[HowTo] Homemade Smoked Chili Flakes

Smoked chili powder from siling haba

Homemade Smoked Chili Flakes

Make a fragrant, smoky chili powder using locally available siling haba (siling pansigang). This version balances clean flavor with controlled heat and safe, shelf-stable storage.

Equipment and ingredients

• Chilies: Fresh siling haba (Capsicum annuum), firm and unblemished
• Smoking wood chips: Sakura (cherry) and Japanese walnut wood chips, or any mild hardwood
• Tools: Paring knife, cutting board, cold smoker, wire rack, air fryer with dehydrator function (or dehydrator/low oven), spice grinder, fine sieve (optional), clean spice jar
• Add-ons: Food-safe silica gel packet (moisture absorber)

Prep the chilies

1. Wash and dry: Rinse chilies thoroughly and pat completely dry.
2. Cut and de-seed: With a paring knife, make a lengthwise slit on one side and remove most seeds and pith.
3. Heat control: Leaving more seeds/pith increases spiciness and a slight bitterness; remove more for a cleaner flavor.
4. Arrange for airflow: Lay chilies in a single layer on a wire rack or perforated tray to expose all sides.

Fresh chilis from the market

Smoke for depth of flavor (cold smoking)

1. Prepare the smoker: Arrange the chilies in the wire rack to ensure unobstructed airflow on all sides.
2. Wood balance: Use a mix of Sakura and Japanese walnut chips for a light, sweet smoke; avoid resinous woods.
3. Smoke time: 30 minutes is a good baseline.
4. Alternately, you can also hot smoke the chilies, just make sure that you control the temperature so as not to cook the chilies.

Dehydrate to brittleness

1. Temperature: Set your air fryer’s dehydrator to 50-60°C (122-140°F). If using an oven, use the lowest setting and prop the door slightly open for airflow.
2. Duration: Dry for ~12 hours, or until chilies feel uniformly brittle and snap cleanly. Faster drying: The slit helps; rotate trays every 3-4 hours for even dehydration.
3. Confirm dryness: Break one chili. There should be no leathery flex, no inner moisture. If in doubt, continue for 1-2 hours more.

After 12 hours in the dehydrator

Grind and finish

1. Pulse grind: Use short pulses in a spice grinder until you reach a fine, even powder.
2. Optional sieve: Pass through a fine sieve to remove flakes or seed fragments for a smooth texture.
3. Cool before storing: Let powder cool to room temperature to avoid condensation.

Store for longevity

• Container: Transfer to a dry, airtight spice jar.
• Moisture control: Add a food-safe silica gel packet to prevent caking.
• Storage conditions: Keep in a cool, dark place. For peak aroma, use within 3 months.

Notes, tweaks, and troubleshooting

• Flavor tuning: Shorter smoke = cleaner chili notes; longer smoke = deeper, darker profile. Heat management: More pith/seeds retained = hotter, slightly more bitter. For balanced heat, remove pith but keep some seeds.
• Color preservation: Lower dehydration temps help maintain green-to-olive hues and fresher aromatics.
• Yield: Roughly 10–12 grams of powder per 100 grams of fresh chilies, depending on seed removal and dryness.
• Cross-contamination: Clean grinder thoroughly if you also grind spices like coffee or cumin—residual aromas travel.
• If spiciness is your thing, adapt this recipe using siling labuyo, incorporating the seeds (Capsicum frutescens). Make sure to still do the incision to hasten the dehydration process.