, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
3Add the toasted chiles to a blender and blend until finely ground. Leave the lid in place until dust settles so you do not get a cloud of ground chile peppers in your face.
4Add ground chile peppers to a spice jar, then top with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and smoked paprika. Seal the jar and shake.
5Store the chili powder in a cool, dry place for 6 months.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Spicy chili powder: Use hot smoked paprika or add 1/2 teaspoon or more cayenne pepper or chipotle powder
- This recipe was inspired by Alton Brown.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I’m want to make your home chili powder so I can use it in all of my recipes and in your quick and easy enchilada sauce. I’m just concerned with the heat. Half of my family loves heat and the other half ( me and the grandchildren) need it to be on the milder side. Can you suggest the best way to reduce the heat…a milder combo.
Hi Tammy, While this blend is pretty mild already, you can just use dried ancho chiles (use more and leave the other varieties out) or use dried ancho chiles and dried Guajillo chiles. The New Mexico chilies bring more of the heat.
Many of your recipes mention oregano. I find that mexican oregano is more citrusy than the variety used in Italian dished. Can be found on-line if your grocery store don’t carry it.