Homemade Chicken Seasoning
With tons of page views you can see why this chicken seasoning is one of my most popular recipes. Made with pantry spices, this spice mix is the perfect way to season chicken and make it more flavorful.
Are you cooking chicken for dinner tonight? One of the most asked questions in the kitchen is “how do I make chicken taste good?”
So how do you add flavor to chicken? The easy way is adding a combination of herbs and spices.
I love to add this blend with a little olive oil on skinless chicken breasts or adding to a flour mixture when frying it.
However you cook the chicken, this spice mix is just what you are looking for!
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!
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Best Way To Season Chicken
The best seasoning can be as easy as grabbing a specific spice rub like Italian seasoning or Greek seasoning, but if you have picky eaters you can go with an all purpose seasoning like this one.
The best part of chicken is that it goes with just about every flavor profile you can think of!
Made with spices and herbs from your pantry, this easy chicken seasoning creates juicy, tender meat bursting with flavor. If you are grilling, baking or roasting chicken, this is perfect for a whole chickens, breasts, wings or thighs.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Use only the highest quality spices.
- Check the expiration dates and buy the freshest ones you can find.
- Give the herbs (oregano, thyme, and parsley) a rub between the fingers to release their oils and make them more potent.
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How To Make Chicken Seasoning
- Combine all the spices in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Store in an airtight container and keep in a cool, dry place.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage
After you mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, store it in a cool, dry place. It will last up to 3 months.
I like to keep all my spice blends in glass jars as they are reusable, airtight, and don’t hold the flavors of the previous mixes.
Herbs: basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano.
Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, salt.
Heat: paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper.
General rule for me is 1 tablespoon per pound of chicken but I like to just make sure that when I sprinkle on the seasoning, I don’t have too many open or empty spots on the meat. For a whole chicken, roughly 3-4 pounds, I like to use 1/4 cup. However you like to season yours, just be sure to start small. You can always add more but you can’t take it off once it’s on there. Don’t forget that salt and pepper go a long way too!
It’s best to put dry seasonings on before you cook it. I like to add mine about 30 minutes before I grill the chicken so it has a chance to stick to the meat and won’t fall off right away. You can also sprinkle a little additional seasoning when it comes off the grill. It’s your meat, so season it how you see fit.
Favorite Chicken Recipes:
- Air fryer chicken tenders
- Crack chicken pinwheels
- Chicken bacon ranch sliders
- Hooters buffalo chicken dip
- Ultimate chicken casserole
Tapas Tips & Tricks
- Try using smoked paprika or sweet paprika for a twist.
- Add more heat by adding cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Perfect on pork, fish, seafood, and even roasted or grilled vegetables.
- Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Use this on any cut for flavorful chicken!
Want more homemade spice blends? I have a delicious French Fry Seasoning or Taco Seasoning recipe. Check them out along with this amazing list of homemade spice mix recipes and tips and trick on how to store them.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!
This best chicken seasoning recipe is just what you need to amp up the flavor to any cut of chicken from chicken thighs to a whole rotisserie chicken for the grill, oven, or stove top!
Chicken Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano
- 1/8 tablespoon cayenne optional
Instructions
- Mix all the spices together and store in an air tight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
- Use as needed.
Video
Notes
- Try using smoked paprika or sweet paprika for a twist.
- Add more heat by adding cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Perfect on pork, fish, seafood, and even roasted or grilled vegetables.
- Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
{Originally published 4/21/20, photos and recipe notes updated 10/13/23 to improve reader experience}
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Was just wanting to know if it was a typo or not, thank you for posting my comment and getting back to me so quickly.
Michael
1/8 tablespoon cayenne (optional)?
Should this not be teaspoon?
I like mine a little on the spicy side and since the whole batch makes 1/2 cup it’s not that much. 1/8 tablespoon is 1/3 of a teaspoon. And it is optional…
Hello. Can I use Redmond Real Salt – Ancient Fine Sea Salt? If yes, 1 tbsp? Thank you!
You can but because sea salt tends to have a slightly saltier flavor I would start with 1 teaspoon and slowly add a little more to your liking. That’s my favorite part about making homemade spice mixes; that you can adjust them to suit you:)
I just made your mix this morning to roast a chicken in my crockpot, I added 1/2 a tbls coriander. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Let me know how it turns out!
Really nice flavor even though I didn’t have the ground mustard to put in it. Will try again with it next time and compare to my usual Kroger Chicken Seasoning Blend.
Can this seasoning be used on chicken for frying?
Yes it can! I like to mix mine in with the flour to make the coating or if you are not using a breading you can just sprinkle it on the chicken and fry.
@Jennifer, I used flour with some cornstarch in it for the breading and I mixed it one part seasoning two parts flour and it’s very good. But I was out of parsley, so I substituted Celery Salt and it came out pretty good. Great mix, thank you.
I love celery salt too! Such a unique flavor. So glad you liked it!
Was just awesome.. Love it
I tried this seasoning mix last night and we loved it! I substituted a small amount of Chipotle seasoning for the Cayenne because that’s what I had on hand. I added 2 T of Brown Sugar. I was happy with the result and will use your mix again. See you on Pinterest!
Thank you! It’s one of my faves. I will have to add the brown sugar like you did and try it! Sounds yummy!
I tried this tonight for my “picky” little guys and they LOVED IT..used it on boneless skinless chicken thighs and fried them in a pan with a touch of oil…. my kids went for seconds! Great recipe to add some life and zest to boring chicken♡ thanks for sharing
Thank you so much! I am so glad you like it! And the kiddos too!
Love it!
I just made & tried this “Chicken Seasoning” on 2 chicken breast grilled in my Air Fryer Grill. WOW! I used a little less salt, used as much pepper as salt, and added 1/4 – teaspoon of chicken bullion crystals. I’m making another batch to have more in my NEW Chicken Seasoning Jar! Thank you so much for this recipe. My chicken was the best I’ve ever made. Yummy!
I am so glad you liked it!!
Would be great if you had a picture of the chicken after applying the spice.
What are your thoughts of covering the chicken in either Virgin Olive Oil or an egg brush so the spice sticks to the chicken?
Better to put the chicken in the pan or the oven, based on this coating?
Thank You!
I will add that to my list of shots to add. Thank you for the recommendation. I like to use olive oil and bake the chicken. If you are going to cook it in the pan, I suggest a light sprinkle with the olive oil and then pan cook. If you are using too high a temp (like on a sear before baking) it could burn the spices. After cooking, another light dusting of the spice. Thanks!
I recommend less salt. But other than that it’s really good
That’s the best thing about making your own spice mixes is that you can control it. I am so glad you liked it!
Thank you for this guide. As a Chicken Lover I am constantly on the lookout for spices and seasonings for that tasty tasty chicken meal. In South Africa (where I am from) you can buy “roast in the bag” ready seasoning, but as I do not live there any more it’s tremendously difficult to find alternative products. The main company brand is “Robertson’s”, and they do all sorts of flavors – my favorite of which are “Barbeque”, “Lemon & Herb”, “Garlic & Rosemary”, “Portuguese” and “Honey & Mustard”. Your article here gives me some great ideas where I can make up my own variations of these by mixing and matching the needed flavors with the base spices you list. If you have any additional tips on how to make a spice more “lemony” or “barbequey”, that would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
My husband only eats chicken breast, but I only had chicken thighs plus a new Actifry, so thought this seasoning might do the trick. I halved the recipe, put a tablespoon of the mix in a small bowl, brushed a TINY amount of oil on top of the thighs and dipped them in the mix. I had some left over, so dipped the undersides as well omitting the oil. It was fabulous! Husband ate all his thighs and said he would have them again. Definitely 5+++. Loved it!
Thanks so much! So glad he likes the thighs now!!
This was good.. Sprinkled it on my fried chicken.. Then sprinkled after it was cooked… Thanks
It’s excellent and next week we intend to use the same mix on pork chops. Many thanks.
Added poultry seasoning and mixed with butter and rubbed down my turkey. Great reviews. Everyone said it was the best ever.
I made this with just 1 chicken breast to add to a pot of soup. The flavors are outstanding. I think its the best soup I’ve ever made. Thanks so much!
Cheers,
Ann
This sounds great and something I really look forward to trying,but how will it be if you fry the chicken instead of grilling or roasting?
I think it will work just fine. You can season the chicken and let it marinate for an hour or so to let the flavors set into the chicken before you fry it. You can also fry the chicken and then sprinkle the seasoning on right after the chicken comes out of the fryer and is still wet so the seasoning will stick to the chicken coating.
Just made it and going to use it in just a short time. Looks good and I tasted it and good. Thanks for the recipe.
I hope you enjoy it!
I enjoyed, thank you very much. Can this go well with pork and lamb?
It certainly can! I use it on pork all the time. Great on ribs on the grill!
We whipped up a batch of this last week, and I’ve used it three times since! Delicious and so so so good!
THIS SOUNDS SO GOOD.i HAVE GOT TOO TRY IT SOON.THANK YOU
I love how easy this is to put together with pantry spices! It’s one of our favorite chicken rubs!
Love this chicken seasoning a lot!!!!!
This is my favorite chicken seasoning!! The first time I used it, my family asked me what I did differently – that this didn’t taste; like “my normal chicken!” We love it! Thanks for the great recipe!
I had all of the ingredients and just that quickly the seasoning is done and it’s delicious. Thank you!
This is a great recipe to have on hand and keep in the cupboard when you don’t know what to make for dinner! Perfect!
What a delicious seasoning blend! This was perfect for our grilled chicken and I am planning on rubbing it on a whole chicken and roasting it as well!