Homemade Chili Seasoning Recipe

This homemade chili seasoning recipe comes together in just a few minutes with simple pantry spices. It stays good in the cupboard for 3 months which means you can make fresh, flavorful chili a reality even on a busy weeknight!

Easy Homemade Chili Seasoning

Skip the store-bought chili seasoning and spend just a few minutes throwing together your own! You can customize the flavor and control the sodium levels. And the best part is there are no preservatives or additives.

Ingredients for Homemade Chili Seasoning

• chili powder
• cumin
• brown sugar
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• paprika
• dried oregano
• Kosher salt
• black pepper

How to Make Chili Seasoning at Home

Add ingredients to a wide-mouth mason jar. Shake well until the ingredients are combined. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months. 

Tips for Making Chili Seasoning

• Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. This recipe is just a blueprint and can totally be adjusted based on your individual taste. If you love cumin, add an extra teaspoon or two. If you aren’t much of a dried oregano fan, dial it back a bit. After lots of recipe testing, this is the combination that I’ve settled on, but you can tweak it and make it your own!
• Skip the brown sugar if you prefer. I love how the brown sugar balances out the acid from the tomatoes, but it’s totally optional. The chili seasoning doesn’t taste sweet from the brown sugar and your chili won’t taste sweet either. But you can leave it out if you like.
• Spice it up. Add cayenne pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes to add some heat to this chili seasoning. Just be aware that a little goes a long way!
• Give it as a gift. If you’ve got a chili-lover in your life, gift them this homemade chili seasoning! It’s perfect for the holidays or as a hostess gift or housewarming gift. You can even print out my homemade chili recipe and attach it so they’ve got a recipe ready to go.

How to Use Chili Seasoning

You can use this chili seasoning in all my favorite chili recipes, like:

• Classic Beef Chili
• Vegan Black Bean Chili
• Beef & Beer Chili
• Short Rib Chili
• Chickpea Chili
• 3 Bean Chili
• Instant Pot Chicken Chili

While making chili is an obvious way to use this seasoning, you can also use it in many other ways including:

• Smoked Cream Cheese – Use it instead of the dry rub.
• Roasted Potatoes – Add it along with the fresh herbs.
• Smoked Mac and Cheese – Add a tablespoon or so to give it a kick.
• Replace the dry rub in my Smoked Pork Butt, Baked Chicken Thighs, Smoked Chuck Roast, Smoked Chicken Wings, and Smoked Ribs with this chili seasoning.
• Add it to your favorite dishes like my Shredded Chicken Taco Bake or Walking Taco Casserole.
• Add it to fish along with olive oil and butter before baking.
• Season chicken breast or chicken thighs before grilling.

How to Make Classic Chili

If you’re looking for a simple, classic chili recipe – this is our family’s favorite! It requires pantry staple ingredients like onion, garlic, ground beef, tomato paste, my classic chili seasoning mix, light and dark kidney beans, and my secret chili ingredient V8 or tomato-based vegetable juice. It’s a one-pot meal that your whole family will love!

FAQ

How much chili will this batch of seasoning make?

This recipe makes enough seasoning for about 4 pots of chili if you use about 4 tablespoons per batch. You are welcome to add more or less chili seasoning depending on your taste.

What is chili seasoning made of?

Chili seasoning is made with a simple list of pantry staple spices like chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.

What can I use if I don’t have chili seasoning?

You can make your own! Homemade chili seasoning is actually surprisingly easy to make and you can throw it together with a handful of common pantry spices you’ve probably got on hand.

Make-Ahead Instructions

The best part about this chili seasoning is that you can make it ahead of time and store it in the pantry for months! This means you can throw together my homemade chili recipe any night of the week!

Storing Chili Seasoning

Store homemade chili seasoning in a wide-mouth mason jar in a cool, dry place (like a cupboard or pantry) for up to 3 months.

Try these easy recipes next!

Print