Homemade Moroccan spice blend is the perfect way to add a little kick to your chicken, potatoes, or vegetables! Great for sheet pan or grilling. This spice blend is savory, a bit sweet, and has the distinctive flavors of Morocco. The best part of this homemade Moroccan spice blend is that you can customize the heat.
Making your own spice blends is so easy, and you probably already have all of these ingredients in your pantry! All you need to do is mix them up and store them in an airtight container for up to a year.
When I traveled to Morocco in college, I fell in love with the warm spices. I remember eating the most delicious tagine and Moroccan Chicken, yum! Now, I’ve long been a fan of Moroccan cuisine.
While you can buy pre-made spice mixes in a grocery store, I’ve never found one that tastes anything like what I experienced in Morocco. I’ve used pre-ground spices to save time and effort and created a fantastic blend that will instantly elevate any Moroccan, North African, or Middle Eastern dish.
This Moroccan spice blend is a simplified, pantry-friendly version of Ras el Hanout. Ras el Hanout is a traditional Moroccan spice blend. This traditional Moroccan spice blend combines several easy-to-obtain spices to create a vibrant mixture that’s loaded with warming flavors.
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Any recipe is only as good as the spices in it. This Moroccan seasoning is savory and slightly smoky. It has wonderful hints of cumin, ginger, and turmeric. I make a batch of this blend to keep at all times because it’s an easy way to add delicious flavor to the simplest meals.
Spices are Moroccan cuisine’s essential. In fact. Moroccan cuisine doesn’t use a lot of fancy ingredients, its philosophy is even the opposite. One of Morocco’s most loved dishes is the tagine, a dish made with meat (red meat, poultry, or fish) and vegetable leftovers.
When looking at the ingredients of the tagine, they seem basic and uninteresting. But the use of spices and aromatics makes the biggest difference and completely transforms this dish. One of the secrets to making a great Moroccan spice mix is to use good quality spices - I call them fresh spices. The first time I left Morocco and started cooking, I couldn’t figure out why my dishes were not as fragrant and hearty as the ones my mother made. After A LOT of experimentation, it hit me. I was using frozen, processed ingredients and I grabbed my spices from random deli shops. Many Moroccan women grind their spices themselves. It takes extra effort but Oh the result is so worth it!
This Moroccan spice blend is based on a savant spice mix. Moroccans know what spice combinations are best to bring the best out of each ingredient. The authentic Moroccan spice mix I will share with you combines all the spices used for making traditional Moroccan chicken tagines. It is super easy to make and uses simple spices that you probably already have in your kitchen. I prefer to not add salt to this Moroccan spice blend.
Best Lamb Tagine you can eat outside of Morocco | Lamb Shank Tagine | Essence Cuisine
This Moroccan spices blend recipe has been in my family for years.
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This blend can have 40 or more different spices! But the interesting thing about this and any spice mix is that you can have 10 shops or families who each make their own mix slightly differently based on their own preferences or what they have available. This generally means that spice mixes (especially those with so many ingredients), are pretty forgiving. You can grind all the spices yourself or buy them pre-ground.
This North African spice mix has a well-balanced flavor profile. It’s pungent with both bitter and sweet elements, as well as a woody earthiness. It’s not spicy-hot, but you might find it has a twinge of heat.
Ingredients for Your Moroccan Spice Blend
Moroccan cooking uses a variety of delicious dried herbs, fresh herbs, and condiments. Some commonly used fresh herbs are mint and thyme, and dried spices may consist of garlic, cumin, turmeric, cumin, and chili powder.
Here are some key ingredients you'll need:
- Cumin: A warm and earthy spice.
- Garlic powder: A savory and earthy spice that everyone loves.
- Chili powder: An earthy and savory spice that can sometimes make spices a little spicy, depending on the freshness of the mix.
- Cayenne powder: Earthy and spicy, bringing the heat!
- Salt: Enhances all of the flavors of the other spices.
- Cinnamon: It’s not just for desserts!
- Ground Cardamom: Use green cardamom rather than black cardamom - the former has a wonderfully floral, herbal taste.
- Ground Clove: Very intense, so only use a little.
If you don’t have Moroccan seasoning, you can use a few teaspoons of any of the seasonings below mixed together.
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How to Prepare Your Moroccan Spice Blend
Combine spices in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk. If using a coarser black pepper, place all the ingredients in a spice grinder (or a clean coffee bean grinder) and grind until blended and powdered.
Mix all the spices in a bowl. Make sure the bowl is perfectly dry, otherwise, your spice mix can moldIn a perfectly dry airtight glass jar, pour the spice mix and store up to 5 monthsDosageUse to season tagines or any chicken-based recipe.
Once you’ve combined your Moroccan spice blend, carefully pour it into an airtight container and store it in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. Store your spice blend in an airtight container in the pantry.
You can easily store these spices up to one year in an airtight container. I love using small glass jars with screw-top lids. Sometimes spice jars will come with cork lids, and I've found those do not keep the spices fresh for as long. Small Weck Tulip Jars are also a favorite. These 500 ml Weck Jars with glass lids are so handy for meal prep.
How to Use Your Moroccan Spice Blend
There are so many delicious ways to use this seasoning!
How much of this homemade Moroccan spice blend do I use per pound of meat? I roughly 2 tablespoons per pound. You want to use this seasoning aggressively, and it might look like too much.
I love using this spice blend to flavor simple things like simple vegetables or sauces.
Use around 3 tablespoons of Moroccan spice blend per 1.5 lbs.
Sprinkle it on fish, chicken, or red meat as a dry rub before grilling. Or mix it with a little oil and use it as a wet rub.
Here are some ideas:
- Chicken: I love making Moroccan chicken and have great recipes for Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken and a One-Pot Moroccan Chicken. These recipes call for chicken thighs, but you can easily use this blend for breasts, legs, and whole chicken. Use about 3 tablespoons of spices for 1.5 lbs.
- Soup: This blend would be delicious in any soup or stew.
- Chicken- we love this Moroccan spice blend on chicken, particularly thighs. Toss the chicken in a little olive oil, sprinkle on around 2 tablespoon of the seasoning per pound of chicken thighs, and bake or grill.
- Cauliflower- SO freaking good on roasted or grilled cauliflower. We toss in olive oil, add the Greek seasoning blend, and roast up for 25-45 min (will depend on the size of your taters) at 425°F.
- Ribs- OK I'm totally guessing but I have a feeling this Moroccan spice blend would taste pretty amazing on a rack of ribs.
- Roasted chickpeas- I haven't tried this either, but I would toss the chickpeas in 1 tablespoon of the Moroccan spice blend and roast up at 400°F for 30-45 minutes, until crispy!
- I love tossing carrots, sweet potatoes, or cauliflower in this Moroccan spice blend before roasting for a gorgeously caramelized bite.
- It also adds a lovely crust to grilled or roasted meats - incorporate it into a marinade or use it as a dry rub before cooking.
- Don’t forget more classic uses like lentils, stew, or lamb tagine.I’ll often sprinkle it in the water before steaming my rice or couscous, and a spoonful over hummus adds a flavorful twist.
This Moroccan spice blend will be perfect to season your chicken and meat, whether you are making a traditional Moroccan tagine dish or not. I use it for my chicken and meat when roasting in the oven (with some olive oil), or when making hearty stews. You won’t need any more spices, this Moroccan spice blend will be all you need.
You can also use it to make delicious Moroccan tagine recipes. If you are new to tagine making and love hearty and healthy meals, I highly recommend this tagine ebook which lists the easiest Moroccan recipes you can make with the simplest ingredients.
Spice Level
How spicy is Moroccan seven spice? Not at all! The heat in this blend is gentle and warming, not hot and spicy. The cinnamon, clove, and ground black pepper are balanced nicely by the sweeter, more floral spices. If you do prefer a bit of heat, add some cayenne pepper or a sprinkle of chili flakes. Think flavor and aroma over heat and spicy!
Cayenne- bringing the heat! Moroccan food is spicy, but I need to tone it down a bit for me and my family.
Whole vs Ground Spices
Can I use whole spices for this Moroccan spice blend recipe? If you’ve got some time on your hands, it’s absolutely possible to use whole spices for this blend. I’d always opt for ground ginger over fresh root as it’s very time-consuming to prepare and dehydrate from scratch. For the other spices, it’s as simple as toasting in a dry, hot pan for a few minutes until aromatic, then grinding them all together until smooth.
This unique and exotic Moroccan Seasoning (also called Ras El Hanout) is a great addition to beef, lamb, chicken or to any vegetables.
My first bite of chicken seasoned with Ras El Hanout was a revelation. It brought back all the unexpected flavors of the Moroccan restaurant I loved when I lived in Washington, D.C. The seasoning uses basic pantry staples but what makes it so unique is the addition of a few spices that you most likely use in baking. Adding these spices to savory dishes is an absolute revelation and makes the kitchen smell absolutely divine.
Moroccan Seasoning / Ras El Hanout is a combination of ground cumin, paprika, ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon. It’s up to you if you’d like to add salt and pepper to this seasoning mix.
It is not necessary to add salt when making your own seasoning or spice blends.
Combine all ingredients in an airtight container.
Serving size: This recipe makes enough to season 1 pound of meat or any dish that will serve 4 people.
Want to make a big batch? Use the handy slider next to “servings” above to customize the measurements.
Storage: A glass or plastic container saved from store-bought spices works great for storing your own seasoning blends. I have been using 4-ounce mason jars for all of my spices and seasoning blends for nearly a decade.
Salt and Black Pepper: It’s up to you if you’d like to add salt and pepper to this seasoning mix.
Ras el Hanout: A Deeper Dive
Ras el Hanout, a North African Spice mix, is a pungent, earthy spice blend with a balance of sweet and bitter elements, as well as floral notes.
I don’t always make my own spice mixes - sometimes I buy pre-made mixes from the market - but there are certain mixes I prefer to make myself. Ras el Hanout, a Moroccan spice blend, is one such mix. It makes a relatively small batch, just over 1/2 cup. This is enough for at least a couple recipes, and will give you the opportunity to play around with the mix and discover your favorite way to use it.
Jump to recipeMoroccan Spice Bland or Ras el Hanout is not a spicy hot blend, but it gives pungent, warm flavor from the coriander, allspice and cayenne. The cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg add sweet accents as well. It is useful as a rub, in marinades and in many Moroccan dishes, such as tagines. I’m using it this week in a riced cauliflower dish for my THV11 segment on Thanksgiving Sides with a Twist. I’ll be sharing that with you soon.
As I always remind you, don’t hold on to your spices for ages and ages. You just lose the benefit of their blooming as the quality deteriorates.
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl until combined well.
Here's a summary of key information:
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Spice Blend | Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend |
| Flavor Profile | Savory, slightly sweet, customizable heat |
| Key Spices | Cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne, cinnamon, cardamom, clove |
| Usage | Chicken, vegetables, soups, stews, tagines |
| Storage | Airtight container, up to one year |
| Alternative Blend | Ras el Hanout |
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tags: #Moroccan
