Easy Chili Powder Recipe

Make this easy chili powder recipe with just 5 ingredients you probably already have in your spice rack! It's a quick homemade spice mix with all the chili flavor and none of the additives included in pre-packaged spice mixes.

This DIY chili powder is smoky, with just a touch of heat---the perfect spice blend for crockpot chili, chili roasted chicken, or any Tex-Mex dish. You can make it with ingredients you keep in the pantry, so it's easy to mix up another batch any time you need it.

My family loves this chili powder blend so much it has become our "house" seasoning. I use it as a substitute for taco seasoning or fajita seasoning. And I even use it as the base for my favorite dry rub since I always have a jar in the pantry ready to go.

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Chili Powder Recipe Ingredients

The great thing about homemade spice mixes is that you can control the quality of the ingredients and the flavor of the spice blend.

I love smoked paprika---so I use both sweet and hot smoked paprika to give the chili powder a nice balance. (Note, sweet smoked paprika is not actually sweet, it's just made from peppers that are not hot.)

Of course, if you don't have smoked paprika, you can substitute regular paprika for the sweet smoked paprika and cayenne pepper for the hot smoked paprika. But you won't get the smoky flavor you get from the smoked versions. I really recommend trying the sweet and spicy smoked paprika in this chili mix!

The classic chili flavor is finished off with cumin, garlic, and oregano. Just five simple ingredients make a perfect chili powder.

How to make chili powder

Making your own chili powder couldn't be easier. Just measure the spices, whisk them together, and store in a glass jar. Once you start making your own, you'll wonder why you ever bought pre-packaged spice mixes.

And making your own spice blend is the best way to avoid the additives, anti-caking agents, and MSG that many of the pre-made spice mixes include. I don't know about you, but I'd rather make it myself.

So try making your own chili powder blend. It's a great seasoning mix to keep in your spice cabinet. You'll be surprised at how many recipes you can use it in.

More DIY spice mixes to try

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

Homemade Herbes de Provence

What's your favorite spice blend? Let me know in the comments below!