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Did you know there’s a difference between chile powder and chili powder? Apparently this is something that every Californian knew except me. Ahem.
Chile powder is made from one specific ground up chile (cayenne, ancho, etc).
Chili powder is a combination of chile powder and other spices. The store brands usually include a bunch of salt and some silicon dioxide, which helps keep it from clumping. All these additives means less spices and less flavor though!
Once I found out the difference, I naturally had to make it myself. This is a nice flavorful blend that’s not too spicy. If you like it hot, add more cayenne powder.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup ancho chile powder
1/3 cup oregano (bonus points if you grow and dry your own)
1/4 cup cumin
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne powder
Blend everything together and store in a pint canning jar–it makes almost 2 cups.
What can you do with all that chili powder?
- Make chili, of course
- Use in homemade taco seasoning mix
- Sprinkle in scrambled eggs
- Add to spice rubs
- Top your homemade fries with it
- Add to refried beans
Get your spices in the ethnic aisle for maximum savings. This pound of paprika only cost $5!
