Homemade Chili Powder Blend

Name: Homemade Chili Powder Blend
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 large (about 1.5 oz total) (45 g) dried ancho chiles, wiped clean with a dry cloth, stems removed, slit open and seeds discarded; 2 tbsp (12 g) whole cumin seeds; 1 tbsp (9 g) garlic powder; 1 tbsp (2 g) dried oregano, preferably Mexican, leaves crumbled between your fingers; 1 tbsp (7 g) smoked paprika; 2 tsp (5 g) onion powder; ½ tsp (1 g) cayenne pepper (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A deeply flavored, salt-free chili powder made from toasted whole ancho chiles and cumin seeds, balanced with garlic, oregano and smoked paprika. It's far more fragrant than store-bought blends, and you can use it in chili, tacos, rubs and roasted vegetables.

Prep: 12 min
Cook: 6 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 33 min
Makes: About ⅔ cup (10 tablespoons, roughly 75 g)

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Steps

Before you start

Choose soft, pliable ancho chiles. If they're brittle and dusty they're old and will taste flat.
You need a dedicated spice grinder or a clean coffee grinder. A blender won't grind small amounts finely.
Open a window or turn on the vent fan. Toasting chiles can release peppery fumes that make you cough.
The blend is salt-free, so add salt to each dish as you cook.

1
Prep the chiles
- Wipe each ancho with a dry paper towel.
- Snip off the stems with scissors, then cut each chile open lengthwise.
- Shake out and discard the seeds and the pale veins.
- Tear or cut the chiles into flat, roughly 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
- You should have about 36 g (1¼ oz) of chile flesh.
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Ready when: All stems, seeds and veins are gone and the pieces lie flat.
Tip: Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive. Don't touch your eyes while handling the chiles.
2
Toast the chiles
- Heat a dry 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute.
- Add the chile pieces in a single layer and press each one down with a spatula for 15 to 20 seconds per side.
- Work in two batches if they don't fit without overlapping.
- Transfer them to a plate right away.
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Ready when: The chiles smell sweet and fruity, darken slightly and turn more flexible. They shouldn't smoke or blacken.
Tip: Scorched chiles turn bitter. If any piece smokes or smells acrid, discard it and toast a fresh one.
3
Toast the cumin
- Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium-low heat.
- Add the cumin seeds and shake the pan constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour the seeds onto a separate plate to stop the cooking.
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Ready when: The seeds turn a shade darker, smell warm and nutty, and start to pop lightly.
Tip: Cumin goes from toasted to burnt in seconds, so don't walk away.
4
Cool until crisp
- Leave the chiles and cumin on their plates at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- The chiles will stiffen as they cool, which lets them grind to a fine powder instead of a gummy paste.
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Ready when: The chile pieces snap when bent and the cumin is no longer warm.
Tip: Grinding warm spices can leave a sticky residue in your grinder.
5
Grind the chiles
- Break the cooled chiles into smaller pieces and put half in the spice grinder.
- Pulse in 3-second bursts for about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Pour the powder into a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl.
- Repeat with the second half.
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Ready when: The chile looks like a fine, brick-red powder with only a few flecks of skin.
Tip: Wait 30 seconds before opening the grinder so the chile dust settles instead of getting in your nose and eyes.
6
Grind the cumin
- Wipe out the grinder, add the cumin seeds and grind for 15 to 20 seconds, until they form a uniform powder.
- Add it to the sieve with the chile powder.
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Ready when: No whole seeds are visible and the powder looks evenly tan-brown.
7
Sift and regrind
- Tap and shake the sieve so the fine powder falls into the bowl.
- Tip any coarse bits left in the sieve back into the grinder and grind for 10 seconds, then sift again.
- Discard any tough bits of chile skin that still won't pass through.
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Ready when: The mixture is silky and uniform, with only a spoonful or less of leftovers discarded.
8
Mix and jar
- Add the garlic powder, crumbled oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder and the cayenne, if using, to the bowl.
- Whisk or stir with a fork for 1 minute, breaking up any clumps, until the color is even.
- Funnel into an airtight jar and shake well.
- Label with the date.
- The flavor is fully rounded after 24 hours.
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Ready when: The blend is one uniform deep red-brown with no streaks of paprika or garlic powder.
Tip: Use about 1 tablespoon of blend per pound (450 g) of meat or per 2 cups of beans or vegetables, then adjust to taste.

Good to know

Tips

Toast on low to medium-low heat. Chiles and cumin burn quickly and turn bitter.
Weigh the chiles after seeding. Different anchos vary in size, and about 36 g is the right amount for this ratio.
For a hotter blend, add 1 to 2 toasted, seeded chiles de árbol along with the anchos, or increase the cayenne to 1 tsp.
Use a small amount in a dry rub, but bloom it in oil first for soups and chilis to get the best flavor.

Make ahead

"Make the blend up to 3 months ahead. The flavor mellows and blends after 24 hours in the jar."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 6 months for best flavor, and up to 1 year if you don't mind a milder taste. Fridge: not necessary, and condensation can cause clumping. Freezer: freeze in a tightly sealed jar for up to 1 year. Let the jar come to room temperature before opening, and shake it to loosen any clumps. No reheating is needed. For cooking, bloom the spices in hot oil for 30 seconds before adding liquid."

Substitutions

dried ancho chiles → dried guajillo, New Mexico or pasilla chiles. Guajillo is brighter and slightly tangier, New Mexico is milder and earthier, and pasilla is deeper and more raisin-like. Use the same weight.
whole cumin seeds → 2 tbsp (14 g) ground cumin. Skip the toasting and grinding of cumin and add it in the mixing step. Flavor will be a little less intense.
dried oregano, preferably Mexican → dried Mediterranean oregano. Use 2 tsp instead of 1 tbsp, since it is more pungent and minty than Mexican oregano.
smoked paprika → sweet paprika. This makes the blend less smoky. Add ¼ tsp chipotle powder to bring back some smokiness.