Classic blends
Chili powder (American blend)
A US seasoning of ground chilli with cumin, garlic and oregano, built for chilli con carne.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for cooks, makers and the curious.
In the United States chili powder is usually a blend, not pure ground chilli. It combines mild ground chillies with cumin, garlic, oregano and salt. It was developed in Texas in the nineteenth century and is the base for chilli con carne and taco seasoning.
What goes in
- Ancho chilli635%, Mild, fruity.
- Cumin318%, Earthy.
- Garlic powder212%, Pungent.
- Oregano212%, Herbal.
- Cayenne16%, Heat.
- Paprika212%, Colour.
- Salt16%, Seasoning.
Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.
Made step by step
Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.
Step 1: Dry Remove stems and seeds from dried chillies and tear them. Step 2: Toast Toast the chillies briefly in a dry pan until pliable and fragrant. Step 3: Toast Toast the cumin seed. Step 4: Grind Cool, then grind chillies and cumin to a powder. Step 5: Blend Mix in garlic, oregano, paprika, cayenne and salt. Step 6: Store Store in a jar. Use within a few months. Finished Chili powder (American blend), by share.
Blend versus pure
In most of the world the term means plain ground chilli. In the US a pure ground chilli is sold as ground chile or cayenne. Mexican cooks use single, named chillies such as ancho, guajillo or pasilla.
Make-up
Typical parts are ancho or New Mexico chilli, cumin, garlic powder, oregano and salt. The proportions vary by brand and by cook.
Where it is used
The spices in it
Chili pepperBase.
CuminEarthy.
PaprikaA red powder made from dried Capsicum annuum peppers, used to colour and flavour dishes across Europe and the Middle EasAlso part of it, and being written: Oregano (Herb.).
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Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chili pepper: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cumin: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Paprika: Takkk, CC BY-SA 3.0, source