Use your dehydrator (or oven) to make your own chili flakes at home. They’re perfect for dashing over pizza or any other food for a bit of zing and flavor. A great way to preserve your pepper harvest.
If your garden is exploding with chili peppers, a great way to preserve them is to make your own Homemade Chili Flakes. It's surprisingly easy, and yields the freshest, most vibrant chili flakes you'll ever have.
All you need, aside from your fresh chili peppers, is either a dehydrator or an oven. I prefer my dehydrator, as it is the most foolproof method.
I usually pick many, many pounds of peppers from the garden each year and preserve as much of them as I can. See my Preserving Chili Peppers section for other methods, though homemade chili flakes are one of my favorites.
Why I Love Chili Flakes
Chili flakes are great to have around. They're a super seasoning. You can sprinkle them over anything you'd like for a nice pop of heat and flavor. And, the great thing about making them at home is, you can make any type you'd like.
When you purchase them from the store, you're basically limited to the singular crushed red pepper flakes usually made from cayenne peppers, the same stuff you get at every pizza place across America. I've never understood why there isn't more crushed pepper variety. Don't get me wrong. I love the stuff served with my pizza, but as a chili pepper aficionado, I like a bit of variety. Don't you?
So let's make our own!
I HIGHLY recommend using a dehydrator for this, my friends. You CAN use your oven to dry your peppers, but the process is so much smoother and easier with a dehydrator. And yes, that is basically all we have to do is dry some of our favorite peppers.
So let's get drying.
How to Make Homemade Chili Flakes - Method
First, wash and dry your preferred chili peppers. I used Squash Red peppers that I grew this year, as they have a nice medium level of heat, but this will work with ANY mild or hot peppers. I often make crushed scorpion peppers for a crazy heat blast. You can even make them with bell peppers for a no-heat version.
Next, slice each pepper in half lengthwise for smaller peppers, or into rings for thicker walled peppers. It is best to cut them into 1/4" or smaller pieces for ease and uniformity of drying.
Set them into your dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 130 degrees F for 12 hours, or overnight. You may need to dehydrate longer, depending on the air conditions.
If oven drying, you need to keep the heat at the lowest setting possible. Most ovens won't go as low as 130 degrees. If not, spread the peppers out on baking sheets and crack the oven door so keep the temps down and some air flow moving. Air flow is important to dry the peppers evenly.
Learn more about How to Dry Chili Peppers, and also How to Dry Chili Peppers to Make Your Own Seasoning Blends.
When the peppers are completely dried through and brittle, place them in a plastic baggie and seal. Crush them with your hands, or with a towel if your skin is sensitive, as some of the powder may leak through.
Like so...
Finally, pour the crushed peppers/chili flakes into a shaker and use as needed.
You can also use a spice grinder or food processor to make more of a chili powder to make your own spice blends.
Making Chili Flakes - a Great Preserving Method
It really is a great way to preserve a large chili pepper harvest. I have crushed chili flakes all over the house, at our breakfast table, at the bar in our basement, tucked away in drawers. You never know when you're going to need them. Actually, you DO know when you're going to need them. When you're eating!
If you don't have a dehydrator, this is one that I recommend:
Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator - It's an affiliate link, FYI. I started with a Nesco and still use it today.
Also, if you enjoy dehydrating, check out my cookbook - The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook: 95 Incredible Recipes to Turn Up the Heat on Jerky, Hot Sauce, Fruit Leather and More
.
I hope you enjoy your homemade chili flakes!
Safety Advice
When working with hotter peppers, including superhots, it is important to wear gloves when handling the peppers both in raw and dried forms. The oils can get on your skin and cause burning sensations. See above.
Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.
Also, the fumes from the chili peppers and/or the fine powders may get into the air if you are not working in a well ventilated room, so you may want to wear a mask and goggles. Superhot chili peppers, truly, are called superhots for a reason.
Check Out Some of My Other Homemade Seasoning Blends
- Homemade Seasonings/Powders Recipes
- Homemade Cayenne Powder
- Homemade Ghost Powder (from dry red ghost peppers)
- Steak Seasoning Mix
- Homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend
- Homemade Fajita Seasoning
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Homemade Rib Rub
- Chili Crisp
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
How to Make Homemade Chili Flakes – Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chili peppers of choice
Instructions
- Clean and dry your chili peppers.
- Slice each in half lengthwise for smaller peppers, or into rings for thicker walled peppers.
- Set them into your dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 130 degrees F for 12 hours, or overnight. You may need to dehydrate longer, depending on the air conditions.
- When the peppers are completely dried through and brittle, place them in a plastic baggie and seal. Crush them with your hands, or with a towel if your skin is sensitive, as some of the powder may leak through.
- Pour into a shaker and use as needed.
- The crushed chili flakes will last indefinitely, though they will lose color and potency over time. They’re best used within a year.
Notes
Nutrition Information
PJ says
I love dehydrating my own peppers. I don't have the space to grow my own so I rely on our local farmers market. I purchase a few pounds at a time, bring them home and prepare them for drying. I do mostly habanero and jalapeno's. I have a colleague who found them to be excellent and he now offers to buy them from me. He and I are the only ones who can tolerate the 'heat'. I've been following your pages for some time and I am intrigued by a man who can cook, no less, create his own recipes! I was married to a man who couldn't make a peanut butter sandwich (or just plain didn't 'want' to). Keep up the great work you do, it's very much appreciated.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, PJ. Glad you are enjoying the site. Yes, dehydrating is essential for great flavors and preserving. I just love it. I appreciate the comments.
Mel says
I tried this recipe last summer.. I don't have a dehydrator , I strung some together and hung them in our porch and let Ma Nature do her thing.. I know it takes longer to dry them but the end result was fantastic. I used Jalapeno's, two Carolina Reapers and a green variety (locally grown that no one knows what they are ). I live on the Greek island of Corfu, the temps in July reach around 37c , in August temps are 40c+ ,so no probs in them drying. Thanks again Mike for a fantastic recipe..
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Outstanding! Sounds wonderful, Mel! Thanks for sharing.
Mark says
*Apologies if this post duplictes*
I dried some chocolate habs in the oven for a few hours. Most turned out dried but I realized some still have a mild amount of moisture when I started breaking them up in the bag. So I put them on a plate and put them in my shed, which gets plenty of sun. I wouldn't think it would take much longer to dry. Would this work or is there a better way to save what I did?
Thanks as always!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
All good, Mark!
Mark says
Thanks for the tips! I dried some chocolate habs in the oven but it looks like some weren't completely dried out when I started breaking. I put them on a plate and am currently airing in my shed right now, which gets plenty of sun. Do you think that will work, or is there a better way to save them?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Mark. You can continue to dry them that way, but if there is any moisture in the air, they could potential rot or get infected, so keep an eye on them. Good air flow is idea. A dehydrator is best. Let me know how it goes.
EZ says
I have a large dehydrator that I use for large batches. I also have an air fryer which has a dehydrator setting which I use for smaller batches, which would be perfect for chili flakes. Some air fryer brands have this setting which starts out at 130 dF and 4 hours but the temperature and time can be adjusted up or down.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for the info, EZ!
brent says
This is my third time making this since I've discovered this article and they keep getting better.
Yours is still the best method, Mike: flaking them up by hand. So many DIY's say a spice grinder is the best way but that will ruin the coarse consistency to me.
For first-timers: I don't own a dehydrator, I do these from store-bought dried chiles (Mexican aisle usually) that I leave in the sun for a few days. This time was a bag of arbols with dried habaneros: a fiery red and black concoction. Wow.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Brent! I appreciate it!
Kathy says
Mike,
We are new to Florida, renowned for its humidity, can I dry my peppers in a dehydrator that will sit outside? I hesitate to do it inside the house because of irritates that may be released. Thx.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kathy, you should be able to do it, but you may want to restrict times to overnight, when humidity is at its lowest. Humidity can definitely affect the overall drying process. I often dehydrate in my garage for this reason. Also, try to do small batches when humidity is high. This will take less overall time. Let me know how it goes for you. I'd love to share your experience here.
M, B says
My peppers are green on the plant do I pick now or will they turn red ?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
It depends on the pepper type. You CAN pick them when green, and some are meant to be, but I would probably wait until they turn red for some nice, vibrant red chili flakes. Let me know how it goes.
brent says
It's been 7 months since I first used your recipe to DIY.
And I've eaten the entire shaker jar and want to do it again.
As mentioned, I don't have a dehydrator and made mine with a bag of chile de arbols. It was a success but it's gone.
Question: instead of all arbols, what would you recommend as a nice, sharp crushed pepper blend with the arbol? A dried guajillo? Tepins or pequins?
I don't think a smoked pepper is appropriate or is it? I'm in a region where I have access to nearly every dried Mexican pepper under the sun, including, ironically, the japones as well.
Thanks for any insight. I'm ready to do this again.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Brent. I love it. Personally, I would play with different combinations of those crushed pods, or add them into a grinder to grind over foods. Smoky is great, but yes, can sometimes be overpowering in the combo. I like more spicy, so lean toward arbols for flakes, but LOVE anchos and guajillos.
Mike Connelly says
This is my first comment so please excuse me if I'm out of line but I've been dehydrating my own chiles for many years and I mix them. My real reply is about smoking the peppers for use in mixtures. I smoke my own peppers and use hot as well as mild peppers with a mild smoke. Usually a fruit wood or pecan. That way I get the exact smoke that I want. Once smoked, then I dehydrate and mix if desired or grind for powder.
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds wonderful, Mike. I actually have a post on this as well, How to Smoke Peppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/preserving-chili-peppers/how-to-smoke-chili-peppers/
JEANNE D TEAL says
Hi! I have many frozen peppers from summer harvest. If I dehydrated them, will I achieve the same result?
Thanks,
Jeanne
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jeanne, yep, you can dehydrate frozen peppers. Just thaw them then try to dry them out a bit first to save some dehydrating time. Enjoy!
brent says
I respect the American restaurant supply companies for giving me consistency for decades. It's tasted the same everywhere and I know how much I can shake on a pizza slice in many states of the union. Like some mutant proprietary strain or blend of red chiles---I never thought they were cayenne-derived but I'm often wrong.
I'm going to DIY.
My region has a big turnover of bagged, dried chiles at many markets. Sun-dried and bagged (except for the smoked ones), I'm guessing, is the manufacturing process. Could get quite a variety of heat for 79 cents a bag...
It's not your garden-to dehydrator-to table...but is this a doable venture? See any pitfalls going the store-bought DIY route?
Thanks.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Brent, absolutely. You could sell at farmer's markets, etc, though if you are seeking an eventual commercial endeavor, you'd need to look into state laws. But I know of people who sell their peppers in various forms all the time.
brent says
I don't think I made myself understood. Sometimes I get excited about peppers. I was basically asking if you think I'd have success making homemade pepper flakes from dried store chiles instead of dehydrator (I don't have one) chiles?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Oh, sorry, yes! Absolutely, my bad. You can absolutely use dried peppers from the store to make chili flakes the exact same way. The only thing to look out for is - some of them can be quite pliable and not brittle, so when you process them, they won't break down as much. I suggest heating them on very low heat in the oven until they become more brittle, if needed. Then proceed to flake making. Sorry about that. I hope this helps!
brent says
I'm not always clear, it's me. It's getting to be triple digits in my region so I will air dry the pliable chiles. I worry even with a low oven temperature I'd essentially be toasting them or changing their color---and thank you for that info.
Is dehydrating considered toasting?
Last question before I come back and rate this, good sir:
off the top of my head I'm inclined to just keep it simple: arbol and chiletepins with gaujillo to keep it from going over the top. Reasonable? Thanks.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Brent, dehydrating is different from toasting in that the temperatures are lower. Toasting will scorch the peppers with higher heat, where dehydrating uses warm air and heat to remove all of the moisture from the peppers, leaving the dry husk. I believe your choice of peppers would make for a nice blend of chili flakes. You'll get a nice mix of flavor and heat. Let me know how it turns out for you.
brent says
Sorry to bug you so much on this one, sincerely. Think we are all tightening our belts and I've thrown $ down the drain on kitchen mis-steps before. Dried outside for 2 days then crushed by hand. Nice deep red. An arbol scorcher and pizza-perfect. A DIY success.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! No bother at all, Brent. Glad you enjoyed them!
abraham says
can i sun dry my peppers to do this?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Abraham, yes, you can do this, but make sure there is very little or no humidity. Many people who air dry their peppers lose them to rot from moisture. I feel a dehydrator is best, but let me know how it goes.
Nik says
Beautiful mate. My first ever season of growing is reaching a fiery crescendo. I was planning to make chilli flakes amongst other things with my bounty. I have 8 bushes that are absolutely booming, fruit everywhere!!!! And as I've kept them all close to each other there looks to have been some cross pollination by the bees going on which is just icing on the cake for me.
Thanks for sharing this recipe, i look forward to trying it real soon. Hopefully I can find morerecipes that I'm capable of following for the other things I want to do (I'm not particularly adept in the kitchen, but I try...)
Cheers mate.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Nik! I appreciate it. If you need any help, let me know! Enjoy.
David says
Bumper crop this year! We have dehydrated a couple batches of jalapenos in the last couple of weeks and turned them into chili flakes for our shakers using this recipe. No more raiding those little pizza packets . . . it takes forever to fill the shaker not to mention a small mountain of packets.
Will be looking into making some of your powder mixes soon. Thanks for the great content!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, David! Glad it worked out for you! I've already made several large batches this year. Looking forward to enjoying it all year long.
agentshags says
So I tried my first batch, all some Scorpions my mother (bless her heart) grew for me. I'm a fan of pain by heat, but oh boy was this hot. So much so that im thinking it might be (god forbid) too hot for daily use lol. Do you have any good blends that tame the heat just a tiny bit, or that add a complexity to the flavor? I wish we had our normal abundance of basic habaneros this year! I think they might help, but I would love to hear any of your favorite blends of peppers for a mixed flake! Even if it wont help this year, maybe i can plan for next?
Also, love your site!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks! Yeah, pure scorpions are going to be pretty awesomely hot. Depending on your heat preference, I suggest mixing them with milder chili flakes. You can dry bell peppers and mix the scorpion flakes to really even things out. Test out some ratios. Bell peppers have a TON of flavor. Another ideas is to grind the flakes into a powder then mix it with some other ingredients to make a seasoning blend. Just a little will go a long way, of course! Let me know if you want any other suggestions.
Jay says
I tried recipe its best
I use Tikku Chilli Flakes rather make it my own
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jay!
Maggie Viken says
What do you think is the variety of chili pepper used to make commercial chili flakes? Thank you
Mike Hultquist | Chili Pepper Madness says
Maggie, there are many different red peppers used to make commercial flakes. Cayenne is popular, as is paprika, and often mixtures.
Lydia says
Where can I find chili pepper seeds?
REPLY: Lydia, check the Pepper Seeds Resources page here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/resources/chili-seeds -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Louisa says
I am fermenting products as a business and have started to make fermented hot sauce this year and was looking at ways to include more chilli products to my range. I am definitely going to include chilli flakes and also maybe a chilli and garlic shake. Thank you for a great newsletter and website!
Mat says
Hi!
I have a batch of chillis that I froze last year. Perhaps a silly question, but are they able to be dried? May take longer but do you know if it even works or will I lose them all?
( 🙁 I wish I'd dried them instead of freezing)
REPLY: Mat, yes, you CAN dry frozen peppers. You are correct that it may take longer. Just be sure to thaw them and chop them as needed. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Noel says
Yep - do that now
Thanks