Homemade Chili Seasoning is made up of the perfect blend of cumin, paprika, 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
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!