No Fuss Chili Seasoning

Baby it’s cold outside but things are getting hot in the kitchen! It’s chili season here at our place!

There’s really nothing better on a cold day than a steamy bowl of chili and a slice of cornbread (or two). I’ve got a no fuss chili seasoning recipe that will be sure to satisfy your tastebuds!

I ditched the packaged chili seasonings long ago when I realized they were filled with not just spices, but unnecessary fillers and chemicals. Most people have these simple spices in their cabinets anyways, so it’s really no big deal to throw it together.

I tend to make chili a little different each time…sometimes I’ll use beef, sometimes venison, and occasionally when my husbands not looking I’ll make a meat free chili. I like to add a dark beer or lager to the pot and let it simmer for hours, and sometimes I have less than an hour to pull it together for dinner.

No matter how I’m cooking it, I always use the same seasonings and my crew will chow down! Here it goes…

For every one pound of meat use:

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 Tablespoons cumin

2 tsp salt

1tsp cayenne

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp crushed pepper flakes

Pinch of sugar to combat the acidity of the tomato sauce. (Occasionally I’ll use honey, molasses, agave, or stevia)

Simple as that!

I’ll admit, sometimes I don’t even properly measure the spices and just eyeball it. Once you figure out what flavors you really love in your chili you can add a little more of this or a little less of that. Make it your own!

You can experiment with by adding in a beer like I mentioned before, hot peppers, or even coffee for a rich a flavor.

This winter I’ve been using my own homemade tomato sauce, but there’s plenty of good tomato bases at the grocery store as well.

In the end, chili is extremely versatile and you can’t really mess it up! Happy chili season…