What is the Difference Between Chili Powder and Chipotle Powder

Slofoodgroup Team July 23, 2022

Are Chili Powder and Chipotle Powder the Same?

In a recent article, we looked into the difference between chili powder and chile powder, revealing that, while chili powder is a multi-ingredient powder that can vary from one spice mix to another, chile powder is simply dried, ground, chile peppers. Additionally, there are as many chile powders as there are chile pepper varieties. 

The traditional chili pepper powder does use ground chile peppers, but also includes other ingredients, such as Mexican oregano and ground cumin seed. Quite often, it also includes salt, garlic powder, paprika (actually, this is just a mostly mild chile powder) and dried onion powder. Though used in many dishes, the primary use for chili powder is in—you guessed it—chili. 

One of the most popular chile powders is chipotle pepper powder. Made from ripe jalapeños that have been smoked, dried, and ground, it  adds loads of smokey, peppery flair to everything it is added to, but it isn’t often found in commercial chili powders, so we’ve created our own to be used in your next batch of chili con carne! We also added a few surprising ingredients in our chili powder. Read on to see what they are 

Homemade Chipotle Chili Powder 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons chipotle pepper powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin seed
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried onion powder
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ceylon cinnamon 

Procedure

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Use right away or store in an air-tight container until use.

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We love using this homemade chipotle chili powder in a big batch of chile con carne, but feel free to incorporate it into any other recipe your heart desires. 

Here are some ideas: 

• Use it as a dry rub on a flank steak, skirt steak, flap steak, or flat iron steak and use it to make carne asada tacos. Top with a bit of cotija cheese, cilantro, and white onions and you’ll have a delicious chipotle steak streat taco. 
• Mix it with sour cream and cream of chicken soup to create a chipotle cream sauce for your next batch of chicken enchiladas.
• Sprinkle it over your7-layer taco dip for an added kick and bring it to your next summer pot-luck.
• Rub it on your chicken wings prior to popping them on/in the grill, smoker, oven, or crock pot. Mix together some crema, salt, and fresh chopped cilantro to use as a dipping sauce. 
• Stir it into soups to add a level of smokiness and heat. 
• Mx it with more salt and use it to rim a margarita or bloody Mary. 
• Sprinkle it on watermelon, mango, or pineapple.