Who has Made their own chili powder and Thoughts?

[Old Glory]

I made the Meat Head version for my last chili and it was great.

[58limited]

Way to revive an old thread, and just when I was looking for something like this! I am starting to come up with my own chili powder blend (as in only chilies, I plan to add cumin, etc. separately in recipes). I have twelve varieties of dried chilies and I've toasted and ground small batches of most of them. I'll be tasting each and trying to make a blend with a good flavor profile and heat level - the true test will be to see how well it makes a good Texas chili.

[gcdmd]

Please keep us posted.

[texastweeter]

Mine is meatheads recipe, except I use the Chili's from our farm. Anchor, chipotle, and guajillo. I also substitute Mexican oregano for the traditional oregano (Mediterranean). Takes everything to another level, and I am serious about my Texas Red.

[texastweeter]

To raise heat level, I add smoked ghost chili powder to it from the farm too.

[Tax Man]

I have smoked dried guajillo chilis several times on my PBC. After smoking, I dry completely in the oven (low temp), allow to cool then grind. The resulting chili powder has a wonderful smoky, earthy taste. This has become my go to chili powder.

[gcdmd]

Do you remove the stems and seeds before smoking?

[Tax Man]

I do remove the seeds and stems. As I am using dried chilis, removing the seeds is pretty easy; just cut off the stem and shake the seeds out. I don't re-hydrate the dried chili's prior to smoking but I do sprinkle some water on them occasionally as they are smoking.

After I'm done smoking a roast or whatever, there is typically enough charcoal left to go another couple hours. This is when I throw a basket of dried chilis on. I don't monitor the temps-just let the peppers go until the fire has burned down.

[Dewesq55]

I was using a slightly different recipe before joining AR and finding Meathead's. I switched to Meathead's for a while but have gone back to the previous one:

For mildness and flavor:
4 Ancho chiles (or 4 Tablespoons of ancho powder)
2 Dried New Mexico chiles
1 Dried Guajillo chile
2 Dried japanese chiles

For heat:
1-2 Chiles de arbol (or teaspoon cayenne) (optional)

For flavor:
2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted (or ground roasted cumin)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons ground oregano (Mexican oregano, if you can get it)
1 teaspoon chipotle powder

Preheat your oven to 300F.

Remove stems and seeds from all the chiles. Cut each chile in half with scissors and flatten the pieces. Incidentally, good dried chiles will still have some moisture in them and be fairly pliable.

Put the chiles in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove the pan and check the chiles (they cool almost immediately). The smaller chiles will be toasted first, so remove them and set aside. Bake the larger pieces another 4 minutes and check again. The anchos will be done last, but as portions of them toast, break them off and set aside returning the pan to the oven if necessary.

When all chiles are toasted and crispy, break each piece into two or three pieces and place in a blender. Pulse briefly until you have powder.

Toast the cumin seeds by placing them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir the seeds constantly being very careful not to let them scorch. When they are a few shades darker than the untoasted seeds, they are ready. Grind the toasted seeds in a spice grinder.

Add the ground cumin, garlic powder and oregano to the ground chiles in the blender. Pulse a few more times to thoroughly mix the powder, and you're through. You should have about 1 cup of chili powder, depending upon the size of your chiles.

Of late I have been leaving out the arbols and adding cayenne or Indian "extra hot red chile powder" separately to whatever I am making/cooking to taste. I think it makes the chili powder more versatile. I generally am able to find Mexican oregano (at least before the pandemic) so usually use that. I grind them up and mix everything together in a Magic Bullet-type personal blender and just keep the finished product in the blender cup with a non-bladed top on it.