Easy Gluten Free Chili Seasoning Mix

A delicious and spicy homemade gluten free chili seasoning mix ready in less than 5 minutes! 

Oftentimes, the seasoning packets you purchase at the grocery store are filled with anti-caking agents. Those can be corn or gluten based. Skip the store-bought packets and quickly mix up your own! When you make your own homemade spice blend you know exactly what is going into it! 

This recipe combines 9 common spices that you probably already have in your spice cabinet.

Free from: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, sesame, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, corn, celery, and more

You can make enough for only one batch of chili, or mix up a bunch to store so you can have delicious chili anytime. 

I loooooove a big bowl of chili in the winter. Black bean chili is probably my personal favorite recipe for chili but I’ll never turn down any bowl of chili. You can add this to your favorite chili recipes no matter if they are vegan, use ground turkey, or are made on the stove top, slow cooker, or as instant pot chili. This easy recipe makes the perfect seasoning for all your favorite recipes.

Jump to:

• Ingredients 
• Instructions 
• How much chili seasoning should I use? 
• How to Store 
• FAQ 
• Other recipes to love
• Recipe

Ingredients 

I personally think this is the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and a little bit of umami flavor. There are more spices here than other homemade spice mixes, but I love the flavors that each of these individual spices and herbs brings to the chili party. 

• Cocoa powder - This is my secret ingredient! I love adding cocoa powder to my chili because it gives it a rich color, depth of flavor, and a subtle sweetness to balance out the spices. 
• Cumin powder
• Dried Oregano 
• Chili Powder
• Smoked Paprika
• Cinnamon
• Garlic Powder
• Brown Sugar
• Salt 

Other optional ingredients: 

• Red Pepper flakes - to make it a bit spicier 
• Regular Paprika - If you can’t find smoked paprika, or just prefer the flavor of unsmoked. 
• Black Pepper

Instructions 

There really isn’t a big production to make this chili seasoning recipe. Just measure out the ingredients into a mixing bowl, give it a good mix, and store! I like to keep mine in an airtight container so it stores the best. However, a recycled spice jar will also work.

Or, if you want to make this even easier, pour all the ingredients into your storage container (I think a small mason jar would work perfect), close the lid tightly, and give it a good shake to mix it up! 

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How much chili seasoning should I use? 

This makes about 3 oz total, which is half of what I put into a batch of chili. You can easily double or triple this amount so you always have chili seasoning on hand for any recipe. 

Keep in mind that most store-bought chili packets seem to have more to them because they use those fillers (like wheat and corn). That’s why they need upwards of 5 or 6 tablespoons of spices to match a pound of ground beef. Because this is homemade, the flavors pack a bigger punch!

How to Store 

Ground spices should stay fresh in your pantry for about 2 years. Keep them in a tightly sealed container in a cool and dark place, like the pantry. If you have a tiny spice cabinet next to the oven or stove, I recommend that you move your spices away from there so they don’t go bad more quickly than they should. 

You will know your spices are old when they have a dull taste, look a different color than they should be, or are clumped together. 

FAQ 

Can I use cayenne pepper in place of chili powder? 

You can but I don’t recommend it. Chili powder is a more mild chili and cayenne is much spicier. However, you can totally do that if you love spicy foods! 

Can I use this chili seasoning as a homemade taco seasoning? 

Yes, you can! The ingredients for tacos are basically the same, the difference being in the ratios used. Chili seasoning usually focuses on the chili while taco usually has more cumin and no cocoa powder. 

However, you can totally use this to flavor your beef, chicken, tofu, lentils, or more for tacos! It’s your kitchen and you can make it how you like it. 

What else can I use this mix on? 

So many things! 

• Add to tacos
• Sprinkle on veggies and roast in the oven
• Rub into meats before grilling
• Add a spoonful of this mix to popcorn before popping on the stove

Suggested Chili Toppings

Here are some of my favorite things to add on top of a big bowl of chili:

• A dollop of sour cream
• Sprinkle of chopped green onions
• Sliced Avocado
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice

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