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Signature American Chili Powder Recipe


A bowl of chili garnished with sour cream
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4.27 from 76 votes
Here's a simple American Chili Powder recipe that beats the snot out of most anything you can buy in a jar. It is a great opportunity for you to make your own signature spice blend. Want to add more garlic powder, I won't stop you. Dried chipotle? Scotch bonnets? Why not?

Course:
Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine:
American
difficulty scale

Makes:

About 1/4 cup
Servings: 54 1/4-teaspoon servings

Takes:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ tablespoons ancho chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon pasilla chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon guajillo chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet American, Hungarian, or Spanish paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
Notes:
You can buy powdered chiles, but the results are better if you grind them yourself. The size and weight of the average pod can vary significantly from store to store and from season to season. To help you plan, here are some conversions that are sorta average.
1 ancho weighs about 1/4 ounce before stemming and seeding, and makes about 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons
1 pasilla weighs about 1/4 ounce before stemming and seeding, and makes about 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon
1 guajillo weighs about 1/8 ounce before stemming and seeding, and makes about 2 teaspoons
1 chipotle weighs about 1/8 ounce before stemming and seeding, and makes about 2 teaspoons
Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

  • Prep. If possible start with whole dried chiles and make powders from them. Cut off the tops of the chiles with scissors and shake out the seeds. Poke around in the chile with a knife to get the rest. With the scissors cut the chiles lengthwise into two halves, and then into chunks about 1 inch (25 mm) square.
  • Toast. Put the chunks into a medium hot frying pan for about 2 minutes, no oil, then shake the pan to flip as many as possible and toast them for another 2 minutes. This brings out the flavorful oils, a process called blooming.
  • Powder. Grind the toasted chunks in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, blender, or food processor. I usually use my coffee grinder, but if you do, remember to clean it thoroughly when you are done or you'll spend the night on the couch (don't ask me how I learned this). Let the cloud of dust settle in the grinder for several minutes before you remove the top or your cries of pain will be heard blocks away (don't ask me how I learned this).
  • Pour all the powdered ingredients in a bowl or jar and stir them all together.
  • Use. The blend will still be useable for about a year, but the freshness and potency slowly declines.

Nutrition per Serving

Calories: 2kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 186IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg