Alton Brown's smoky homemade chili powder blends 3 types of dried chiles with smoked paprika to add a smoky kick to your favorite chili.

Course: Sauces & Condiments

Keyword: AB's Chili Powder, Condiments, Gluten-Free, Make-Ahead, Mexican, Tex-Mex

AB's Chili Powder

Name: AB's Chili Powder
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and sliced; 3 dried 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

ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

Yield: 8 tablespoons

Dried chiles, cumin, and smoked paprika add smoky spice to this flavorful homemade chili powder.

Sometime around 1890, a spice mix called "chili powder" hit the market. Some blends are ok, some... are not. Either way, you're better off making your own, especially if you're looking for a tasty bowl of red.

This recipe first appeared in Season 8 of Good Eats.

Photo by Lynne Calamia

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Software

3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
3 dried 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

Specialized Hardware

Blender

ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

Yield: 8 tablespoons

Procedure

Place all of the chiles and the cumin into a medium saute pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, moving the pan around constantly, until you begin to smell the cumin toasting, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.
Once cool, place the chiles and cumin into the carafe of a blender along with the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Process until a fine powder is formed. Allow the powder to settle for at least a minute before removing the lid of the carafe. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.