Homemade Chili Seasoning

Homemade Chili Seasoning is a staple in my spice cabinet! Made with a mixture of nine bold powders and dried herbs, this flavor packed seasoning is sure to make your mouth water. This easy to make spice blend is perfect for tossing not just into your favorite chili recipe, but all sorts of dishes!

Homemade Chili Seasoning

I don’t know about you, but it’s still pretty cold where I live… Which means we’re still in the deep of chili season! However, I should clarify that I believe all year is chili season. Cuddled up under a blanket during a snow storm? Time for chili! Gathered around a summertime campsite with friends and family? Grab a beer and enjoy some good old fashioned chili! With that in mind, I’ve found that the best way to enhance ALL of my chili recipes is to toss in some of this homemade chili seasoning spice blend.

What makes this spice blend so different than the store-bought stuff? Well, for starters, it’s not loaded with any artificial preservatives or fake flavors. When you make chili seasoning at home with just a few spices and herbs, you make the real deal, and you can definitely taste the difference! While there are some brands that charge a pretty penny for being all-natural, you can make your own homemade blend for a fraction of the price.

In fact, I bet you probably have everything you need to make this seasoning currently sitting on your spice rack. This flavorful mix consists of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, cayenne powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and ground pepper. When you simply mix all of those potent powders and herbs together, you get a perfectly flavored chili seasoning that doesn’t have half the junk or sodium as all of those store-bought packets do!

How to Make Chili Seasoning

If you’re used to buying store-bought seasoning blends, allow me to let you in on a little secret… You’ve seriously been wasting your money! Here’s how to make this incredibly simple seasoning mix. It’ll take you all of 1 minute!

1. Add. Add all ingredients to a bowl.
2. Whisk. Whisk to combine.
3. Enjoy! You can use your chili seasoning right away or store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.

See? I told you it was easy!

How To Use It

Some of my best recipes call for chili seasoning:

• Easy Chili Cheese Dip
• The Very Best Hot Dog Chili Recipe
• Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chili Recipe
• Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe
• Turkey Chili

How to Store Homemade Chili Seasoning

Once it’s placed in an airtight container, be sure to keep your homemade chili seasoning in a cool, dark place at room temperature. Properly stored, your seasoning blend will stay fresh for up to 3 months!

If you use a spoon to remove portions of the chili seasoning, make sure it’s very clean. If any new bacteria is introduced to the seasoning, it may spoil at a fast rate.

Ingredient Notes

• I don’t find this seasoning mix to be very spicy, but there is some cayenne powder in there that adds some great flavor. You can feel free to remove this ingredient entirely if you’re sensitive to spice, or double down on it if you really crave the heat.
• You can use plain paprika if you’d prefer, but I find that smoked paprika lends an incredible smokey flavor to the seasoning that’s subtle, yet delicious.
• Freshly ground black pepper will always yield the best flavor.
• If possible, use kosher or flaky sea salt instead of iodized. Iodized salt tends to be very potent and could take over the whole flavor palate.
• Even if you’re a huge garlic fanatic, try not to measure the garlic powder with your heart! Garlic powder is seriously powerful, and could easily become too pronounced if there’s too much in there. Half a teaspoon is perfect!

Keep your spice rack loaded with all of the best seasonings!

• Homemade Fajita Seasoning
• Homemade Cajun Seasoning
• Homemade Old Bay Seasoning
• Homemade Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

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