Hey guys, I’m looking for a recommendation on a mild chili powder for making chili.

I currently use a New Mexico light and dark chili powder from the San Antonio Brand. While I enjoy the slight heat those powders give to my chili, my 6 year old does not and has specifically asked me to use something less spicy. I want to avoid the McCormick powder (good but I want to avoid the added salt since I’m adding a whole mess of other salty ingredients to begin with).

As chili season approaches, does anyone have a type or brand that they use?

lean into the sweet flavors of fresh dried chilis to help balance it instead of just powders. take 5 dried ancho (poblano) that are very flexible and still smell strongly like raisins. You can find these at any good mexican food store. And get two guajillo chilis. remove the stem and seeds and tear these apart. Then toast them lightly just to warm and release the smells, and then cover them with hot chicken broth for about 30 minutes to an hour to rehydrate. Blend this up into a paste, and use it in your chili. This will give you chili pepper flavor and earthiness, while essentially carrying over the spice level of a bell pepper.

Use less of your preferred powder and add some cumin to replace it.

Less heat and keeps the "chili" flavor because most powders are cumin based.

I've got two spice adverse "customers" for my chili.

I greatly reduced the amount of canned spices and added roasted poblano and carmelized onions.  The poblano does a sweet heat that doesn't burn and the onions add a sweet to the jalapenos I mince and add while cooking the meat.

Good flavor and not too hot for the spice sensitive.

Don't be afraid to play around with fresh peppers and the broiler.

I use either ground New Mexico or California red chili powder, very common in restaurant supply stores.

My typical award winning chili recipe calls for 5 tablespoons of it.  As for cumin, if I use more than a teaspoon, I am guaranteed to have heartburn from it.  Almost nothing gives me heartburn anymore, but cumin is a sure thing.

I have used the reconstituted dried peppers too.  I like to add some Asian chilis to the mix.  After soaking and blending, I run it through a conical metal restaurant type strainer to get the stems and other bits out of it.

It will be chili season soon!  

Thanks for the replys guy, good tips for sure.

@wildearp I just bought some California Red... do you use a 50/50 of the New Mexico and Cali? Also, just out of curiosity, how many pounds of meat do you use for 5 tablespoons? That may be my issue, I typically use 1 pound of meat and 3 tablespoons of New Mexico and a dark powder.

3-5 pounds meat. No powder mix, just keep refilling my bin with both powders.  Both are so similar and mild that nobody would know the difference.

I salt, pepper, and flour my meat chunks and brown/sear the meat first.  This is how I make great chili.  Same meat can turn into stew without the chili powder.  

Chili powder is added after browning, along with some tomato sauce and some chiknz stock.  Slow cook, fast cook, Instant Pot cook.....all works well after the initial sear.  The flour on the meat makes its own roux and there isn't any way to cheat on this that makes a better outcome.

Make cornbread to serve with.

I prepare my meat similarly with the exception of the flour. Sounds like a good idea that I’ll have to try.

I usually make my own, but I've been very happy with Badia's chili powders.  The regular comes with added salt, I opt for the organic., which doesn't.

More mild than what I make, it's good for those who don't like heat.   As always, YMMV....

Might step down to Original or Fort Worth Light from Pendery's, one of the originators of chilli blends:

http://www.penderys.com

If you want to go really old school, try their Chiltomaline but you have to add your own garlic.

I am a former employee, and I keep their New Mexico Light in the freezer.

I use this chili powder recipe from the older chili recipe thread in this forum.

Alton Brown Chili Powder Recipe

I use Arbol, Ancho, and New Mexico chili peppers.  Each is a medium heat profile, the packaging should have a heat scale/rating on the front bottom of the package.

I use twice as much garlic powder and paprika, but also use around four to six of each chili pepper.  I also use regular paprika, not the smoked version.

Great Value garlic powder and paprika from Wal-Mart works just fine for me.  I use the El Club Mexicano products for the peppers and cumin seed, also at Wal-Mart.

This chili powder is very earthy.

When toasting in a skillet, do not walk away, stir frequently, and turn the heat down to med/med low as everything gets a bit of toasty brown so that you don't burn the cumin or pepper pieces.

Transfer to a bowl to cool for about five minutes before grinding in a Blender, not a food processor!

The packets of 'whole' cumin seeds should be right at 2 Tablespoons. Buy at least three or four (cumin packets) per the bags of each 3 peppers, so you have enough for your next batches.

This is so much better than any store bought chili powder.  Not the least bit over harsh like so many are.

That is just about what I use and add a bunch of green jalapeños plus some whole jalapeños floating in the Chilli for those that want them.