Chili Seasoning Recipe

Homemade Chili Seasoning is the secret to creating the ultimate homemade chili! Made with the perfect blend of dried spices, this chili seasoning blend adds ultimate flavor without excess sodium or preservatives found in store-bought blends.

This recipe for chili seasoning is suited to chili of all kinds. From Instant Pot Chili to Slow Cooker Beef & Bean Chili to Lentil Chili to Butternut Squash Chili, this seasoning blend makes an award-winning pot of chili.

Why Homemade Chili Seasoning?

When it comes to spice blends, like Taco Seasoning, Cajun Seasoning, and Chili Seasoning, homemade is the way to go!

Chili Seasoning, like my other recipes for spice blends, can easily be made at home for pennies.

Not only is homemade chili seasoning a money saver, but YOU control the quality of ingredients, added sodium, and the level of spice.

And the flavor? This chili seasoning blend tastes a million times better than those store-bought packets. In fact, several readers have shared this seasoning blend has won them chili cook-off competitions. It is that good!

Not to mention, you leave the preservatives and additives that are found in store-bought seasoning packets on the shelf!

Instead of relying on store-bought packets of chili seasonings to create a delicious pot of chili, make this chili seasoning blend and be prepared to lick your bowl clean.

Spices in Chili Seasoning

My recipe for chili seasoning is pretty basic and I am willing to bet you have most of the spices on hand to whip it up right now.

This seasoning blend is heavy on the chili powder and rounded out with cumin for a warming depth of flavor and a pinch of cayenne for heat. I add in onion and garlic powder to help build a solid base of flavor, as garlic and onions are a must in a good chili.

• Chili Powder: Chili powder is made up of cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and ground chiles. Ancho chile powder is made from ground poblano peppers. Either will work in this recipe, but keep in mind the ancho chile powder will give the chili a bit more kick. in terms of both flavor and heat.
• Cumin
• Cayenne Pepper: Just a tiny bit to add a level of heat and wake up your palate, but it does not overwhelm the chili with heat. Adjust or omit depending on your preference
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Salt: I prefer using kosher salt as it has less sodium content per teaspoon than iodized table salt. You can also adjust the level of added salt as needed per your dietary restrictions.
• Pepper

Important Tip: For the optimum flavor, use dried spices less than 6 months old when making any homemade spice blend, as spices lose their flavor the longer they sit in your spice cabinet. You may be stunned by how much better your homemade meals taste using "fresh" dried spices.

Optional Spices for Chili Seasoning

As I stated, my chili blend is really quite basic, yet I find it to be just perfect in terms of flavor. That said, you may want to add the following ingredients to customize this seasoning for chili to suit your own taste. That is another benefit of using a homemade chili seasoning blend!

• Dried Oregano: Add up to ½ teaspoon of dried oregano for a peppery zing.
• Cocoa Powder: For a rich undertone, add up to 1 tablespoon of plain cocoa powder, not hot cocoa powder. The cocoa won't give your chili recipe a chocolate flavor, just a nice mellow, rich, earthy undertone.
• Paprika: Chili powder itself has added paprika, so I don't find it necessary to add it to my chili blend. However, using smoked paprika does add a nice smokey undertone to your chili. Add up to 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to this spice blend.
• Masa Harina: to thicken your chili and add a bit of sweet, earthy corn flavor, stirring in a masa harina slurry towards the end of cooking your chili is a great option. So this is not something you want to add to your chili spice blend but add it towards the end of cooking to add flavor. Simply combine 1 to 2 tablespoons of the masa harina with ¼ cup of water until smooth. Whisk into your prepared chili and simmer for 5-10 minutes before serving.

How to Make Chili Seasoning

Making this chili seasoning blend is as easy as mixing the ingredients together until everything is well combined.

Instructions for Large Batch

As written, this recipe makes the equivalent of one chili seasoning packet for one batch of chili. I recommend making a large batch to keep on hand to use whenever you are craving chili.

To make a large batch of chili seasoning, or the equivalent of 8 packets, mix the following ingredients together:

• ½ cup chili powder
• 2-½ tablespoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 4 teaspoons onion powder
• 2-½ tablespoons salt
• 4 teaspoons pepper

Store this mixture in a pint-sized glass jar for up to 6 months in the pantry or spice jar. When ready to make chili, use 2 tablespoons of this chili seasoning blend for every batch of chili.

Storage

Be sure to store homemade chili seasoning in an airtight jar or container, like a ball jar or small spice jar, so that it will not absorb flavors from other spices in your spice cabinet.

This chili seasoning will last for up to 6 months when stored in an airtight container in the pantry. While certainly safe to consume after 6 months, the flavor will begin to lose potency.

How to Use Chili Seasoning

Use this chili seasoning blend just as you would any packet of chili seasoning. One recipe is just the right amount to add for 1 standard recipe for chili, or chili recipes calling for 2 pounds of meat.

I love using this chili spice blend in the following chili recipes:

• 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 burgers for added flavor.

If you tried this recipe for homemade chili seasoning, please leave a comment and review below.

This post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2023.