Chili Seasoning – A Beautiful Mess

I love Homemade Chili. Have you ever tried making homemade Chili Seasoning? If not, you won’t believe how easy it is! Using ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, you can mix up your own homemade chili seasoning and never buy a packet from the store again.

Related: Taco Seasoning, Fajita Seasoning, Cajun Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Chili Seasoning Ingredients

• Chili Powder
• Cumin
• Cayenne Pepper – (Optional: This is the ingredient you can use to turn up OR down the heat in your seasoning mix.)
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Salt – This is optional as well—I used kosher salt. You can also use sea salt or table salt.
• Pepper – Ground black pepper.

When choosing a container for my homemade spice mixture, I chose these 4-ounce jars with bamboo lids. If you use the same containers, you can triple this recipe to get an almost full jar like you see in my photos.

How to make Chili Spice Blend

Prepare your ingredients. Measure each spice into a mixing bowl.

Stir gently to blend, or seal to container and shake. 

Store in an airtight container.

Why homemade seasoning is best

• Best Ingredients – Homemade seasoning is great because you can be sure what is in it (and what is not in it). If you avoid sugar, dairy or gluten, making your own seasonings can give you peace of mind. You can also choose to use all organic spices if you wish. 
• Unlimited supply – If you make chili as often as we do, it’s annoying to rely on store-bought seasoning packets. This way, I always have what I need and if I run out I can always make more. 
• Tastes amazing – I swear by the flavors in this recipe. It tastes so good and my whole family loves it. 
• You can tweak the spice level – If you make this chili seasoning recipe as written, I consider it “mild.” It’s full of flavor and has some heat, but it isn’t too spicy for my children. If you want to turn up the volume a bit, add more cayenne pepper (try doubling it to start) and you can add crushed chili flakes.

Shelf Life

A batch of homemade seasoning can last in your pantry for one to two years. For peak freshness, use within six months. This is likely obvious, but using fresher spices will result in a longer shelf life. So if this is a concern to you, don’t use spices that have been sitting in your drawer for years.

How much seasoning is in a packet?

If you are using a recipe that calls for “one packet” of store-bought chili seasoning mix, this one is equivalent to one store-bought packet.

Tips for Making

• Make a big batch – This recipe is equivalent to one “packet” of seasoning, or the correct amount for one crock pot of chili. When I make this recipe, I always at least triple it so I have more left over for future batches.
• Secret Ingredients (optional)- If you want to add something unique to your chili seasoning, try a pinch of cocoa powder, cinnamon or coffee grounds. Many recipes use these as their “secret” ingredient to add depth of flavor.
• Add Spice – To make spicy chili, double the cayenne pepper in this recipe and add red pepper flakes. You can add spice to taste when it’s cooking in the crock pot (easier to keep adding more than to realize you overdid it upfront).

More Crockpot recipes:

More Spice Blends: