Homemade Chili Seasoning

by Beth Moncel
4.78 from 101 votes
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I made a pot of my basic chili a few weeks ago, which uses my homemade chili seasoning, so I wanted to post the homemade chili seasoning blend by itself to highlight the fact that it can be used for so much more than just chili.

How to Make Homemade Chili Seasoning

A bowl of homemade chili seasoning being stirred together on a wooden background.

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How to Use Homemade Chili Seasoning:

This homemade chili seasoning is equivalent to one store bought chili seasoning packet. This homemade chili seasoning will be enough to season one 6 serving batch of chili, or a batch of chili that uses one pound of ground beef or ground turkey.

Brown the ground beef or ground turkey first, drain the excess fat if needed, then add the homemade chili seasoning. Continue to sauté the seasoning with the beef for about a minute more, which will toast the spices and make them a bit more pronounced. Continue making your chili by adding diced tomatoes, beans, or whatever else you prefer (see my Easy Chili Recipe).

In addition to making a big pot of warm and comforting homemade chili, you can add this chili seasoning to vegetables, meat, or fish before roasting or grilling (check out my Chili Roasted Potatoes), or even sprinkle a little into your mac and cheese. I mean, what can’t you do with chili seasoning?!

 
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Homemade Chili Seasoning

4.78 from 101 votes
This simple homemade chili seasoning is made with a few basic pantry staple spices and can be used for so much more than a pot of traditional chili! 
This simple homemade chili seasoning is made with a few basic pantry staple spices and can be used for so much more than a pot of traditional chili! Budgetbytes.com
Servings 1 recipe
Prep 5 minutes
Total 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp approximately freshly ground pepper
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Instructions 

  • Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Store in an air-tight container, away from heat and moisture for up to six months.

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Notes

Makes enough for one pot of chili (about 6 servings).
If the chili powder you are using is spicy, you can reduce or eliminate the cayenne pepper from this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 18.1kcalCarbohydrates: 2.9gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.1gSodium: 2841.5mgFiber: 0.4g
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What is “chili powder”?

Chili powder is a blend of spices used to season chili, which is commonly sold pre-mixed in the United States. So, in effect, you could use just that alone to season your pot of chili, but my homemade chili seasoning takes it up a few notches.

Chili powder can vary in heat from brand to brand, so make sure to give yours a taste before making your chili. If the chili powder you are using is spicy, you can reduce or eliminate the cayenne pepper from this recipe.

Bottle of chili powder being hand held.

The chili powder pictured above (Kroger brand) is spicy, as the label indicates, but not every brand is nice enough to let you know ahead of time if their blend is spicy. If you’re looking for a mild, not-spicy blend, check out McCormick’s chili powder. They also make a “hot Mexican” chili powder, which is quite spicy.

Can You Use Taco Seasoning for Chili?

They’re quite similar, but not exactly the same. For my Homemade Taco Seasoning, I use a slightly smokier blend of spices and add a little oregano. I do think you could use them interchangeably in a pinch, if needed, but prefer this slightly more simple blend for chili.

The spices needed for homemade chili seasoning in a wooden bowl before being stirred together.

What is the Best Secret Ingredient for Chili?

The answer to this is subjective, of course, but in addition to your basic homemade chili seasoning you can add some fun “secret ingredients’ to your chili. Here are some fun secret ingredients for chili: 

  • Cocoa powder or dark chocolate, which gives an earthy flavor
  • Beer: light Mexican or dark beer, like Guinness 
  • Brown sugar or molasses (sweet makes a great contrast to spicy!)
  • Cinnamon, goes nicely with savory flavors as well as sweet!
  • Red wine (for beef chili)
  • Coffee or espresso (similar to cocoa, this provides a deep earthiness)

What are your favorite chili seasonings? Share in the comments below!

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  1. Excellent. Just the right ratio of spices. My chili was a hit! I will make a batch to have on hand.

  2. If I make this in bulk do you know what measurements would be needed to add to a pot?

  3. Making chili and realized I didn’t have any chili seasoning. This was the first recipe that came up. Oh my gosh, this is the best ever! Never buying chili seasoning again. Thanks so much for the recipe.

  4. I was making chili and ran out of the bought seasoning mix and didn’t want to go to the store so I went online and found this. Hands down this is waaaaay better than what I usually make. Thank you so much for posting it. It will be my go to for chili mix from now on.

  5. Made this again tonight. Such a good and reliable recipe. And easy to make with regular pantry staples.

  6. How do you get 2.9 carbs? That’s incorrect or did you sneak in something else ?

    1. It comes from the chili powder! If you look it up, store bought chili powder has more carbs that you’d think. I believe it’s from the the fiber in the chili peppers.

  7. 2841 mg sodium per serving. How did you get that Extremely High Number with your list of ingredients ? It’s pretty much impossible to do ?

    1. That translates to roughly 1tsp of salt, which the recipe calls for…Great recipe btw :-)

  8. Used this recipe because I forgot to by the packet of chili mix. Never again will I buy the store brand packets at $1.99 this was way better. Use 1/2 the recipe for 1lb ground turkey chili and saved the rest for next time. The money wasted when all of the spices were in my cabinet.

  9. Needed a chili packet – turns out we didn’t have one in the pantry – but this recipe saved the day! As I sat down to add it to my collection I thought I’d take a minute first to say thanks for sharing. It will be our go-to from now on!

  10. I also suggest 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (especially if you want to take the cayenne out). Love the chili I can make this with one.

  11. Love this!! Will never buy the packet again. I get SO many compliments on my chili!!

  12. This is so good! I used it in place of a chili packet for a vegetarian chili. The chili tastes so much better using this blend! Thank you!

  13. Love this recipe… thank you! love that it is also Gluten free, So many store bought packets are not. My kids say this is so much better than the packets we used to buy. I always add cinnamon to my chili and this is the perfect blend of spices with it.

  14. I don’t have any chili powder, which is why I looked up how to make it homemade 🤔

    1. Hi Paula, this is a recipe for a chili seasoning blend, not chili powder. I hope you found what you were looking for!

  15. This is great! I did add a pinch of red pepper flakes as we like it a little hot. I’ll never buy the packets again. Thank you!

  16. Loved this recipe. I used dark chili powder, and I did add smoked paprika and chipotle powder.
    I always add beer, cocoa, and a bit of peanut butter to my chili with beans.
    I may add some instant espresso next time.

  17. I went to the cupboard to get my
    McCormicks. But to my wondering eye I had none. Didn’t feel like going out so I called in Google. And the recipe was the first up I have to say I may never buy store bought again

  18. Followed it exactly and it was perfect! Doesn’t need paprika because it has the Cayenne. I would say if you don’t like as much spice you could substitute the Cayenne with paprika. But seriously try it exactly as described first because this is a great alternative to getting those chili seasoning packets that have unnatural ingredients.

  19. This recipe is missing paprika (I prefer smoked), and coriander (ground or whole seeds). Optional, cornstarch or arrowroot if you need a thickener.

  20. Not a helpful recipe at all, for me. I am looking for something that uses the spices I have on hand, not one where I have to go out and buy something called “chili powder” which I have no control over.

    1. The base of chili seasoning is chili powder. It’s not the authors fault you don’t have this basic and crucial ingredient.

  21. Made this to go with our IP chilli. I usually guess and add dash of this and that. Trying it without being added to the chili is amazing. It has a nice warmth to it with a slow heat to warm the palate.

  22. I’m making chili today using a recipe that just calls for chili powder and I wanted to kick it up a notch but wasn’t sure what other spices to use and the ratios. This really helped me to make a quick spice mix that will add more flavor. Thanks for the recipe.

  23. You say: If the chili powder you are using is spicy, you can reduce or eliminate the cayenne pepper from this recipe.

    There is no cayenne mentioned in the recipe.

    1. It’s not cayenne, it’s “chili powder” which is a common spice blend in the U.S. Depending on the brand, some are mild and some are spicy.

    2. The cayenne pepper she is referencing is listed right under the chili powder in the recipe. :)

  24. Thank you Beth for this handy seasoning recipe! I mix the recipe with 2 tbsps. cornstarch before starting the chili. I like the thicker sauce this creates but I’ve also mashed half a can of black beans to use as a thickener as well. Chili is just so versatile and EASY!!

  25. Sooo….

    You put store bought chili powder in powered chili seasoning. Why not:

    A. Make it completely from scratch
    B. Just use the store bought stuff.

    This recipe is a joke. Thanks for sharing

    1. You know they aren’t the same thing. Also, I have all these ingredients on hand. WHY WOULD I BUY MORE STUFF?

    2. Would you prefer she write a recipe where you have to do buy dried chilies then grind them into a powder yourself? Reading comments on cooking blogs reminds me how dumb people can be.

  26. Made as directed with a whole teaspoon of garlic. Also added a splash of red wine. Delicious and just the flavor I was looking for. Thanks!

    1. Hi, Emilia! You can add anything you want in whatever quantity! The world is your oyster! (Or should I say…taco?!) Since we haven’t tested it this way, I can’t promise that the results will be absolutely successful — however, coffee and unsweetened cocoa powder are a classic combination used in Mexican cooking, specifically in a type of Mole sauce that is usually served over chicken. So, I bet it will be awesome! Just add a little bit of each at a time, and taste as you go. And, of course, since it’s a dry mix, you can always add more of some of the other ingredients later to bring the flavors back in balance if you happen to add too much coffee/cocoa by mistake or find that the combo overpowers the other flavors when added together. — Marion :)

  27. I love this recipe. I also added Yuengling Hershey’s chocolate porter to my chili to combine the cocoa/dark chocolate/beer flavor.

  28. This seasoning recipe produced the best chili I’ve ever made, and I’ve been making chili for 39 years! This is a keeper.

  29. I’ve used this recipe ever since I came across it, and am making a pot of chili for the football game as we speak. My husband just said “How you make it is much better than the packet from the store!” Chef’s kiss!

  30. Been making this for forever so I should rate it.

    I always double everything but the salt and add.salt to taste at the end. It’s the best.

    Cook your dried beans in an instant pot (I use about two pounds of kidney beans, we make a lot.at once). Brown a pound of ground beef with a couple of onions and sometimes a bell pepper if I have one. Add cooked beans, tomatoes (fresh or.canned), the seasoning, and enough liquid from the beans to cover. Simmer for awhile. I’ve done from 30 mins to two hours. Add salt to taste. Easy peasy dinner that everyone loves.

  31. Tried your chili seasoning and it was the best chili we’ve had in a long time! THANKS!

  32. This is my go to recipe when I make chili. Such a good balance. First time I tried it, I only used 1/2 a teaspoon rather than 1 teaspoon of salt. I found myself grabbing for the salt shaker while eating it. The next time, I used the full teaspoon. Much better! Thank you!

  33. I use chili powder, a dash of cumin, dash of cayenne pepper, dash of ground Thyme leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, Himalayan salt, 1 roll of ground turkey, 1 can of stewed fire roasted garlic tomatoes, 1 small can of tomato paste, black and kidney beans, sweet mixed peppers and a jar of marinara. I let this brew in the slow cooker for a long time till all ingredients blend together. I add more chili powder and other seasonings to taste. This makes for a wonderful, flavorful thick chili that my husband loves with baked corn bred.

  34. Nice basic chill seasoning. Not obnoxiously spicy, keeps the dish edible.
    If your chili just isn’t what you were looking for, add a bit if mango. Mango enhances the spicy side and brings the flavors forward.

    1. Thank you so very much for this recipe! 5 stars! I’ve used McCormick’s chili seasoning packs for years. I ran out so I found this recipe. I’ve been using this recipe now for a while and we love it. I double all but the salt and cayenne. I brown my meat with lots of onions and bell peppers. I then drain the meat mixture and add all the spices and stir it around. It toasts the spices and tastes so good. I add in whole mashed tomatoes and our favorite beans (kidney and pinto). I toss in more chopped bell peppers and let the pot simmer for at least 30 minutes or longer. This chili seasoning mix tastes like old fashioned school chili to us. Yummy!

  35. I used this recipe for chili seasoning tonight and my husband said it was the best chili I had ever made. It’s definitely a keeper.

  36. Thank you for a site that jumps to recipe and thank you for a good recipe. It’s bubbling on my stovetop now. 

  37. Thanks for the chili season mix recipe. We really enjoyed it. Nice to know this recipe produces one pack of chili seasoning so you can whip it up fresh every time you make chili.

  38. It is a great recipe. I made chili using exact recipe. It was perfect. My family loved it.

  39. Thanks for the great seasoning recipe.  I have been making Chili for awhile. The seasonings here took it up a notch.  It’s a keeper. 

  40. SO this is my go to from now on. I will be making a BIG batch to keep on hand no more store bought for me. I love that I can add as much as I want with the salt I know that it says to add salt but i was able to adjust it and that was the great part for me.

  41. For those who can’t find commercial chili powder (I’m not American), which is the base ingredient in this recipe, what would you suggest? Also, it is not correct to label this mix as “homemade chili powder” when you need store bought chili powder as the main ingredient. “Enhanced store bought chili powder” is more accurate. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just not the same thing as a chili powder made from scratch which I need to make myself because I have no storebought chili powders in sight.

    1. Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple one-ingredient swap for the chili powder in the recipe, I’d need to reformulate the seasoning mix using pure ground red chiles (you’d probably want to choose one that is not too spicy). But you could probably just increase the amounts of the other spices and do pretty well. This recipe is called “homemade chili seasoning” not “homemade chili powder”. Chili powder is just one ingredient in the seasoning mix.

    2. Need the amount per lb of beef or whatever and those saying chili powder is main ingredient so it’s not homemade remember chili is a pepper literally it’s a preordered chili some people think this is what makes chili sit it is not it’s the flavor basis I guess they wanted a recipe that you grow the pepper dri it out yourself grind it and add it to your chili mix come on now lol

  42. Thank you! I have always used the seasoning packets (i am 64) but as I am browning and can opening I realized I didn’t have a package of seasoning! Googled, got this recipe, threw it together with all ingredients I had in my season cabinet and wow! Its delicious! Even my husband asked what I had done different as he loved it. Only thing….if you have used the package ingredients, I followed this one to the T and it was quite a bit spicier. I think the cayenne pepper. I like spicy but just FYI.

  43. Our go-to chili seasoning blend! No more packets for us! The amount of cayenne is lot of heat for my kids (tho the adults love it!). So I just cut it in half, or leave it out per the suggestions in the post. 

  44. I love this simple recipe. I usually use more garlic but the rest is a great balance.

  45. I am so happy that I have most of them in my kitchen .thank you for these information.

  46. I was looking for Coney Island style chili for Hot Dogs and this was perfect. I did add 1/4 t. smoked paprika and used a teaspoon of bone broth with a 1/2 cup of water and allowed it to cook down. In the past I have tried several chili seasoning recipes and just couldn’t find that taste I was after. Love tomatoes and beans in straight chili, but not for chili dogs. This mix was perfect blend of spices with no one spice overpowering the other. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be back.

  47. My family really enjoyed this in our chili! We will be using it again for sure. Thank you so much!

  48. It was very good but was missing a little something IMO. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and it was more to my liking. But the base recipe is good as is and like all recipes can be tweaked to personal preferences. Plus, it’s absolutely better than any packet of chili mix I have ever tried and I’ve tried many.

  49. Just tried this and LOVE it. I used hot chili powder and no cayenne because I didn’t have any. Will continue to use this from now on. I like this so much better than the packet brand I have used for years.

  50. It’s a great recipe. I doubled it and used the extra hot red chili powder – no cayenne. Next time I’ll use a little less salt but I think this will be our go to chili seasoning from now on.

  51. Says 6 servings can you simplify it and just say how many pounds this mix is for

    1. Yes, in the section titled “How to Use Homemade Chili Seasoning” you’ll see that this seasoning blend is good to use for about one pound of ground beef.

  52. Just joining the chorus of folks saying this recipe has gotten me off packets for good. It’s delicious! I leave out the cayenne because I have little kids, and it still has lots of flavor.

  53. I am going to try chili with. Fajita se ason with a splash of chili powder and garlic will post my results this is what I do all the time my kids to still talk about my ability to throw a great meal from m stocked kitchen in the day

  54. Our family loves your blend. When using it, we “open up” the flavor of the spices by cooking them with the onion & garlic in olive oil following your recipe. Thank you.

  55. Used a little brown sugar and a a half a cup of dark chocolate chips with double batch of spices and added a half cup of Jack Daniels at the end. 10 cups of Astronomical Chili. Served with Sour Cream and Goat Cheddar Cheese 

    1. Yes roughly one packet. Per the recipe above, it’s good for one pot of chili.

  56. It’s was zero degrees and I needed a chili seasonsing mix and this fit perfectly for making Sunday dinner.

  57. I’ve just begun making seasonings from spices at home and this was a great recipe with lots of flavor. We went heavy on the heat as we like chili with a bit of a kick. Thank you!

  58. I am (slower than I like) moving away from prepackaged foods and seasonings; especially seasonings. I am 125 pounds over weight; high blood pressure and high risk for heart disease, thus i am removing salt from my diet as much as possible (and adding in healthier options).
    I finally got some of my peppers growing this year and next year will have a much larger selection of homegrown seasonings; so I came looking for basic season mixes. Yours sounds absolutely delicious and it is being made today for ten people.

    THANK YOU

    1. Good luck, Daniel.  I’m on a similar journey and low salt can be hard.  I’m on a taco and chili binge right now.  I use the chili and taco mix without salt (started half and half) and use 7% fat ground turkey and drain the fat out.  Makes great meals. – Sandy

  59. I found this recipe by googling Gluten free chili seasoning. I made it and my chili turned out amazing! I can’t use the spice packets anymore because of bad food allergies, so this recipe will be used from now on. Note to self: Use less cayenne pepper, lol. The heat tasted good, but less next time. Thank you!

  60. Same scenario here.  Started to make Chili and realized I didn’t have a packet of Chili spices.  Used your recipe and it was a hit.  No more packets for me

  61. Wanted to make chili but didn’t a chili packet and too lazy to go the market. This is a great recipe. I substituted a bit by adding a bit of ketchup and sautéing onions because didn’t have onion powder. Like the idea of adding cocoa powder, hmmmmm

  62. I like! My secret ingredients are cocoa powder and cinnamon, not too much. No one should know they are in there. Just enough to round out the earthy flavours. 

  63. Royetta – I had no chili seasoning pack and searched for a seasoning recipe. I tried this one and it was awesome! My husband likes a little sweet to his chili so all I added was a little sugar to the recipe.. Thank You

  64. My husband is diabetic and store bought always contain sugar, this is a life saver! Chilli is back in the menu and is.delicious

    1. Use Truvia sweetner as a substitute. I have been using it for several years now and love it.

  65. I too normal use the chili pack but realized I didn’t have one when making a batch of chill, so searched homemade chili seasoning and for this recipe ( all ingredients on hand). I am eased to say no more store bought packs for me!!!!

  66. I can’t comment directly to the chili seasoning bc I tried an entirely new recipe tonight but what I ended up with was AMAZING! I had some chicken breasts in the oven, all excited about having some chicken chili, when I realized I was out of seasoning! I found this recipe and I’m so glad I did! 

    I sautéed two small yellow onions (choppily diced for texture) with a clove of garlic (finely diced) and dumped in two cans of “chili ready tomatoes” from Walmart, a can of chili beans, and this recipe of spices. When the chicken was done baking I cut up a couple chicken breasts and stirred those in. I can’t even believe how good it was! I did make one small change- I don’t like anything too salty so I only used about 3/4 t salt and it was perfect, I may use even less with beef bc skinless baked chicken breasts are pretty bland. 

    I will DEFINITELY be making a big batch of this spice mix to keep on hand! So good!

  67. I gave this recipe a try last night and wanted to say THANK YOU for making me look so good. My husband and stepdaughter hold high chili standards and both went back for seconds. The mix of spices is perfect, with just enough heat. This will be our chili seasoning going forward. Thanks again!

  68. Wonderful!! Never buying store mix again! My family loved and said it was better than my other chili!!

  69. This homemade seasoning was better than the store bought packs of seasoning my family usually buys! Only change I’d make would be less salt, maybe 3/4 teaspoon instead of a full teaspoon. My vegetarian chili turned out great and was super flavorful!

  70. I will never use the package chili seasoning again! This is excellent chili seasoning! I accidentally used the wrong measuring spoons for the cayenne so it’s a bit spicier than I wanted but the flavor is the bomb!!! I did add about 1/4 tsp smked paprika for a little smoky flavor. LOVE!!!

  71. So I’m missing the ingredients.  I can deduce, but don’t have the quantity.  It says ingredients (then blank), then next are the instructions.  I thought for sure everyone else was going to complain.

    1. Hmm, I’m able to see the ingredient quantities. What are you trying to view the recipe with? Desktop or mobile? Mac or Windows/Android? What browser?

  72. How’s about different levels of chili powders: Anaheim Chili Powder- mild and very tasty, Chipotle powder for a med heat and smoky level, and Jalapeño  or Serrano Chili Powder. Mixing powders brings many more levels of taste and spicyness. 

  73. I wish I would have caught the note about the cayenne pepper. It was much to spicy for my kids! Next time I’ll leave it out. Otherwise was great!

    1. If you get it too hot put a pinch or two of sugar to the pot it will tone down the heat level

    1. Now that was funny Scott B
      I don’t get why people nitpick on something so dumb. 
      First Ron
      1. You…….are online, looking at simple chili recipes hmm 😶🤐
      2. Chili powder, however you use it, or what type it is, does not make or break the chili
      3. Maybe this guy has great quality spices and  wants to control his own salts and heat.
      Good Lord. I will pray for those who think their ways are better than others.
      Thanks for sharing Scott.  I have walked away learning a lesson.

  74. This saved the day at our house warming party when I realized I was out of cumin and didn’t have any premade chili seasoning! I substituted the cumin for more chili powder and paprika, but left the rest the same. Our chili was a hit!

  75. Congratulations for your site and this homemade seasoining. I would like to introduce myself. This is Antonio Catalán. I have a shop of spices and herbs for cooking in Spain. I am the third generation of the family business. We make also some blend of spices in our shop.If you want to know a bit more about myself, I invite you to have a look to my web http://www.buyspices.net

  76. I have using this mix of seasoning going on 3 years now and it never fails my chili comes out prefect I notice one comment where they added cilantro I’ll have to try that with my chili tonight. Thank you.

  77. Do you cook the Hamburg with these seasonings before adding to the crockpot or do you cook the Hamburg and add this chili mix to all the ingredients in the crockpot?

    1. This isn’t specifically for crock pot use. You can use this seasoning blend in any recipe where you would normally use a packet of chili seasoning that you’d purchase at the store.

  78. I loved this recipe. I’ve always used packets but I will forever make my own seasoning now! I added sugar and tumeric for our tastes and it was perfect. My family said it was the best chili I’ve ever made. Thanks for the recipe!!!

  79. Best chili powder I have ever tasted. They entire family raved about my chili.
    Thank you.

    1. I cook the hamburger with onion, sweet peppers, and cilantro then add it to a pot. In the pot I combine the cooked meat mixture with canned diced tomatoes, kidney beans and this chili seasoning recipe. It is delicious!!! If you like more spice you can use the diced tomatoes with green chilis and double the seasoning.

  80. I add a little bit of brown sugar and white pepper (and leave out all but maybe a pinch of Cayenne pepper)…..mmmmmm delicious!

  81. Delicious! I omitted the cayenne and was very pleased with the results. 

  82. Thank you this worked in a pinch I was out of chili seasoning and had come up with it had all the ingredients everybody loved it thank you

  83. This is the second time I used your chili seasoning. OMG, we love this! Never have been a user of spice packets, looking forward to trying other spice recipes. Thank you!

  84. Store bought chili seasoning gives my whole family terrible indigestion, this recipe is perfect. I’ve been using it for a couple of years now. I never have garlic powder or onion powder on hand so I usually leave those out but it’s good both ways. 

  85. This was a hit and very simple to make. Any suggestions for making this into a bulk seasoning of like 1/2 or more?

    1. I’m not sure I understand what “1/2 or more” means, but you can multiply the ingredients by any amount and it will work the same. :)

  86. Found this when I searched for a chili seasoning recipe. Trying to avoid pre-packaged mixes and making this one from scratch was super easy. Added it to my turkey chili – OMG doesn’t begin to describe the family’s reaction.  Making a bigger batch – store in a small Ball jar
    Thank you!

  87. I was trying to give it five stars but it wasn’t working for my earlier comment. Five stars all the way!

  88. I absolutely love this recipe. It’s my go-to every time I make chili and have passed it on to friends as well. I add a little Ancho Chili Powder because it’s one of our favorite spices and it adds another dimension of flavor BUT this recipe is great as it stands. 

  89. Great Chili seasoning recipe; however, I added a tad bit more Chili Powder & Cayenne for extra “heat”. Turned out well and will be making again for Superbowl! Thanks for posting the recipe!

  90. This is the best chili flavoring combination I have used. I accidentally added 1.5 tsps. of cumin instead of 1 tsp. so it was noticeable, but okay as I really like cumin. I browned 1 pound of ground beef (85%) and drained the liquid. I added the spice mix coated it well among the beef mix until well coated. I then stirred in 1 medium chopped onion and 4 chopped garlic cloves and cooked all together for about 5 minutes under medium heat. I then added a 28 ounce can of organic diced tomatoes, a 14 ounce can of red kidney beans and a 14 ounce can of black beans (did not drain the liquid on any of these). I added a cup of water and cooked at medium heat until the mixture reached a low boil. I reduced the heat to medium/low and continued to simmer and stir frequently for 1 hour. The liquid was reduced and a thick chili remained. It was delicious

  91. Used this to spice up a rather bland chili recipe – the results were delicious! Definitely will use again.

  92. I use this recipe every. single. time. I make chili. Never bother buying the packets anymore! Though I’m a wimp (and so is our toddler) so I just do a sprinkle of cayenne pepper instead of the whole 1/4 teaspoon.

    I add this recipe to 1 pound ground turkey, 2 cans chili/kidney beans, and 2 cans petite diced tomatoes and throw it all in the crock pot. Easy, super inexpensive, and healthy. And delicious! Thanks again!

  93. I love you Miss Beth! I was over there at your cha-cha-ching chili recipe. I never purchase things like “taco seasoning” or “chili seasoning” anymore because you’ve taught me so much better. So when I read that ingredient (after everything else was in the pot…natch!) I thought to myself, “hmmmm, I wonder if my friend has a recipe for chili seasoning…” So yeah, I love you (and so does my family, who now eat much better than we used to thanks to you and BudgetBytes.) Cooking brings me no joy ;-)

  94. I love your website. Thanks for the tips and recipes. I’ll definitely try them, as a working mom of 3, I appreciate new ideas for dinner. THX!

  95. After doing a search for chili seasoning this site popped up. Mom and I tried the spice mix listed here. Our chili was so good! Thanks!

  96. Thanks for this simple recipe. My cabinets are full of spices and I want to start using them. This was much better than prepacked f4om the store. The kids all loved my chili!!!

  97. Thank you so much for posting this. I can’t wait to try it on vegetables!

  98. I’m lost here. I like the ingredients this calls for, but how do you mix it? Do you use water, tomatoes, tomato sauce and what quantities?

    1. Mix the seasonings dry and then you can simply add it to any chili recipe or add it to potatoes or vegetables before roasting. It’s just like the dry spice blends you buy at the store. :)

  99. Just made this for supper and it was awesome! I did add a shake of smoked paprika, couple shakes of chipotle chili pepper and about 1\2 TBSP Sondra for thickening. Delicious!!!!! I put it in my recipe book! Thanks for sharing!

  100. My husband loves it!! (And he is soooo picky), I usually buy it pre-made from the store and didn’t realize we were out when he started supper. Thanks for sharing your resicpe!

  101. Thank you for the recipies! In my family we have one that is borderline hypertensive and another that’s allergic to onions. Being able to premix our own seasonings will be great for us. It will save us time trying to find a packet that does not contain onion powder! ( I do not know if they exists for chili seasoning.)

  102. Fantastic! My bf got plain beans instead of my usual cheat Bush’s Chili Beans, so I decided to try this in the chili. I added a healthy shake of paprika and also a few shakes of crushed red pepper for more heat and it was perfect!

  103. Thank you for posting a budget worthy staple! I make chili all the time! Now no more reason to buy that packet. Smells drelish

  104. As usual, your recipes are great. This was an excellent alternative to buying a packet of seasoning. It was delicious with great flavor. Will be using this again and again.

  105. Seriously, it is ridiculous the nit~picking going on about who spells or misspells. I’m look for recipes. I too can read through the lines.
    Thanks for the recipe, Beth!

  106. Would this seasoning be good for chicken chili? I usually use McCormick chicken chili seasoning,but looking for a home made recipe. Thanks

  107. Going to enter a chili cookoff with this chili seasoning. I normally use Carol Shelby’s chili seasoning but am looking for something a little different

  108. I also like many, usually buy the packages at the grocery store. I am always looking to make dishes completely from scratch. Thanks this chili seasoning was perfect!

  109. I googled this recipe because I ran out of packets and didn’t feel like running to the store. This was great! I will be using your recipe from now on. Thanks for sharing!

  110. Really? How does a chili seasoning website cause so much drama? If you dont like the recipe simply move on to the next site instead of leaving negative remarks simply based on the ingredients listed… Now if you had made it and didnt care for the flavor then your opinion might matter. At the very least your opinion would have been legitimate instead of ignorance. Sheesh

  111. I normally buy the packs of chili seasoning and forgot this time.. I’m glad I forgot. I found this. With a rather large family I had to triple it because I made extremely large pots. I’ll never buy the packets again. This seasoning was a big hit.

  112. Smells awesome. Im making vegetarian chili. And doubled spices for big pot. Plus added a lil more cumin.

  113. Tried this and it is a great combination of spices. I will use this again. Thanks for sharing it.

  114. Hi there! I’d love to try this. How many pounds of hamburger will this make? I have five pounds of hamburger for a huge pot of chili. Thanks! :)

    1. This is about the same as one of those store bought envelopes of chili seasoning, which is usually recommended for one pound of beef. I made a whole pot of chili with one pound, so you might not need to multiply this by five for five pounds of meat if you’re still just making one pot. :)

  115. I multiplied everything by 48 to make it in bulk so that 1 tsp would become 1 cup.

    My question is you say it makes about 1 pot (6 servings), but how many cups is that? Is a serving 1 or 2 cups or something else?

  116. Beth:

    I am LOVING your website!!! I’ve made so many delicious dishes from your recipes! Thanks so much for all the easy one pot pasta dishes. On a side note, as I was reading the comments AND corrections, my first thought was, “Oh, well, at least she knows she has visitors to her site!” I’m lovin’ it!

  117. Delicious! I have a large crock pot full of chili simmering now. I’m debating on how to eat it – with rice or on a taco salad. Tough choices. :)

  118. Nice and simple. Good mix, thanks! I did add about 1/2 teaspoon of oregano just because I like that in my chili.

  119. Your making chili seasoning , why are you using chili powder as one of the Ingredients ? should be Chile powder! get to basics!

    1. My bottle of McCormick is spelled “chili” powder. I would be curious to know what brand is spelled “chile”. Also, if you are correcting someone’s spelling, you meant to write “you’re” not your.

      1. I read somewhere if the spice is labeled chili as you stated it has chile and other spices if the bottle is labeled chile it is only the powder of the chile pepper. I don’t know if this is true or not now that I’m thinking about it again I’ll have to try to look at the store.

      1. That’s also how you spell the name of the pepper. The pepper is “chile”, the dish is “chili”. :)

  120. smells good thats for sure!! cant wait to try it :) I didnt put as much salt because I use pork…its too salty on its own :) thank you for sharing your recipe ;)

  121. This looks great and the veggie roasting idea is something I’ll have to try! But I just wanted to let you know that you have “gumin” instead of “cumin” in the ingredients list =). I don’t know what gumin is but it didn’t sound delicious =P.

  122. I love, love, love using those seasonings in chili. The perfect pairing for chili and also tacos/burritos/etc. Yum!

  123. Our chili powder is a lot hotter (not a blend). What amount would you suggest or what substitution would work?

    1. Hmm, I’m not sure without testing it out. The chili powder I used is the main flavor, so reducing it will change it quite a bit.

  124. Perfect timing! Do you know the overall volume this makes? (1/4 cup, etc.) And fyi, “cumin” is spelled wrong in the ingredients list.

    1. Thanks for the heads up with the typo! ;) The recipe makes about 2 tablespoons.

    2. it dont matter how its spelled the taste is what i am looking for besides in texas we can read between the lines

      1. Exactly! I agree with what Larry said other than I’m from Michigan.