If you’ve ever bought spices from the store, you probably noticed that they often contain ingredients like “anti-caking agent” or “natural flavor” (aka MSG). Many often contain trace amounts of soy or other fillers, and sometimes these don’t even have to be listed on the ingredients.
Mystery fillers aside, these spices also often sit on the shelf, in plastic bottles, for a long time. By the time you bring them home, they have lost much of their flavor (and did I mention they might contain soy, MSG, or other additives!)
As with many aspects of natural living, simple is often cheaper, easier, and more healthy. Making your own garlic, onion, and chili powders (or a blend of all three) can be one of the easiest and tastiest changes you can make. These are also a great addition to homemade spice blends!
The gist of making these homemade seasonings is to simply dehydrate pieces of garlic, onion, or pepper in a dehydrator or on the lowest setting of the oven until the pieces are dry and brittle. Then, just powder them in a coffee grinder or blender and store.
Fun fact: Did you know that paprika is actually a type of chili powder that uses only sweet red peppers?
Garlic, Onion, & Chili Powder Recipe
Servings
Nutrition
Notes
- Use a mix of sweet and spicy peppers to make chili powder. If you like spicier chili powder, use spicier peppers.
- You can mix onion, garlic, and chili powders with salt, pepper, and paprika to make an all purpose seasoned salt
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Ever made your own spices? How did they turn out?
Went to make tacos last night and found that I forgot the taco seasoning. I wasn’t gonna go to the store again so I googled taco seasoning homemade and up popped your receipt. I had all ingredients except powered onion so I made it anyway minus the powered onion. It was really good! I have tried homemade before and did not like it. This was great!
I just want to thank you for all these great recipes!! I live overseas and ask my family to send us Trader Joe’s Taco seasoning and now I can just make my own!! YAHOO!
How long Can I keep these in glass containers before they “go bad?”
Thanks for this. Not too sure about the ant-caking agents though. Is that for the ants’ birthdays??
Haha – thanks for the catch!
So how do I make paprika? I followed a link and got here…
been homeless fo 7years. busy climbing out. and finally housing last month. the thing is while accepting whatnots from the missions. Ive always been alabel reader. but learning about skin care and hygeine. a starting reading the labels on packaged and canned food and was startled. and just wanting to do the best I can do to ensure my safety health youth and of others would love to know how to do basic seasonings . salt garlic chili taco italian . also looked up broth. and suprised how simple it was. also beleave it would be more cost affective and lasting. love this page I have no printer avaible at mommment wondering if you could email this so I could save for future reference. greatfuly. J
Any suggestions on onion varieties that taste the best? Or even just color suggestions? Red, white, yellow?
Thanks!
if you check the ingredient list on store bought “chili powder” it’s a blend meant to make Chili with. what you’re making when you pulverize dried chilies is ground chili PEPPER. if you label it the same as they do on the stores, then anybody using your kitchen in an emergency stands a chance of making something edible.
The pepper most commonly used in commercially made chile powders is the ancho. They are sold dried in large bags at Walmart, in the produce department. You have to remove the stems and seeds either before or after soaking in hot water. If you want chipotle peppers, go to a Mexican market. They are dried RED smoked jalapenos, not green. With either, you have to cover with hot water, soften them, then puree. Dehydrate the puree first till it is brittle, then grind. I use my Nutribullet to make a fine powder, but a blender can also be used. I could not grind the whole dried pepper as it came out of the bag using a burr coffee grinder. The puree makes a beautiful product!
As far as I can tell, you have to grow your own peppers for paprika, then dry them.
https://honest-food.net/homemade-paprika-because-i-can/
Dry those onions and garlic on a porch, or in a garage or shed so your house won’t stink!
How do I make paprika at home. Thank you so much for your words of wisdom I really love your post. It is taking my health to a new better level. Thank you so much.
Really pleased to find this post. Been trying to find onion powder and garlic powder in the shops with no joy. The oven is revved up, let’s see how it turns out! Using it to make a meat rub recipe for a Christmas present 🙂