Poultry Seasoning
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Whether you’re roasting, grilling, baking or pan-frying your chicken or turkey, this is just what you need to add flavor and fragrance to your poultry dishes! This Poultry Seasoning recipe comes together in 5 minutes and has a depth of flavor that will benefit a wide variety of foods including your favorite stuffing, soups, stews, gravies, vegetables and more!
What is Poultry Seasoning?
Poultry seasoning, also known as chicken seasoning, is a blend of herbs and spices that is commonly used to flavor poultry dishes, including chicken and turkey. It is often used as a rub or seasoning mix for roasting, grilling, baking, or pan-frying poultry, adding depth and fragrance to the meat. Because of its versatile flavor profile it can also be used to season a wide variety of dishes (see below).
What is in Poultry Seasoning?
The ingredients vary from brand to brand. Spice Islands Poultry Seasoning, for example, includes the less common additions of allspice and celery seed while Penzeys Poultry Seasoning includes bell pepper, dill weed, and ginger. The most common combination of ingredients is that used by McCormick Poultry Seasoning and is what most DIY recipes call for, which is simply thyme, sage, marjoram, black pepper, and nutmeg.
My preference is to keep it simple enough so that the flavor profile doesn’t clash with other ingredients you might want to add to your chicken dish while being well-rounded enough to stand on its own. I like to round it out for a “fuller” flavor with the addition of garlic, onion and paprika as well as a dash of white pepper (a flavor dimension not contributed by black pepper alone) and a hint of lemon for a bit of “lift” and contrasting brightness. In the end it’s all about personal preference so feel free to change things up both in terms of the ratios and the ingredients.
We strongly recommend pulverizing the ingredients to a powder. This way you will not only get a uniform and equal “dose” of each spice and herb with every shake of your spice jar and when you go to scoop some out with a measuring spoon, but being in powder form it will also adhere much better to your foods.
How to Use Poultry Seasoning
While the emphasis is clearly poultry, it’s a very versatile seasoning blend that can be used in a variety of ways to add flavor to your foods. (Keep in mind that poultry seasoning doesn’t typically include salt and that will need to be added separately.) Here are just a few ways to use this spice blend:
- Rub: Create a dry rub by mixing this seasoning with a bit of oil, and then evenly rub it onto the surface of chicken, turkey, and other poultry before roasting/baking, grilling, or pan-frying. You can also mix it with butter and push it under the skin of the bird. Note: This seasoning is also great with pork and lamb.
- Marinade: Mix it with oil, vinegar or lemon juice and let the poultry marinate in it for a few hours or up to overnight and then proceed with grilling, roasting, or pan-frying.
- Stuffing: This is a classic addition to homemade stuffing or dressing.
- Breading or Coating: Mix it with breadcrumbs to create a flavorful coating for your breaded chicken cutlets or tenders.
- Potatoes and Vegetables: Add some to your mashed potatoes or sprinkle some over your roasted potatoes and vegetables.
- Soups and Stews: Add a pinch to soups and stews that feature poultry as an ingredient.
- Sauces: Incorporate this into sauces or gravies that accompany poultry dishes.
- All-Purpose Seasoning Blend: Keep it in a shaker at the table as an all-purpose seasoning blend.
Poultry Seasoning Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place everything in a spice or coffee grinder and grind until powdered.
Transfer to a glass jar with a lid and store in a cool, dark place. For best flavor use within a month but will keep several months.
This makes about 1/2 cup.
Enjoy!
For more delicious homemade seasoning blends be sure to try our:
- Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Greek Seasoning
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Creole Seasoning
- Curry Powder
- Garam Masala
- Chaat Masala
- Za’atar
- Chinese Five Spice
- Chili Powder
- Dukkah
- British Mixed Spice
- Seasoned Salt
- Shichimi Togarashi
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Taco Seasoning
- Berbere
- Baharat
- Panch Phoron
Poultry Seasoning
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground sage
- 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 3 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon peel (use 1/4 teaspoon if it's already in powdered form)
Instructions
- Place everything in a spice or coffee grinder and grind until powdered. Transfer to a glass jar with a lid and store in a cool, dark place. For best flavor use within a month but will keep several months. Makes about 1/2 cup.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
