Published January 23, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This is the only Homemade Chili Seasoning Blend you’ll ever need. With a well-balanced mix of bold and smoky flavors and just a hint of sweet molasses, it’s the key to the best chili ever. The best part about this recipe is that you probably already have all the spices in your cabinet.
The secret to making the best pot of homemade chili isn’t complicated; all you need is a good blend of spices. A step you can take before actually making the chili is making your pre-mixed blend of chili spices. Like my steak seasoning recipe, this dry spice blend makes seasoning your chili even more manageable while delivering exciting layers of flavors and just the right amount of heat.
Homemade Chili Seasoning
Yes, you can buy a chili seasoning mix from the store or add all of the seasonings individually into your beef or bean chili, but why not make it easier on yourself and quickly make this DIY chili seasoning instead?
Chili seasoning is a simple blend of ground spices that adds the classic smoky, spicy, and sweet flavors to homemade chili. Most of the spices you need are pantry staples—chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, etc. Mixing all of the spices yourself gives you complete control over the flavors, heat level, and sodium in your chili. Plus, it lasts for months in your pantry, making it a convenient flavor booster whenever you want to make this classic comfort food.
I love how this homemade seasoning for chili saves me time but doesn’t skimp on the classic flavors in a pot of my Ultimate Homemade Chili. As one of my favorite cold-weather dinners, the spice blend makes it more complex and comforting.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chili Powder – The primary source of flavor here. It will give the pot of chili a rich, wood-smoked baseline of flavor.
- Cumin – Use ground cumin for convenience, or grind the whole cumin seeds with a mortar, pestle, or spice grinder.
- Onion and Garlic – I prefer onion and garlic granules, but onion and garlic powder should work just as well.
- Salt and Pepper – You’ll always find coarse sea salt and ground black pepper in my homemade seasoning blends.
- Sugar – Brown sugar adds some sweetness. Coconut sugar should work as a substitute.
- Oregano – Use dried oregano to help the spice mix last longer.
- Paprika – Use smoked paprika for smokiness, or stick with regular paprika.
- Cayenne – Only use the cayenne if you like spicy chili.
How to Make Chili Seasoning from Scratch
Pour all of the chili seasoning ingredients into a medium-sized bowl.
Stir everything together with a spoon or whisk until combined.
Use the chili spice mix right away or store it for later.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this spice blend several days or weeks before you’re ready to enjoy it.
How to Store: Transfer the spice mix to an airtight glass jar or container, seal it shut, and store it in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
Chef Notes + Tips
- For a mild spice blend, only use 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne. You can also omit it if you don’t like spicy food.
- Use fresh spices for the best flavor.
- Other dry spices you can use are 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, up to 2 teaspoons of ground coriander, up to 2 tablespoons of dried parsley, or up to 2 tablespoons of dried thyme.
- Southwest seasoning and chili seasoning are similar but not the same. You can use one as a substitution for the other when you need a close flavor profile.
- This recipe makes 2/3 cup of chili seasoning. That should be enough for 4 to 5 regular-sized batches of homemade chili.
- Use 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of seasoning for every pound of meat or beans in your chili.
- This blend of spices pairs exceptionally well with red tomato-based chili recipes.
- You can also use the blend to season potatoes, steak, chicken, or fish before grilling or roasting in the oven.
- Use it to give smoked meat, like pork shoulder or brisket, even more decadent smoky flavors and a caramelized crust around the outside.
- It will also go a long way in mac and cheese, homemade hamburgers, and Texas goulash.
More Seasoning Recipes
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- The Best Cajun Seasoning
- BBQ Rub Seasoning
- Blackened Seasoning
- Italian Seasoning
Homemade Chili Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ tablespoons onion granules
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic granules
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne, optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl.
- Mix everything together until combined.
- Use or store the chili seasoning.
Homemade Chili Seasoning Recipe