Homemade Chili Powder

Freshly made chili powder, what a great way to add a kick of flavor to your next meal.

I love how the flavors in this come together as it all toasts in the pan.

The aroma in nothing short of amazing.

Ingredients

3 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
3 cascabel chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
3 dried arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

Place all of the chiles and the cumin into a medium nonstick saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Note, while a cast iron pan works great for this, the weight may be a concern. Nothing wrong with using a noinstick pan for this.

Cook, moving the pan around constantly, until you begin to smell the cumin toasting, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.

Set aside and cool completely.

Once cooled off, place the chiles and cumin into a blender or coffee grinder repurposed as a spice grinder, along with the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Blend until a fine powder is produced.

Allow the powder to settle for at least a minute before removing the lid of the grinder.

Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Example of a spice can with a see through lid. Most have a magnet attached so you can store them on the side of your refrigerator or on your stove’s hood.

A note about staple recipes:
Staple recipes are ones I like to think of as a pantry item. Something that is used regularly and is akin to salt and pepper. You have to have it in your pantry or something feels wrong.

Besides chili powder, I like to keep taco seasoning, garam masala, and chili mix onhand in my pantry.