Easy Homemade Seasoning Blends

Making your own seasoning blends is quick, easy and budget friendly. Mix up some jars to match your favourite to suit your favourite recipes and instant flavour will always be just one jar away

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Easy seasoning blends to make at home

Of course you can buy seasoning blends and mixes from the store, but with homemade you can control the taste, heat and freshness, and tailor that blend just for you.

See also

A short guide to Middle Eastern spices
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Also you know exactly what is going into them – I had a quick look at the ingredients in some of the most popular blends from the big name brands and it was fairly shocking.

As well as the spices they contained somewhat dubious ingredients such as:- Maltodextrin, sunflower oil, anti caking agents, fat powder (containing lactose) and half of them seem to be packed with salt and sugar.

No thanks! I don’t need or want any of these added to a jar of seasoning – and with people increasingly looking to reduce their consumption of ultra processed foods, neither do you!

Sugar and salt are amongst the cheapest things you can buy by weight, and I am not buying an expensive jar of seasoning which has been bulked out with cheap as chips ingredients.

I also LOVE the easy convenience of everything being in one jar – and by making a blend it is easy to accurately add a small amount of one strongly tasing ingredient to a dish.

Why make your own seasoning blends

Have you read the labels on some of them? By making your own you are guaranteed UPF free and allergy friendly blends. Regardless of diet seasoning blends do not need gluten, dairy or processed seed oils.
You can tailor flavour and ingredients to your taste.
You have control over the freshness.
Only one spice jar to open when making your favourite dishes.
Far far cheaper than buy tiny jars of ready mixed spices and herbs.

All-purpose seasoning blend

This is my kitchen rescue remedy which sits at the front of the shelf, and is the one I reach for when I need a I-can’t-be-bothered-to-think boost to fridge bottom dinners which need a bit of perking up.

It works in any savoury dish and fixes recipes that haven’t worked out quite as you planned. I’m not suggesting you use it in everything rather than the blends below, but it is a great one to keep on hand.

All-Purpose Seasoning

This homemade seasoning blend is one to keep on standby for whenever you need a quick flavour boost for last minute cooking or a dish that just needs more.

It's based around garlic & onion powder, with dried herbs, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.

European seasoning blends

Herby and astringent or brimming with earthy spices, these easy blends bring an instant sense of place to a dish.

Italian Seasoning

A simple blend of dried herbs and garlic that is delicious used as a rub for meat, in tomato-based sauces, in bean stews and so much more. This is a herby seasoning, with dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and parsley.

Use this in my Italian dressing, or in my baked Italian chicken, or crispy Italian chicken thighs.

a bowl of freshly mixed Mediterranean seasoning

Mediterranean Seasoning Recipe

This easy to make Mediterranean seasoning mix will add a touch of summer sunshine to your cooking even on the dullest days. Packed with fragrant Mediterranean herbs it will transform chicken, lamb, and is perfect for adding flavour to sauces, marinades, soups, stews and casseroles.

I use this in a Mediterranean dressing, or to season crispy chicken thighs.

Pizza Seasoning

With herbs and warming spice and just a touch of heat, this blend is a burst of the Italian south, perfect for pizzas, dips and sauces. Oregano and basil are the main flavours, but also with thyme and paprika.

Delicious on a homemade pizza, or in a tomato or marinara sauce. I’d also add a pinch to any tomato soup recipes which needs a little TLC.

Greek Seasoning

Herbs are the heart of Greek cooking and this herbal blend is instant Aegean sunshine, ready to brighten up roast meats, vegetable stews, fish and all kinds of sauces. It's based around oregano, thyme, rosemary, and dill.

Use this in my Greek dressing, a Greek rice dish, Greek chicken and rice one pot, or my Greek salmon.

Spanish Seasoning

An earthy, aromatic blend that is perfect in the robust stews and roast meat dishes of Spain. Particularly good with pork or fish. Spice forward, using saffron, turmeric, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin and coriander, but also with oregano, and thyme.

Delicious in my Spanish chicken with rice one pot, and my pinto bean soup.

A spoonful of orange paella spice mix in a small wooden spoon, being taken from a jam jar.

Paella Seasoning

A vibrant, aromatic, golden spice blend that is perfect for Valencia's favourite dish; it's also perfect in rice dishes. Smoked paprika and garlic powder are combined with cayenne pepper and oregano.

Try in a rice one pot, or a vegetable paella.

Spicy and hot blends

Heat up your dishes with these assertive seasoning blends to spice up your dishes with flavours from around the world.

Shish Kebab Seasoning

A fragrant, spicy mix that is so good on roasted and grilled meats. Produces an authentic Kebab shop flavouring for fabulous fakeaway cooking. It's based around black pepper, ground coriander seed, garlic powder, turmeric and cinnamon.

If you grill this will become a staple – use it in both lamb shish kebabs and chicken kebabs.

Peri Peri Seasoning

Very, very spicy and very, very good, peri peri is the African-Portuguese fusion flavour that has transformed the world of casual dining across the globe. You don't need fancy branded sauces, just this delicious spice mix.

It's based on regular and smoked paprika, with oregano, parsley, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and coriander seed.

This is essential for a Nandos at home fakeaway. Sprinkle over peri peri chips, use in Nandos chicken, or add to homemade Nandos rice to spice it up.

berberé, a reddish powdered spice mix, in a small white serving dish on a ceramic tile.

Berbere

A hot and earthy East African spice blend from the Horn of Africa and an essential ingredient in Ethiopian stews. It's a mix of whole and ground spices, based on dried chillies, cardamon pods and coriander and cumin seeds, backed up by smoked paprika and ground turmeric, amongst other ingredients.

I like to sprinkle a pinch over hummus to give it kick, or add to a spicy soup.

a bowl of the reddish ochre seasoning blend

Chilli con carne seasoning

Chili seasoning mix saves both time and effort when making a chili. Adjust the mixture to your taste for the perfect warming bowl of chili exactly as you like it.

This is my go to blend for every time you make a chilli recipe, especially good in my classic chilli con carne.

Taco Seasoning

Make your taco Tuesday a breeze with this easy one stop one jar seasoning mix, which is cheaper and tastier than one from the store, and totally adaptable to your taste.

If you love tacos, then make making them easy with this one jar mix. Perfect for my leftover chicken tacos, or turkey tacos.

Fajita Seasoning

Fajita seasoning is a fantastic multi-purpose spice blend, with warming chilli powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. Extra layers of flavour are added with garlic, oregano and coriander. It makes making tasty fajitas a breeze!

Use in either my leftover chicken fajitas, or leftover turkey fajitas.

a bowl of crispy freshly cooked French fries sprinkled with fry seasoning

Fry Seasoning (Chip Seasoning)

This is the quickest and easiest way to take chips to the next level, making a home-made burger and fries a real treat. Simple to make, you’ll always keep a jar in the cupboard.

This is a favourite, for skinny fries, fat chips or even crispy gnocchi. Delicious with a burger that is dripping with homemade burger sauce.

Pilau Rice Seasoning

This pilau rice seasoning is my one jar solution to easily making flavour infused pilau rice at home. Colourful and tasty, it's a store cupboard essential if you regularly cook Indian fakeaway.

Once you master making pilau rice you will never buy or order it in again, I usually make on the stove top but Instant Pot pilau rice is as easy when cooking for a large group. The ideal accompaniment to any of my British Indian Restaurant curry recipes.

Gyro Seasoning

Gyro seasoning is a Greek spice blend made with Mediterranean herbs – oregano and thyme, as well as delicious warming spices. A one jar solution for making authentic tasting chicken, lamb and beef gyros, and for flavouring vegetables.

Use this Gyro seasoning in any of my kebab recipes to add a Greek note.