If you have never had real, homemade chili powder from scratch you haven’t had chili powder. I am not talking about buying tired herb powders at the grocery store, either. I am talking about toasting a mixture of dried chiles and whole spices, then grinding them into a vibrant mixture that is so good you almost want to eat it with a spoon. I literally have mixed this with butter and spread on bread. 
Well, bless your heart, don’t do it. Real chili powder, like what you are going to make from now on, is smoky, spicy, and layered with flavor from the use of several types of dried chiles.
Here is what I use and why. Once you get some experience you can experiment with other combinations.
- Cascabel – Doesn’t add much heat but the cascabel pepper has a smoky, nutty flavor that adds depth to the chili powder.
- Habenero – Hot Damn! The habenero peppers are in here for the heat but they also add a fresh, citrus flavor.
- Guajillo – Alton Brown described it best when he called it a spicy raisin. Guajillo chiles are not very hot but they have a green tea and berry flavor that adds a uniquely sweet flavor to the chili powder.
- Chipotle – Chipotles are rich, fruity, and smoky. They are (obviously) my favorite because they add a seductive, sexy flavor to all kinds of foods and the heat doesn’t smack you in the face. It twines around you seductively, warming and gentle until it gets comfortable and then it opens up with a fiery kiss you’ll remember forever
- Ancho – Sweet, smoky goodness with a kick of heat, ancho peppers are the dried form of Poblanos. These may or may not be in my chili powder, depending on my mood.
I don’t always use the same peppers in the same ratios when I make my homemade chili powder seasoning – it kind of depends on the flavor I want. This is my foundation chili recipe and it’s what I use most often. If you want your chili powder to be a little hotter leave some of the seeds in when you grind it, otherwise save the seeds to be used in anything you’d use crushed red pepper in.
- Choose dried peppers that are glossy and still pliable. If they are too dried out they won’t have any flavor.
- Always keep them in an airtight container and they’ll keep for a long time. I buy crazy huge amounts of them.
- Keep it in a cool dry place. I like to keep it in canning jars because I think that the glass keeps it fresh.
- If you are looking for a really neat homemade gift try a jar of this with a little raffia bow on it. Get ready, because once you start using this people are going to be asking how you make your chili.
- You are instructed to toast the chiles and cumin seed. If I am doing several chiles, like in this recipe, I’ll use the oven and watch them carefully. If I am doing just one or two I will use a heavy, cast-iron round griddle, also called a comal.
- You’ll need it to toast the cumin seeds, too. The toasting is an important part of getting the full flavor of the ingredients. Look, once you try this homemade chili powder you won’t be buying it again. You’re welcome.
YOU MAY NEED…
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What’s new? A brand new store full of things to help you make the recipes, celebrate the days, and create the memories! Check out Restless Chipotle & Co. As always, thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!
If you have trouble finding the chiles you can get them on Amazon. If you can’t find one kind just substitute with another type of dried chile. 🙂 Here are the guijillo chiles and you’ll find many more types as well.
Homemade Chili Powder from Scratch
Ingredients
- 2 cascabel peppers
- 2 habenero peppers
- 3 guajillo peppers
- 3 chipotle peppers
- 1 ancho pepper
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregeno
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cinnamon
- Pinch of white stevia powder, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place all of the peppers in a single layer on a heavy baking sheet.
- Bake for 5 minutes, or until you can smell the chiles and they are hot when you touch them. Don't over-bake them.
- Let the chiles cool and remove the seeds.
- Save the seeds for seasoning other things.
- Toast the cumin seed in a heavy skillet or on a comal. Let the skillet get hot.
- Add the cumin seed and heat for up to a minute, stirring constantly.
- The cumin should change color but don't let it burn.
- Add the cooled chiles and cumin seed to a blender.
- Blend on high until the ingredients are powdered.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend.
- Store tightly covered in a cool,dark pantry.
Notes
If you liked Homemade Chili Powder from Scratch you may also like…
Cuban Picadillo Restless Chipotle
Cocoa Cardamom Steak Rub Restless Chipotle
Included in Meal Plan Monday #77 from SOuthern Bite
Let's Keep in Touch!
Cinnamon? What does it do?
tastes good?
Hi, can you give some suggestions on where I might get the different chilies online? I live in NW Montana and good luck with chilies or sushi!
Trina – I’ve added a link in the post to some of them… I often buy mine on Amazon and it’s a great place to get them.
I only make from-scratch chili powder so this recipe intrigues me. I know what you are saying: it’s never the same quantities, one plays around. The majority of the chili powder world is centered around ancho/guajillo and the rest is up to you…
For the heat I’ve always been content with arbol and puya chilies. They never come smoked.
What you are proposing is getting smoked jalapenos (chipotle) and smoked habaneros (I’ve never seen dried habs unsmoked). I’ve used them.
Let me get to the point. You’re a Texan, I’m an AZ person. We both grew up with spicy food. I love the heat, but on a 1-10 scale, a 6-7 is my preference. If there is such a thing as a 1-10 scale.
The smoked jalapenos/habaneros seem like they would automatically make this top out at the 10 scale. Especially since they out-number the gaujillo-ancho base. The cascabels are a nice touch. Are the remaining ingredients going to tamp down the heat?
Or am I over-thinking? I know “hot” is subjective, but interested in your take on the heat level here. Thanks for any time given to me,
You’d probably want to adjust the number of habaneros down a notch. I’d say this was a 7 or 8… to my taste.
Thank you. Came out great and used it for a nice spicy steak and bean chili.
Awesome! That’s great to hear!
Hi Marye,
Thanks for this chili powder recipe. It smells divine! I had a look at the Taco Seasoning recipe via the link below the Chili Powder recipe. Onion powder appears to be the only ingredient that isn’t already in the chili powder. I’m wondering if the taco seasoning tastes much different than the chili powder? Otherwise it makes sense to me to use this wonderful homemade chili podwer as taco seasoning as well.
Thanks again!
Susan
Hi Susan – the taco seasoning isn’t my recipe (I need to post mine!) so I don’t know if it would work or not. My taco seasoning is a bit different.
Does everything you make in your blender afterward taste spicy? I’m hesistant to do this to my vitamix, but this is too big to do in my coffee/spice grinder. Thanks Marye! Sounds terrific!!!
I haven’t noticed but I always run hot water and a little dish soap through it after I’ve used it for anything
This is absolutely beautiful. It has ruined any other chili powder for me…. 🙁
🙂 I know. It really does.
I am a huge fan of Chipotle Chili powder. It’s flavor is suductive. Thank you for the homemade version. I know it will add another layer of wow to my recipes.
Thanks Mimi – I love it!
I have smoke, dried, and ground my peppers. Do you have an estimate of the volume of the peppers to add with the other seasonings?
you add all of the ground peppers to the other seasonings… or adjust to your own taste.
This chili powder sounds incredible — YUM! I love that you start with whole chiles.
Thanks! It makes such a difference in the flavor. 🙂
This would make a great holiday gift wrapped up in a cute jar with ribbon!
It totally does. 😉
Oh my, this looks to die for. I watched a Rick Bayless video on You Tube where he makes his own powder which prompted me to search for more information. I’ll be making this and messing with different combinations of dried chilies. Your descriptions are “alluring and sexy”. Living in CA, Mexican food is commonplace and delicious. Thank you so much.
In fact, all your concoctions look marvelous which is why I’ll be growing and drying my own peppers next summer. Have a great Holiday Season.
Thank you so much!
This is incredible, thanks so much. I just made my first batch ever, and the first thought that came to my head was ‘oh my god, this is what chili powder is supposed to be.’
Now, the real question is: how about a chili recipe to go with it? 🙂
I actually have two… here’s the more popular one… https://www.restlesschipotle.com/2015/02/slow-cooker-white-chili/
You call for roasted cinnamon in this recipe…is that something you can buy or do you just toast ground cinnamon in a dry skillet?
I buy mine already roasted. 🙂
Thank you!
🙂 anytime. If you follow on the facebook page I am usually able to answer more quickly.https://www.facebook.com/RestlessChipotle
Probably a silly question, but is it a 1:1 substitution for “storebought” chili powder for a chili recipe? (i.e., if the recipe calls for 1/4 cup per 2 lbs meat of storebought, you would use 1/4 cup of your recipe for chili spice?) thanks! I just got hold of the dried peppers and will be trying to make up my own batch.
Yes it is. 🙂
Hi! I will definitely try your mixture once i got hold of different varieties of dried chilis.
I got a question though, I dried 10 kilos of chilis under the sun for 3 days before then ground them. I placed the powder in several plastic containers and started using them. Then after a few months the color of the chili powder started fading until they all turned whitish and taste bad so i threw all of them in the trash including the unopened ones. Could it be because I did not roast them first?
Also, do you remove the stems? I’m thinking of drying 5 kilos of chilis next month so I’m not sure whether i should remove the stems or not or will it have an effect on the taste and hotness.
Thank you for this mixture.
It sounds like your powder turned to mold because the chiles weren’t dried enough. I leave the stems on and take them off just before I use them but do be sure that your chiles are thoroughly dry before storing.
You can get the same results with your own fresh chili’s. I grow a lot of my own, use my dehydraor then you can roast them. Still I do have to buy a number of the dried ones since some just won’t grow where I live in Central Florida.
Here I grow and dehydrate: Habanero, Cayenne, Serrano, Tabasco, Ancho, Poblano, Scorpions & Jolokia’s. These grown fresh & dehydrated then roasted are awesome. Combine them with the other dried chili’s you can find in the specialty markets & you can make an infinite number of spice combinations. I’ve recently been roasting, then smoking garlic & dehydrating. Makes a terrific addition to your chili powder blend!!
Allons Manger
Yes, I’ve done that too. 🙂
in your instructions, are you saying bake already dried chiles for 5 minutes? or can you buy fresh chiles and bake them for 5 minutes and that is sufficient? also, where do you purchase your chiles? thank you!
Yes, you bake (or fry on a heavy, dry super hot griddle) dried chiles. It brings out the flavor. You are actually roasting. You cannot get the same results with fresh chiles.
I usually make my own chili powder also, but have never used whole chilis to do it! This looks and sounds awesome!
You have to try this..then experiment with different chiles… so amazing!
Oh, this is the real deal! Love the peppers you used, and thank you for describing each flavor.
You can adjust it with different peppers – that’s one of the things I like best about grinding my own chiles
I really need to make some of this myself… I love how this looks… and so much better than premade, I’m sure! Thanks Marye <3
Using dried chiles makes a huge difference!