Chipotle powder and chilli powder are considered the spices of households. They do have some similarities, but the flavour and taste are what make them distinct.
Chipotle powder is all about the smokiness that the chilli powder doesn’t have chilli powder is composed of other fine spices that chipotle powder doesn’t have.
Key Takeaways
- Chipotle powder is made from smoked and dried jalapeno peppers, while chilli powder is made from various dried chilli peppers.
- Chipotle powder has a smoky and slightly sweet flavor, while chilli powder has a more intense heat and flavor.
- Chipotle powder is commonly used in Tex-Mex cuisine, while chilli powder is used in various dishes and cuisines.
Chipotle Powder Vs Chili Powder
Chipotle powder is made from smoked, dried jalapeno peppers, offering a smoky, slightly sweet and mildly spicy flavor. Chilli powder is a blend of various dried, ground chilli peppers, cumin, oregano, and garlic, used in Mexican and Southwestern US dishes for a robust and spicy flavor.

Chipotle powder has been very common in Mexican dishes. It has got a smoky flavour from dried and ground chipotle chillies. It is hotter than other standard chilli powders in the market.
This powder only adds an extra sausage taste to dishes like grilling ribs and barbecue.
The chilli powder is not only made up of chillies. But the chillies are common in every type of chilli powder.
Different brands use different chilli that might slightly taste different from one another, but in general, chilli powder has a spicy taste and intense smell as it is a blend of spicy ingredients.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Chipotle Powder | Chili Powder |
---|---|---|
Definition | Chipotle powder is made from dried and smoked jalapeno peppers. | Chili powder is a flavor mix that includes chili powder as the basis and other ingredients including cumin powder, oregano, and garlic powder. |
Heat | Medium heat | Mild heat |
Taste | Has a smoky and earthy taste | Spicy and savory. |
Substitution | Smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, gochugaru pepper, and Aleppo pepper. | Crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, and hot sauce. |
Flavor | Smoky flavor | Spicy flavor |
What is Chipotle Powder?
Steve Ells created the casual eatery Chipotle in Denver, Colorado, in 1993. After the smoky jalapeno, he named his restaurant Chipotle. Chipotle does not have any franchises, so the firm entirely owns it.
Chipotle became a publicly-traded company in 2007.
Another name for Chipotle is smoked chile because it got its name from the Nahuatl word “chilpoctli”. A chipotle is a ripe (red) jalapeno that has been smoked and packaged with adobo sauce in compact metal cans.
Chipotle powder is produced entirely of dried and crushed chipotle peppers and has a mild spice with fruity undertones. Grilling rubs, barbecue sauces, and chillies benefit from their smoky heat.
Standard chilli powders lack the smokiness of chipotle powder. Chipotle Morita and Chipotle Meco are America’s most famous types of Chipotle powder.
Procedure To Cook Chipotle:
Remove the stem and clean the jalapenos as ripened jalapenos chipotle. Then, starting at the top, work your way down. Seeds should be removed. Remove the inner membrane, which contains the majority of the capsaicin, for a softer heat profile.
Smoke for 10 to 12 hours at 180°F to 200° or 3-4 hours to allow the peppers to absorb the smoke.
The pepper should next be dried thoroughly in a dehydrator. For a few days, your dehydrator may smell smoky. They can be used anytime a smokey jalapeno flavour is desired. You can ground them for a chipotle powder flavouring if you dehydrate them.

What is Chili Powder?
Chilli powder is a common component in cooking, appearing in approximately 80% of all recipes. Chilli powder adds spiciness to meals and creates a unique flavour profile when combined with other spices.
Chilli powder is created from roasted or dried chilli peppers, and it’s a blend of chillies like ancho, jalapeno, Pasilla, and others, with cumin and sometimes salt or other seasonings thrown in for good measure.
Dried chillies are the primary ingredient in chilli powder. Chillies come in many distinct types throughout the world (for e.g. cayenne pepper, bell pepper, Kashmiri red chilli, etc.).
Every chilli is different in terms of spiciness and look. But regular chilli powder has several filler spice ingredients, such as cumin, onion powder, and salt, which might alter the overall flavour of your food.
In addition, the ingredients in chilli powder differ from one brand to the next. Furthermore, the ingredients will differ significantly if you get it from a local vendor. Even artificial colors are mixed in by the local sellers.
Chilli Powder In Terms Of Health
One tablespoon of chilli powder has 4.8 milligrams of vitamin C in it, which is roughly 8% of your daily vitamin C requirement.
Vitamin C has antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants help your body battle damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable chemicals produced during the energy production process and can increase your chance of developing diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Chilli powder is also high in several essential minerals. One tablespoon has 143.7 milligrams of potassium, which is 4.1 percent of your recommended intake, and 22.7 milligrams of phosphorus, 2.3 percent of your daily intake.

Main Differences Between Chipotle Powder And Chili Powder
- Chipotle powder is made from dried and smoked jalapeno peppers on the other hand, chilli powder is made from dried chillies and other varied spices.
- The heat in chipotle powder is considered to be medium, whereas the heat in chilli powder is considered to be mild.
- Chipotle powder gives the spices an earthy and deep smokiness taste, but chilli powder gives a pungent and mild spice taste.
- The best substitutes for chipotle powder would be Smoked paprika powder, Spanish paprika powder while the best substitutes for chilli powder would be cumin, oregano, and cayenne.
- Dishes like Chili con carne, black bean burgers, loaded avocado quesadillas, cauliflower chipotle tacos with mango lime salsa, etc. use chipotle as the main ingredient, and dishes like black bean chilli, southern-made cheese ball, back ribs, boilermaker tailgate chilli use chilli powder.
