Homemade Chili Seasoning is made up of the perfect blend of cumin and chili powder and will pack a whole lot of flavor into your chili recipes.
This chili spice blend is perfect in Instant Pot Chili, Slow Cooker Chili, and any of your favorite chili recipes.
Homemade Chili Seasoning
I was stunned to learn that many people use packets of chili seasonings in their chili recipes. There is absolutely NO need to purchase that chili seasoning packet. It is filled with all sorts of additives, preservatives, added sugar, and is really high in sodium.
Chili Seasoning can easily be made at home. In fact, I bet you have all the ingredients in your spice cabinet right now.
Chili Spices
- Cumin
- Chili Powder (ancho or regular)
- Cayenne Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Pepper
I am heavy on chili powder in my seasoning blend, but also like to add in a bit of cumin for a warming depth of flavor and a pinch of cayenne for heat. Just like any good chili recipe, this chili seasoning has onion and garlic powder to help build a solid base of flavor.
My recipe for Chili seasoning is pretty basic, but feel free to add in dried oregano for a peppery zing.
I like to make a large batch of this Chili powder, store in a glass jar, and use 2 tablespoons of the mixture each time I am making a batch of chili.
Important to note when making homemade chili seasoning: use fresh dried spices when making any homemade spice blend, for optimum flavor. If you spices have been sitting in your spice cabinet for over 6 months, it is time to toss them. If they are several years old, be prepared to be stunned with how much better your homemade meals taste with fresh spices.
Use Chili Seasoning in:
- Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- Lentil Chili
- Butternut Squash Chili
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili
- But don't just limit homemade chili mix to chili recipes, you can also use this blend on oven-baked potatoes for a spicy kick, grilled corn for a fun summer treat, and in burgers for added flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Combine spices until evenly mixed together.
- Store for up to 6 months in a sealed container in the pantry.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Nutrition
Rhiannon
I am making chili tonight and am using this recipe because of the reviews! The spices listed are the ones I would use anyway, but more structured. i also use diced tomatoes with chilies in my chili, gives it a bit of a kick. Cant wait to try this!
Cyndie
I'm never buying chili seasoning packets again. Absolutely yummy
Cat
I use a generous amount of onion and garlic in my chili should I omit the powders or lower the amount.
Kristen Chidsey
I personally would keep it the same. I use a whole onion and several cloves of garlic and still find this seasoning to work well.
Anna
We use the mild packet, usually. Would I just leave out the cayenne pepper to get a mix that isn’t spicy at all? (My kids won’t eat anything that might possibly burn their tongues.)
Kristen Chidsey
I would omit the cayenne in your case. I hope you enjoy!
Jackie
Perfect combinations of spices! Since we have little children in the family, I used Smoked Paprika instead of the Cayenne Pepper. I have not used the prepackaged seasoning, but I Love this. Now its a staple in my pantry.
Joe Ahearne
Happy New Year, Kristen!
I’m ready to make a pot of chili, but all of the grocery stores I use have been out of the McCormick hot chili seasoning packets for over a month now. Amazon and eBay have them for over $5/packet, which is nuts. Please let me know how you would adjust your chili seasoning recipe to add some heat, to get it closer to what I’m looking for.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Stay safe. Stay well.
Joe, in Fort Worth
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Joe!! I would suggest increasing the cayenne pepper by 1/2 teaspoon and if you have chipotle chili powder, add a teaspoon of that as well. I hope that helps. Take care!
Jennifer S Dunn
I use McCormick too and I thought this was a good basic recipe that I could adjust a little for our family's taste. We like more Chili powder so I just added more and it was perfect. I suggest making a pot of chili and add this recipe, taste it and adjust, making note of what you do so you can make a jar of it. Way cheaper and just as yummy!
John, in Indiana
I know Joe... what's up with the Covid run on Hot Chili seasonings! I find regular seasoning, sometimes one marked 'mild', but haven't seen 'hot' available much since Covid started. I'm making chili today, and will be spicing it up by adding a little 'chipotle', and a half teaspoon 'cayenne' to my chili packets. I always do a big pot, with 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef, and once the beef is browned I use 2 packets of seasoning (used to use 1 hot and one regular seasoning), and a can of diced tomatoes, and maybe a small can of tomato sauce. Cheers!
Diana Mesaros
Did you rename this from taco seasoning?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Diana! This Chili seasoning is a bit different than my recipe for taco seasoning.
Marco Piro
Hello Kristen,
I am eager to try to chili seasoning blend.
just a quick question, if I were to be making a large batch of chili, using your blend how much of the seasoning would i need to make for 100 people for a church gathering? thanks so much!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Marco. For 100 people to each have a full serving of chili, it would be about 15-20 pounds of ground beef needed (depending on how many beans you add, etc) For a pot-luck I would make 8-10 pounds myself. This Chili Seasoning is for 2 pounds of beef, so increase 5 times for 10 pounds of beef, 4 times for 8 pounds, etc (and you can use the slider bar to adjust the quantity) For 10 pounds of beef you would need: 5 Tbsp chili powder, 5 tsp cumin, 1.25 tsp cayenne pepper, 1.25 tsp garlic powder, 2.5 tsp onion powder, 5 tsp salt, 2.5 tsp pepper.
Hope that helps!
Donna
Perfect blend of spice for chili