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. It’s a well-balanced mix of smoky, savory flavors with just a hint of sweetness from the molasses. The best part? You probably already have all the spices sitting in your pantry.
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
Chili seasoning is a simple blend of ground spices that brings that classic smoky, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor to homemade chili. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples like chili powder, paprika, and brown sugar. Making your own gives you full control over the flavor, heat, and salt, and it keeps for months, so you’ve always got a quick boost of flavor ready when any comfort food is on the menu.
Sure, you can buy a chili seasoning mix from the store or add each spice one by one into your beef or bean chili. But I like to make things easier and mix up this simple DIY chili seasoning ahead of time. It saves time and tastes even better.
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 and brings that same rich flavor to my Texas goulash. 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
Combine the spices: I pour all of the chili seasoning ingredients into a medium-sized bowl, making sure everything is ready to mix.
Mix the blend: Using a spoon or whisk, I stir everything together until the spices are fully combined and evenly mixed.
Finish and store: I either use the chili spice mix right away in my recipe or transfer it to an airtight jar to keep on hand for the next batch.
Chef Tip + Notes
Even though it sounds simple, the freshness of your spices makes a huge difference in how your chili turns out. Old spices lose their strength and complexity over time, and since this blend relies entirely on dried ingredients, the quality of each one really matters.
- Spice level: For a milder blend, I stick to just one-eighth teaspoon of cayenne or leave it out completely if I want no heat at all.
- Optional add-ins: Sometimes I switch it up with extras like cinnamon, cocoa powder, red pepper flakes, coriander, parsley, or thyme depending on what I’m cooking.
- Southwest vs chili seasoning: Southwest and chili seasoning are close in flavor, and I’ll swap one for the other if I’m out of something.
- Yield: This recipe makes about two-thirds of a cup, which is enough for four or five batches of chili.
- How to use: I usually add two to two and a half tablespoons of the mix for every pound of meat or beans in my chili.
- Pairing: This spice blend works especially well with tomato-based chili recipes.
Versatile Ways to Use Chili Seasoning
- You can also use the blend to season oven roasted potatoes, a tomahawk steak, some chicken breast, 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.
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.
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