Create your own spice blends to make into dips, season vegetables, add to meat, and more!
Adding spices and herbs to dishes makes them so much more flavorful and delicious. Unfortunately, a lot of spice blends sold at the store come with unwanted additives that are hard to even pronounce (such as maltodextrin and monosodium glutamate).
You can easily make your own blends without all the added ingredients! We also sell them at Core Goods if you prefer to buy them pre-made. Each recipe makes enough for one 4 oz spice jar (pictured above; the larger of the spice jars we sell).
The amount you use depends on what you’re cooking and what taste you prefer. For example, for a pound of taco meat, you will want to add 1½ to 2 tablespoons of seasoning. Experiment with each one and see what works for you!
TACO SEASONING
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ways to use taco seasoning:
- Cook with ground turkey or beef for basic taco meat
- Add to chicken or steak fajitas
- Add to scrambled eggs
- Mix with greek yogurt or homemade mayo for a dressing or dip
- Sprinkle over popcorn
RANCH SEASONING
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoon dried dill
1 ½ tablespoons granulated onion
1 ½ tablespoons dried chives
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Ways to use ranch seasoning:
- Mix with greek yogurt or homemade mayo for a dressing or dip
- Season roasted potatoes
- Add to chicken or other meats
- Sprinkle over popcorn
- Toss with oil and oyster crackers or pretzels
CAJUN SEASONING
2 tablespoons paprika
1 ½ tablespoons granulated onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ways to use cajun seasoning:
- Season french fries (or other veggie fries)
- Add to seafood, like shrimp, scallops, or fish
- Mix into a cream sauce for pasta (try this cashew sauce)
- Mix with ranch dressing (see ranch seasoning ideas above) for a zesty ranch dressing
- Sprinkle over popcorn
GINGERBREAD SPICE
2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground allspice
½ tablespoon ground nutmeg
½ tablespoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Ways to use gingerbread spice:
- Sprinkle on top of a cappuccino or latte (or add it to coffee grounds before brewing)
- Add to oatmeal (other additions could be pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and chopped nuts)
- Use in a gingerbread cookie recipe
- Mix into peanut or almond butter
- Toss with roasted vegetables for a spicy and sweet flavor
- Sprinkle over popcorn
How would you use these spice blends? What are your favorites? Comment below!