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If there's one recipe I've leaned on for years, it's this Homemade Chili Seasoning. Made with a simple blend of pantry spices, this chili seasoning transforms an ordinary pot of chili into something award-winning--without the excess sodium, preservatives, or mystery ingredients found in store-bought packets!
If you want a standout chili recipe, start with this spice blend. Several readers have even shared that this blend has helped them win chili cook-offs. Yes, it's that good!
Why Make Your Own Chili Seasoning?
- Customizable. Adjust the salt, heat, and spice level to suit your family.
- Budget-friendly. Costs just pennies compared to store-bought packets.
- Cleaner ingredients. No preservatives or additives--just simple spices that deliver the ultimate flavor. Just like my taco seasoning and Cajun seasoning.
- Versatility. Perfect for chili, but also amazing on roasted red potatoes, Instant Pot corn on the cob, or homemade burgers.
5-Star Reader Review
I have made MANY different chili seasonings over the 18 yrs of making chili for my husband. This is far and away his favorite. He said the flavor was so good he didn't want to "ruin" it with toppings. Thank you, this is going in my cookbook. --Larkin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spices in Chili Seasoning
With hundreds of 5-star reviews, this chili seasoning is already perfect in terms of flavor. That said, I have provided optional additions and modifications to make this blend work for you.
- Chili Powder: Classic chili powder is actually a mix of cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and ground chiles. Ancho chili powder (made from poblano peppers) will lend more flavor and heat to the seasoning. Either work in this recipe.
- Cumin: Adds a warm, earthy, and slightly bitter taste with hints of citrus, giving the chili spice blend depth.
- Cayenne Pepper: Adds a small kick of heat without overpowering the chili; adjust to taste.
- Garlic + Onion Powder: Both classic additions that round out this chili blend.
- Salt: I recommend kosher salt as it has less sodium content per teaspoon than iodized table salt; adjust as needed.
- Black Pepper: Adds subtle heat and earthy notes.
Optional Additions
- Dried Oregano: Add up to ½ teaspoon for a peppery, zesty flavor.
- Cocoa Powder: Use up to 1 tablespoon of plain cocoa powder for a rich, earthy undertone without tasting like chocolate.
- Smoked Paprika: Add 1-2 teaspoons for a smoky undertone.
- Masa Harina: To thicken and add a sweet, earthy corn flavor to the chili, mix 1-2 tablespoons of masa harina with ¼ cup of water. Stir into the chili during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
Kristen's Key Tip
For best flavor, use dried spices that are less than 6 months old. You'll be amazed at how much fresher your chili tastes with "fresh" dried spices.
How to Make & Store Chili Seasoning
Making homemade chili seasoning is as easy as mixing the dried spices together. But I have a few tips you may find helpful.
- Combine. Measure out the individual ingredients and combine. I often just dump the ingredients into a mason jar and give everything a good shake to combine. Then I can store what I don't use right inside the jar.
- Use or Store. If you aren't planning to use the chili seasoning immediately, transfer it to an airtight jar or container (use a small funnel or paper-towel funnel as shown in the video if needed) and store in the pantry or spice cabinet for up to 6 months.
How to Use Chili Seasoning
- Replace a Packet: As written, this chili seasoning recipe replaces a 1.25-ounce package of store-bought seasoning.
- Make Chili: Use 1 recipe per 2 pounds of meat. I find it is best to add chili seasoning along with the liquid of tomatoes and liquid to let the flavor develop.
- Beyond Chili: Chili seasoning is good for more than just chili! Stir into queso, hummus, or sour cream for a quick dip with incredible flavor, or use to season chicken, pork, fish, or potatoes. The options are as endless as your imagination.
Make a Big Batch
If your family loves chili as much as mine, I STRONGLY encourage you to make a big batch so it is ready anytime.
- ½ cup chili powder
- 2 ½ tablespoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons black pepper
Store in an airtight jar in your pantry for up to 6 months. Use 2 tablespoons per batch of chili or recipe calling for a 1.25-ounce packet of chili seasoning.
So there you have it, my famous chili seasoning. So easy, so versatile! Once you try this homemade chili seasoning, you'll never go back. xo-Kristen
Recipes Featuring Chili Seasoning
I have used this chili seasoning for decades to flavor endless dishes, but below are my favorite chili recipes starring this delicious chili spice blend.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Homemade Chili Seasoning
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, see notes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar, combine 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin. 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper together until well distributed.
- Use immediately to replace 1 packet of chili seasoning, or store in an airtight container for up to 6 months in a cool, dark cabinet.
Equipment
- mason jar perfect for larger batch
Notes
- ½ cup chili powder
- 2 ½ tablespoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons pepper
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2025. Below is the original photo for fun.
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.)
I would omit the cayenne in your case. I hope you enjoy!
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.
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
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!
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!
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!
Did you rename this from taco seasoning?
Hi Diana! This Chili seasoning is a bit different than my recipe for taco seasoning.
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!
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!
Perfect blend of spice for chili
Kristen,
First of all, let me say that after going to two different stores no one had the French's Chili-O mix that I normally use.
At that point I did what everybody else does this day and age and Googled what was in Chil-O mix; which led me to your site.
So after going to two stores (due to this crazy day in age where something new is out every week) and searching both stores for
Regular Chili Powder and Cumin (which I finally found), I had to locate Cayenne Pepper, which was also non-existent.
So I ended up buying Chipotle Pepper which did the job. I knew I had all the other ingredients at home so I left the store frustrated but hopeful that your recipe was going to do the trick.
I have a confession...the only thing I added to your recipe was Smoked Paprika which is something I also add when I used Chili-O packets as well.
By the way, I doubled this recipe because I use 4 lb of meat.
My Chili turned out great! My wife and my son both said it tasted different from what I usually make, but it was very good. So them are they sure... Their response was, "We ate two bowls! Eating speaks louder than words!" My wife commented that it was not as salty as when I use the Chil-O packets. I even tasted as I went, and I added a little bit more salt because I used kosher salt. This is a definite plus!
I had taken several pictures because I always jar and seal the leftover chili. I wish I could post the pics, but this site doesn't allow me to.
Anyway, I just want to say Thank You! Have a Blessed Day!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey L. Almond
Hi Jeffrey! Thank you so much for sharing your review of the chili mix. It makes my heart so warm to hear how much your family enjoyed. (I wish I could see the pictures as well--feel free to post on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @amindfullmom if you use those platforms. And glad to hear you made due--I have been doing the same here. We just are grateful to have food 🙂 Take Care!
WOW! This is great! My go-to gluten free chili mix cannot be found. I needed something and had to make it. This blend is perfect! Not quite mild but not medium either. It may be all I use in the future. THANK YOU!
I am so glad you enjoy this so much!