We all have a heavy hand from time to time. But being heavy-handed with chili powder can quickly turn a dish from delicious to a devilish disaster. So if you’ve used too much chili powder, what can you do to save that meal from the scrap heap? Try one of the solutions below, and you may very well save that dish after all. Note, these fixes work for both chili powder (the seasoning blend) as well as chili powder (or chile powder) that’s a single ingredient, like chipotle powder.
For soups and stews, add more water
Thinning down the broth base is a quick solution to diluting the chili powder more in the meal. Careful on how far you go, though. You don’t want your savory stew turning into a watered-down soup-ish mess. If you’ve over-spiced with the chili powder seasoning blend, you’ll want to open up that spice rack and get common blend ingredients at hand to rebalance your meal. Spices like cumin, oregano, and garlic are in the seasoning and you’ll want to add that depth back.
Learn More: What’s In Chili Powder?
For chilies: Add more tomatoes or beans
These veggies will help soak up some of that extra chili powder, and who doesn’t like a chili that’s chock full of beans and tomatoes? With the tomatoes, gauge your current chili thickness. You may want to strain the crushed tomatoes prior to adding so that the extra water doesn’t thin your chili too much.
Throw in a dash of sugar
The spicy flavors can be muted somewhat with a little extra sweetness. Like with water, use the sugar in moderation. A simple teaspoon may be just enough, and that amount won’t affect your meal’s taste that much. For chilies, brown sugar works very well. Just be aware, this doesn’t remove any spiciness, it simply masks it some. It may be just enough, but you can also pair this option with another that works well to decrease spiciness.
Increase the amount you are making (without adding more chili powder again)
If your current mix is too hot, you could simply double up on the recipe amounts and cut out chili powder the second time. This will lower the heat due to increased dilution of the powder.
For chicken and seafood, serve with citrus
A lemon or lime wedge can be an impromptu at-the-table fix to a dish that’s too spicy with chili powder. The acidity of the citrus cuts the heat. It’s why you see many spicy dishes served with lime wedges.
Serve your dish with sour cream (or another dairy-based ingredient)
If it’s the spiciness that’s at issue and not an overall sense of “over-spiced”, sour cream can be your answer. Milk, sour cream, and other dairy products actually lower the spiciness by affecting the capsaicin in the chili powder (the chemical that creates the feeling of heat.) Chili powders are often used with Mexican cuisine, and that’s a perfect pairing with sour cream. But it can work in many other instances, too.
Must-read related posts
- Ancho Powder Vs. Chili Powder Seasoning Blend: How do they compare?
- What’s In Chili Powder Seasoning? The blend has a lot more than crushed chilies.
- Homemade Green Chili Powder: Yes, not every version has to be red!
Thank you from an 82 year old cook.
Thank you for the suggestion of using brown sugar to tone down chilli in soup it worked very grateful for the suggestion