The Best DIY Spices Mixes
If you are looking for ways to spice up your boring chicken and pork, or just want to add a new flavors to your seafood and vegetables, try these homemade spice blends and seasoning mixes!
The most common herbs and spices used in everyday cooking include basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme and dill.
Additionally, other spices like garlic, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, saffron, and cumin are added for interesting combinations.
Check out all these homemade seasoning blends you can make with spices and herbs that you already have in your pantry.
Stop shopping for pre-made spice blends, make your own, and save money in the process. Most store-bought blends contain anti-caking agents, MSG, and too much salt!
Control the level of salt and heat by make your own blends.
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Basic Seasoning Ingredients
Aside from basic salt, pepper, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and nutmeg add these spices and herbs to your pantry and start experimenting with flavor!
- Whole black peppercorns
- Vietnamese Cinnamon
- Chili Powder
- Ginger
- Cumin
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Allspice
- Bay Leaves
- Marjoram
- Dried Mustard
Frequently Asked Questions
Just like adding a few grains of rice to your salt shaker, try adding a few dried beans to your spice mixes. The dried beans will keep the moisture away from your spice mix and keep it from clumping.
When spices are exposed to light, they begin to break down. Dry spices absorb moisture in the air and when ground spices absorb moisture, they often clump and become hard. Be sure to store them in an airtight container.
Salt isn’t a spice or an herb, it’s a mineral. Salt doesn’t add it’s own flavor to a dish, it just enhances the flavor of the dish that it’s added to.
No. Table salt is just fine grains of salt. Seasoning or seasoned salt is a mixture of salt, spices, and other additives.
Spices should be stored in a dark, dry, and cool area in your kitchen. Choose a cabinet or pantry that can be closed if possible.
Glass or metal are great choices for spice storage but the best would be food grade plastic or silicone bags where you can press out any extra air before sealing. I love these spice jars for storing my spice mixes!
Tossing Old Spices
Spices don’t actually go bad or spoil, but they do lose potency. They can actually add bitter or slightly “off” flavors if used past their shelf life. Here is a quick guide to shelf time.
- Ground Spices – keep no longer than 3 years
- Whole Spices – throw out after 4 years
- Leafy Herbs (dried) – throw out after 1 to 2 years
I try and go through my spice cabinet at the start of the new year and check all the expiration dates.
Because I buy most of mine in bulk and have them stored in plastic bags, I make sure I write the date on the bag when I purchase them so I don’t forget.
My Favorite Spice Mixes
1. Fries Seasoning Recipe
Homemade fry seasoning is quick and easy to make and perfect for adding some spice to plain French fries. Try it on fries made in the oven, air fryer, or deep fried!
2. Steak Seasoning
This easy all-purpose steak seasoning blend is delicious on steaks, chicken, fish, pork, and even vegetables. Make it now with simple pantry ingredients that you already have on hand!
3. Simple Chicken Seasoning
Tired of eating boring chicken for dinner? This all purpose chicken seasoning is the perfect way to add flavor and spice to your chicken dishes.
Made with spices already in your pantry, it’s perfect for adding flavor to your chicken tonight! It tastes great on veggies and seafood too!
4. Homemade BBQ Seasoning
Homemade BBQ seasoning mix is easy to make homemade with spices in your pantry. This blend is great for seasoning burgers, steaks, ribs, and can be used as a bbq dry rub!
5. Cajun Seasoning
Homemade Cajun seasoning is the perfect way to add some zest and zing to your meals! Easily made with common spices you have on hand in your pantry already!
6. Everything Bagel Seasoning
This Everything Bagel seasoning is perfect for you if you love a good bagel covered in poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion, garlic, and salt. Better than store bought and made it at home with 5 simple ingredients and in less than a New York Minute!
7. Greek Seasoning
Greek seasoning is quick and easy to make at home and will add lots of flavor to your chicken, pork, steak, and vegetables. The best Greek spice blend is homemade, with simple spices, which means no MSG, low sodium, and gluten free!
8. Adobo Seasoning
Adobo seasoning is the Mexican version of seasoned salt or all purpose seasoning. Make this delicious seasoning for every possible meal with just 5 ingredients that you already have in your pantry.
It is delicious, stores well, and is great in so many recipes!
9. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
This homemade Jamaican Jerk seasoning is easy to make with spices you already have in your pantry and will add extra flavor to any dish you are serving up! It’s perfect for your dips too!
10. Italian Seasoning
Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix is a perfect combination of fragrant spices and herbs that will make a great addition to any recipe. Add it to sauces, pasta dishes, or as a dipping oil!
11. Homemade Enchilada Seasoning
If you are in the mood for Mexican food tonight, make it extra special with homemade enchilada seasoning! Great for pork, beef, or chicken enchiladas.
12. Southwest Seasoning
This homemade Southwest seasoning is quick and easy to make with spices in your own pantry. It is packed with flavor and will add zip and zing to all your dishes!
13. Old Bay Seasoning
Are you prepping a delicious Low Country boil or peel and eat shrimp and need some seafood seasonings but don’t have the right one on hand? This Old Bay seasoning is a great substitute for the store bought version.
14. Meatloaf Seasoning
Transform your traditional meatloaf into a flavor-packed dish with this easy-to-make homemade meatloaf seasoning recipe.
With just a few pantry staples and some herbs and spices, you can create a delicious blend that will take your meatloaf to the next level.
15. Taco Seasoning
Homemade taco seasoning is easy to make and has the perfect blend of spices. Use it to add a zesty flavor all your Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and fajitas!
16. Pizza Seasoning
This pizza seasoning is the perfect homemade spice blend for making pizza and so many other delicious dishes! It’s also great with some oil and crusty bread.
17. Mulling Spices
Mulling Spices are fragrant and perfect for making mulled wine and mulled apple cider to keep you warm in the cool weather months. I love it in my Wassail!
18. Shawarma Spice Mix
Want to make your own tasty shawarma meat at home? Try this homemade shawarma seasoning mix to get you started. Vertical meat stacks not included!
19. Poultry Seasoning
Poultry seasoning is best when homemade and it is super easy to make. The ingredients are most likely in your pantry right now and make the perfect blend to add flavor to chicken, turkey (or use an easy turkey brine) vegetables, and soups!
20. Apple Pie Spice
Apple Pie Spice is a simple and delicious way to add aromatic, warm, Fall spices to a variety of dishes. Skip the store bought and make this essential Fall spice mix for all your holiday baking!
21. Pumpkin Pie Spice
Make your own pumpkin pie spice mix at home and forget the expensive bottles at the store. I like to make my own blend of this classic warming spice and use it in herbal teas and ice creams along with all those pies!
22. Chai Spice Mix
Cozy up with a comforting cup of warm chai tea or chai latte by making your own Chai Spice Mix at home with spices from your own pantry. Easy to make and will have your hands around a spicy mug in no time! It’s also great in a creamy chai dip!
For all the rest, check out the recipes below!
23. All Purpose Seasoning
All-Purpose Seasoning is the kind of pantry staple that makes everyday cooking so much easier! This incredible homemade spice blend combines salt, pepper, garlic, onion, red pepper, cumin, parsley, basil, and more into one colorful, flavor-packed mix that works on absolutely everything.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
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Invaluable! Thank you!!
I think what you have shared is just AMAZING. THANK YOU
I’m trying to get the name of a season that my father used in his resturant over 20 years ago. It came in a yellow canister. And the powdwe was yellow also. He would add garlic power and paprika to it and would use it on fish and seafood that he broiled and for the life of me I cannot think of the name of that seasoning.
I use ground mustard in that way and the Coleman brand used to come in a yellow can. Maybe that was it? Or it could be a yellow curry powder.
@Bill, It was probably Old Bay Seafood Seafood Seasoning. Very popular in the south. Yellow can, and you still buy it today… even online.
I am trying to eliminate Onion and Garlic (FODMAP) while making homemade spice mixes. Any ideas?
You can try adding white pepper, chives, shallots, and leeks. Horseradish is also a great addition. You can probably find dried leeks and shallots online and maybe even powdered horseradish or you can use wasab powder.
I LOVE this collection! I have already made a bunch of these to give away as neighbor gifts and everybody was so happy to have something that wasn’t sweet for a change!
OK, this is seriously GENIUS to have all of these spice mixes and blends in one place. So helpful! I’ve made your taco seasoning and shawarma mix again and again… and I can’t wait to make more!
We love making homemade mixes! This is so informative and an amazing list to choose from! Thank you!
I have never made a seasoning recipe from your blog that I didn’t LOVE –and now they are all in one spot!! THANK YOU!!
Wow, I didn’t realize how many of your spice blends we use! Thank you for such amazing recipes!
I make all my own spice mixes and I see a few here I don’t have yet! Great recipes, thank you!
So much information in one place. This is awesome! I love learning about food, and this post makes me so happy. Thanks for all the hard work on it.
I love homemade spice mixes. They’re so much better for you…no additives or ingredients you can’t pronounce. This is an awesome collection!