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The perfect seasoning for every chili!
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Homemade Chili Seasoning
When my kids were young, one of the highlights of every year was the big Halloween party our friends would throw. It was so much fun, but chaotic, too! Kids in costumes running around, playing pretend with over-turned couches and blanket forts. But one of the best things about those parties for me was the food!
Specifically, the staple dish: a crock pot filled to the brim with my friend Brian’s chili. Let me tell you, not a single drop of that pot of chili was left by the end of the night! It was the best chili I’d ever tasted, and I had to know his secret.
Imagine my surprise when he laughed, and said the recipe changed every year! The only thing that remained the same? His homemade chili seasoning mix, perfected after countless years of testing and tasting. So here it is: Brian’s famous chili!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Total ingredient control: A lot of store-bought chili seasoning packets include filler like flour. By making your own, there’s never any question about the ingredients!
- Super easy ingredients: To be honest, there is no single secret ingredient to making amazing chili seasoning – it’s just easy ingredients you have at home and the right ratio!
- Lasts forever: Make a big batch and store it with your other seasonings. It’ll last forever, and it’s perfect for so many dishes that need a little extra spicy flavor!
The Best Spices for Chili
- Oregano: Oregano is the only herb I add to chili. It adds a great herbal bite that perfectly complements the tomatoes in chili!
- Cumin: Earthy, rich, warming cumin forms an underlying layer of flavor that the rest of the seasonings build on top of! You don’t need much – just enough to give that extra something.
- Chili Powder: Naturally, chili powder is the most important seasoning for chili! Use the best chili powder you can get, and feel free to add extra if you want to boost the flavors!
- Black Pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper is best, but really, use what you have on hand.
- Kosher Salt: If you’re using full-salt broth or stock in your chili, you can leave out the extra salt.
- Cayenne Pepper: A kick of cayenne pepper is truly what makes this chili seasoning special!
Every time I make seasoning, I always use these glass spice jars for storing. They make it so easy!
Isabel’s Top Tip
Optional spices: I tend to add fresh garlic and onions to my chili, so I don’t add any onion powder or garlic powder. But if you don’t plan on adding fresh, be sure to add 1 teaspoon of each to the seasoning blend.
How to Make Chili Seasoning
1: Add to a bowl
Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne to a small bowl.
2: Mix and enjoy
Mix the seasonings until evenly blended, then bottle to store indefinitely, or use right away!
Homemade Seasoning Recipes
- Cajun Seasoning
- Creole Seasoning Mix
- Elote Seasoning
- Chicken Wing Seasoning
- Our Famous Burger Seasoning
Tips for Seasoning Chili
- Adjust the levels of seasoning to your taste preferences. I like my chili with just a hint of spice, so I don’t add too much cayenne- but feel free to add more, as well as additional red pepper flakes, for a hotter chili!
- Customize, customize, customize! There are so many great add-ins depending on the flavor profile you want to achieve. Adding a pinch of cocoa powder can bring in a dark, mole-style richness, and smoked paprika is a great addition to bring in that backyard barbecue smokiness!
- Make it sweet! You can add in 2 teaspoons of brown sugar (or more, to taste) for a sweeter chili more reminiscent of Texas-style BBQ.
- Thicken your chili by adding 1 Tablespoon of flour or cornstarch.
How to Store Homemade Chili Seasoning
Because this chili spice blend is made from only dry ingredients, you can store it in a glass jar in the pantry like any other spice mix! It will last pretty much forever and tastes great in taco meat or used to season chicken or vegetables.
Here’s What People Ask
This seasoning is portioned for 6 servings of chili, using 1 pound of ground beef and several cans of beans and tomatoes. For a pure-beef chili, it will easily season 2 pounds of meat.
I highly recommend this seasoning for vegetarian chili! It adds great flavor that vegetarian chili can sometimes miss out on without meat. With this seasoning, vegetarian chili will have all the flavor of a meat-loaded chili!
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Recipe
My Essential Chili Seasoning
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small bowl.2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Mix, then store in a jar or use in chili immediately!
Notes
- Adjust the levels of seasoning to your taste preferences. I like my chili with just a hint of spice, so I don’t add too much cayenne- but feel free to add more, as well as additional red pepper flakes, for a hotter chili!
- Customize, customize, customize! There are so many great add-ins depending on the flavor profile you want to achieve. Adding a pinch of cocoa powder can bring in a dark, mole-style richness, and smoked paprika is a great addition to bring in that backyard barbecue smokiness!
- Make it sweet! You can add in 2 teaspoons of brown sugar (or more, to taste) for a sweeter chili more reminiscent of Texas-style BBQ.
- Thicken your chili by adding 1 Tablespoon of flour or cornstarch.
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