There is nothing better and easier than making your own spices. Today, I made simple homemade chili powder by using what I had on hand.

The items are probably already in your pantry, and if you have just run out when you are reaching for chili powder to add to your dish, there is nothing worse than finding that you are without.

I love a great big pot of Instant Pot Chili, and if you are like me, that’s not the only place that you use Homemade Chili powder (or even store-bought).

Here are some of my recipes taken up a level with my secret homemade chili powder recipe.

How Do You Make Chili Powder?

With only a few ingreidents that you mix together you will soon have a new batch of hoemmade chili powder.

All of the spices that you are mixed in are included in the store-bought version. They typically include:

Ground Cumin
Dried Oregano
Onion Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Smoked Paprika
Sweet Paprika

Then just mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

The Best Way To Store Homemade Chili Powder

The best way to store any dried spice would be to keep them in a cool place, without any direct heat or light.

The container is key when trying to prolong the life of the spice. The ideal container would either be an empty spice jar (that has been washed or dry) or an empty one, which you can usually find in a department store, or pick up a few of them on Amazon (affiliate link). I usually use this one, which is great since I can reuse it over and over again.

What is the best way to keep spices fresh?

Spice (dried) will usually keep for about a year to two years, as long as they are store in a cool, dry place.

The spices with a shorter life in this recipe, paprika, should really be stored in the refrigerator when not use. Over time they will lose both their flavor and coloring.