10 Homemade Herb & Spice Blends

So often we grab the mix of seasonings in the grocery store and pay little attention to ingredients. These 10 Homemade Herb & Spice Blends are perfect for eliminating some preservatives and saving you money. Not only will these recipes help you when you run out of the ready-mixed blends, you’ll be able to eliminate things you don’t like or don’t need. These are also ideal for someone who needs a lower sodium content in their diet. You can also double or triple the recipes and keep a bulk batch in your pantry.

Homemade Taco Seasoning:
Add 2-3 tablespoons of this blend with ¼ cup water to your preferred choice of taco meat.

• 4 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 6 Tablespoons Cumin
• 3 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
• 3 teaspoons Salt
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Paprika

Homemade Ranch Seasoning:
Mix this blend with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk to make a salad dressing. Mix with 16 ounces sour cream for a ranch dip. Can also be used as an addition to ground meat for ranch burgers, or sprinkled on shredded chicken for a ranch flavored chicken salad or similar dishes.

• ¼ Cup Dry Milk Powder
• 3 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 1 Tablespoon Dill
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Basil
• 1-2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper (may add more to taste)

Homemade BBQ Dry Rub:
Use this as a dry rub for pork, chicken or beef. It can also be mixed with ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup ketchup and ¼ cup honey for a simple sweet and spicy barbecue sauce.

• 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
• 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)
• ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2-3 teaspoons Salt (more to taste)

Homemade Italian Seasoning:
Add this to homemade pasta sauce, or mix into butter for a delicious herbed butter to spread on toast or rolls to accompany your next Italian meal.

• 1 Tablespoon Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Basil
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• ½ Tablespoon Marjoram
• 2 teaspoons Dried Rosemary
• 2 teaspoons Thyme

Homemade Chicken Seasoning:
This is a great simple seasoning that goes great on chicken or in things like seasoned roasted vegetables. Sprinkle liberally over your choice of dishes to add a punch of simple flavor. It is also used frequently in stuffing blends.

• 3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes, crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon Basil
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 teaspoons Rubbed Sage
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Homemade Seasoned Salt:
Seasoned salt is a great choice to dust onto French fries, burgers before you cook them or virtually any dish as a simple seasoning blend.

• 6 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 5 Tablespoons Onion Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder (optional)

Homemade Fajitas Seasoning:
Add 3 tablespoons of this blend with ¼ cup water and juice of one lime to your choice of chicken, shrimp or beef for delicious fajitas. Also works great for fajitas.

• 3 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Homemade Chili Seasoning:
Add this to our 5.2 L (5.5 Qt) Large Pot with 1 pound ground meat, 2 cans beans (pinto, kidney or other dark bean), 2 cans crushed tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, 4 cups water and simmer on low for 30-45 minutes.

• 4 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Oregano
• 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2-3 teaspoons Salt

Homemade 5 Spice Blend:
5 Spice Blend is often asked for in Asian recipes, but often not used a lot in most homes. However, you can easily mix up this blend in no-time from items you already have in your spice cabinet. Use exact amounts of this blend as are required in a recipe calling for 5-Spice Blend. So, if the recipe says 1 tablespoon, you would use 1 tablespoon of this blend.

• 2 Tablespoons Anise Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper (fine ground preferred)
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Fennel
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cloves
• 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice:
Much like the blend listed above, this homemade pumpkin pie spice is used in equal measurements as what a recipe lists. It is also excellent sprinkled in hot cocoa, coffee or over French toast.

• 3 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 2 teaspoons Allspice Powder
• ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves

Arm your pantry with some or all of these great homemade herb & spice blends this year. Save money by creating your own blend, as well as customizing them to suit your flavor preferences. Skip the salt if needing lower sodium, and boost with high flavor items like cumin, cayenne and even garlic. This list will be a staple in your kitchen to help when you need a blend at the last minute.