Sure, chili powder always has an earthy undertone, due to the inclusion of cumin, garlic, and onion powder in the mix. But that earthiness is taken to another level when you opt for smoky chilies and smoked paprika to use as the chili pepper base.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Deep, smoky and earthy, with toasted cumin, garlic and onion behind the chilies. |
| Primary heat source | Dried anchos, dried chipotles or a mix of the two. |
| Heat level | Mild with all anchos, medium with all chipotles, and in between with a mix. |
| Texture | A fine, reddish-brown powder. |
| Best uses | Barbecue rubs, steaks, chili and smoky aioli. |
| Customization ideas | More chipotle for heat, more smoked paprika for smoke, Mexican oregano if you can find it. |
| Before you start | About 20 minutes, and a spice grinder makes the grinding much easier than a mortar and pestle. |
Flavor notes
Ancho peppers and chipotle are both recommended dried chilies for this smoked chili powder recipe. You can use all ancho for a milder powder, all chipotle for a medium smoky heat, or a mix of the two for a level of spiciness somewhere in-between. Use this recipe anywhere you’d use regular chili powder, but we highly recommend it as a barbecue rub or finishing seasoning for steaks. Also try it mixed with mayonnaise to create a smoky aioli, perfect for fry dipping.
Only one of those chilies is smoked, though. Chipotles are jalapeños that have been smoke-dried, so they carry real wood smoke along with a jalapeño’s 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville heat units. Anchos are dried poblanos and aren’t smoked at all, but they have a naturally sweet, slightly smoky, earthy flavor, and at 1,000 to 1,500 SHU they’re much milder.
So an all-ancho batch leans on the smoked paprika for most of its smoke, while chipotles bring smoke and heat together. Either way, the smoked paprika is what keeps the smoke consistent from batch to batch.
Don’t skip the two quick heating steps. Drying the chilies in a low oven makes them crisp enough to grind into a fine powder, and toasting the cumin seeds in a dry pan makes them much more fragrant.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat or the smoke.
- Want it hotter? Swap some of the anchos for chipotles, or add a pinch of cayenne to the finished blend.
- Want it milder? Use all anchos, and pull out the pale ribs inside the chilies along with the seeds, since that’s where most of the heat is.
- Want more smoke? Use all chipotles, or add another tablespoon of smoked paprika.
- Only have canned chipotles? They won’t work here, because a powder needs dried chilies. Look for dried chipotles, which are often sold as moritas, and our ancho vs. chipotle comparison covers how the two differ.
- Want the classic oregano? Use Mexican oregano if you can find it. It’s a different plant from the Mediterranean oregano in most spice racks.
- Watching your salt? Leave the salt out of the blend and season the dish itself instead.
Serving ideas
Here are a few of our favorite ways to use it.
- As a barbecue rub. Pat it onto ribs, brisket or pork shoulder before they go on the smoker or grill.
- On steak. Sprinkle a little on as a finishing seasoning right before serving.
- In a smoky aioli. Stir a teaspoon or two into mayonnaise for dipping fries, or start from our smoked paprika aioli.
- In chili. Use it in place of regular chili powder when you want a smokier pot.
- On roasted vegetables. Toss sweet potatoes, corn or cauliflower with oil and a spoonful of the powder before roasting.
Storage notes
Keep it in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard, and use it within about six months while the spices are still fragrant. Ground spices don’t spoil, but they fade, so give the jar a sniff before you use it.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Homemade Chili Powder: Our everyday chili powder blend, without the smoke.
- Green Chili Powder: Dried green chilies, ground into a powder of their own.
- Chipotle Dry Rub: Chipotle powder and brown sugar in a smoky rub for barbecue.
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Smoked Chili Powder
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 ancho peppers dried, or dried chipotle peppers, or a mix of the two (not canned chipotles in adobo)
- 1/4 cup cumin seeds
- 1/4 cup smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons oregano dried, Mexican oregano if you have it
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the stems from the dried chilies, split them open and shake out the seeds.
- Place the dried chilies on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake 5 to 10 minutes, until the remaining liquid in the dried chilies is removed (crisp to the touch, but not burned). Let them cool for a few minutes, then break them into pieces.
- In a dry skillet over medium heat (or in a toaster oven), toast the cumin seeds until fragrant, stirring often so they don’t burn.
- Using a mortar and pestle (or spice grinder), crush the chilies and cumin seed into a fine powder.
- Place the chili/cumin mix into a bowl, then add remaining ingredients. Mix until fully combined.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container.
I have Ancho powder. How much of the powder would you suggest I use in place of 8 to 10 ancho peppers?