Easy Homemade Chili Powder Made in a Mortar and Pestle
Last updated: May 2026
Have you ever wondered how chili powder is made? You can easily make it at home using your mortar and pestle!
Chili powder is crushed into a beautiful red powder that is used for different cuisines in different cultures. By making your own you can control the spiciness and you'll know that no additives are in your chili powder compared to the store-bought products. Properly stored it can last for a couple of years.
We are sharing with you a simple recipe for a Thai red chili powder with just 2 ingredients: 200g chilies and 1 tsp of salt.
Save this recipe for later and let us know your favorite dish which you think needs chili powder.
Thank you again @shitmendycooks for sharing this recipe with us.
Why in the KROK
Dried chilies are brittle, lightweight, and frustratingly prone to sliding around rather than breaking down. A spice grinder slices them into uneven shards with partially intact skins, while the KROK's unpolished Thai granite interior grips the chili pieces so the heavy pestle can crush them into a uniform, fine powder. That stone-on-stone crushing ruptures the dried skins and seeds completely, releasing the full spectrum of capsaicin and fruity aroma that blade grinders leave trapped inside larger bits.
Dry the fresh chilies in the sun for 3-4 days (you can also use a dehydrator or slowly dry them in the oven). If you have dried chilies, proceed to step 2.
Add the chilies and salt into a pan on low heat and keep stirring for about 15-20 min or until chilies turn dark (see photos). The salt will help the chilies to roast and not burn.
Let the chilies cool down before placing them in your KROK mortar. Pound until it turns into powder.
Store in a sealed jar or container up to a couple of years.
Recipe Note
To reduce the spiciness, you can deseed your chilies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you grind large batches of dried chilies in a mortar and pestle?
Not all at once. A mortar and pestle excels at small-batch spice grinding — roughly 20 to 30 grams per batch is the practical limit for even, fine powder. Attempting to pound a large volume in one go leaves you with uneven chunks and exhausted arms. For this recipe, work in 3–4 smaller batches, transferring the finished powder to a sealed jar between rounds. The KROK's 3-cup bowl handles these smaller batches easily, and the heavy pestle makes quick work of dried chili skins without the motor burnout risk of an electric grinder.
Is the KROK mortar and pestle good for grinding dried chilies into powder?
Yes. The KROK's dense granite and unpolished interior grip lightweight, brittle dried chilies efficiently, preventing them from sliding around under the pestle. The heavy stone pestle crushes dried chili skins and seeds into a fine, uniform powder more completely than blade grinders, which often leave larger fibrous bits behind. For best results, toast the chilies first and let them cool completely before grinding; the mortar will not overheat them the way a running spice grinder can.
How long does homemade chili powder last?
Properly stored in an airtight glass jar away from heat, light, and moisture, homemade mortar-ground chili powder lasts up to 2 years. Because you are grinding whole dried chilies with no additives, the natural capsaicin and oils remain stable far longer than pre-ground commercial powders, which often contain anti-caking agents and lose potency within 6 months. Grinding in small batches as needed ensures the freshest, most vibrant heat.
Leave a comment