I've been using this recipe for homemade chili seasoning for quite sometime now!
Be it my Slow Cooker Lentil Chili or my Vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili or my Crock Pot Black Bean and Quinoa Chili, I've always used my homemade Chili Seasoning for all of these recipes.
And, that's not it. Homemade Chili Seasoning is not limited to chili recipes. You can use it for your casseroles to zest things up or in your soups to bring a more depth of flavor.
Chili is popular during Super Bowl and Thanksgiving. But, in my home, people love chili all the time. There is nothing more comforting than a hearty bowl of homemade chili.
Therefore it is quite important for me to make homemade chili seasoning. As you can guess!
But, what I love about this chili seasoning is that I can use it for so many more recipes than just chili. Just a tad bit of chili seasoning and the recipe becomes so much more amazing.
Jump to:
- What is Homemade Chili Seasoning
- What is chili seasoning made of? - The Ingredients
- Instructions - How to Make Homemade Chili Seasoning
- What is the difference between Chili Powder and Chili Seasoning?
- Variations
- How to store Chili Seasoning?
- Tips for making your Chili Seasoning even better!
- Homemade Chili Seasoning
What is Homemade Chili Seasoning
As you can guess, Homemade Chili Seasoning is quite similar to store-bought chili seasoning packets that you get in the markets.
This recipe for chili seasoning will give you one 6 serving batch of chili. If you are using one pound ground beef or ground chicken or ground turkey then this chili seasoning would be sufficient for you.
Chili con Carne, or just simply chili as most people call it, is not a dish that goes light in terms of spices.
A typical chili contains a ton of ground meat that requires quite a bit of spice to bring out all the best flavors you can ask for.
A chili seasoning does exactly that, with spices like cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. You can adjust the ingredients of the mix as per your liking, but we suggest you keep it hot.
What is chili seasoning made of? - The Ingredients
- Chili powder
- Ground Cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions - How to Make Homemade Chili Seasoning
Making a chili can require a little effort, but making its seasoning requires absolutely no effort or time!
Just five minutes and that's it, your chili seasoning will be ready to use. You also don't need special kitchen equipment like a spice grinder or a blender to make this seasoning. Just follow these simple steps down below and you'll get it right just on your first try!
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well until combined. Store it in a cool and dry place. Keep it away from moisture and direct sunlight for extra-long shelf life.
What is the difference between Chili Powder and Chili Seasoning?
Chili Powder is something totally different from chili seasoning. Regular Chili Powder is made from ground dried red chilies and other chilies like Ancho chilies, New Mexico Chilies, Cascabel Chilies, along with some other spices like ground cumin, dried oregano, and paprika.
On the Other hand, Chili Seasoning is a composition of regular chili powder, Ground cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt, and ground Black pepper.
Variations
Give your homemade chili seasoning a quick variation and make it taste best for your taste buds.
- Smoky - add smoked paprika along with chili powder and cayenne pepper for a spicy and smoky taste.
- Cocoa Powder - I'm sure you've heard it often that a touch of (1 teaspoon) of Cocoa Powder makes your chili taste better. Well, that is so true. 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder will add a layer of depth to your beans.
- Ground Coriander - to add another layer of goodness to your chili seasoning you can add some ground coriander as well.
- Red Pepper Flakes - If you want more heat in your chili, just add in a teaspoon of ground red pepper flakes.
How to store Chili Seasoning?
While storing a chili con carne might pose a challenge, storing its seasoning will give you little to no difficulty, You have to keep it safe just like any other seasoning.
Do it right and you will be able to preserve your homemade chili seasoning for as long as six months! All you need to do is follow the super simple steps down below!
- The first important tip is to choose the perfect and safest storage container for your chili seasoning! An airtight glass jar or bottle should be your go-to choice, as it will keep your seasoning away from things like moisture and air that can make it go bad faster.
- When it comes to choosing the best place for keeping your bottle of chili seasoning, you should select somewhere that is cool and dark. This will keep your seasoning protected from heat and light. A place like your kitchen cabinet or shelf would be a perfect choice!
- Make sure you check in on your chili seasoning once in a while. If you notice its color and smell fading away then immediately replace it with a new batch of chili seasoning.
Tips for making your Chili Seasoning even better!
- You can always adjust the measurements of the ingredients to your taste preferences. Don’t like too much spice? Then just tone down the cayenne pepper to a minimum. Or maybe you like to keep things hot? Then up the amount of cayenne pepper in your chili seasoning!
- You can make your own variations to the chili seasoning. Try out adding dried herbs like oregano and thyme or adding some Mexican chili powder to your seasoning for some fun variations!
- Keep your chili seasoning in a cool and dry place inside an airtight bottled jar to preserve it for a long duration. You can even keep your chili seasoning fresh for up to six months this way!
- Use kosher salt for your chili seasoning. It is easier to pinch and sprinkle it, making sure that you will never get its measurement wrong.
Is this chili seasoning vegan and gluten-free?
Yes, this chili seasoning is completely vegan and gluten-free! It does not contain any animal or wheat products in all its ingredients. Vegans can in fact go ahead and use this seasoning for their own version of chili, or for really any other vegan seasoning! This chili seasoning is just that versatile!
My chili taste bland. How to solve this?
This can be due to your chili not having a good ratio of seasoning compared to the ground meat in it. Just up the amount of your seasoning to balance it out, and slow cook your chili for a few hours to bring out all the hidden flavor of the meat together with the added spices.
Homemade Chili Seasoning
INGREDIENTS
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or as per taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or as per taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Keep it away from direct sunlight and moisture. Store it in a cool and dry place. You will be able to store it for at least six months.
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