All-Purpose Seasoning

All-Purpose Seasoning blend. A simple, versatile blend of spices you can mix up ahead of time and keep in your pantry. I like mine in a spice grinder with whole-grain spices, but it will also work in a shaker with pre-ground spices.

Jump to:

• Equipment
• INGREDIENTS
• Can I make salt-free All-Purpose Seasoning?
• How to make All-Purpose Seasoning
• What should I season with All-Purpose Seasoning?
• How to store All-Purpose Seasoning
• All-Purpose Seasoning
• Why use a spice grinder for All-Purpose Seasoning?
• How do I know how much All-Purpose Seasoning I'm grinding?
• Related Posts
• 💬 Comments

I like having seasoning blends ready in my pantry as a grab-and-go flavor to add to my meals. This blend is one of my favorites: a simple combination of salt, pepper(s), garlic, and onion. It goes with just about anything, from meat to vegetables, and adds a little extra bit of flavor that you don't get with just salt and pepper.

Equipment

A Spice grinder for whole grain (I like the vase grinders from Kuhn Rikon), or a jar with a shaker lid for pre-ground.

A funnel (to keep the spices contained when adding them to the grinder or shaker jar.)

INGREDIENTS

Pre-ground for a shaker

• ¼ cup (65g) fine sea salt (or 3 tablespoons/65g table salt)
• ¼ cup (25g) ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons (15g) cayenne pepper
• 4 teaspoons (15g) granulated garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons (8g) granulated onion powder

Whole grain for a grinder

• ¼ cup (65g) Coarse Sea Salt
• ¼ cup (25g) Peppercorns (or peppercorn blend)
• ¼ cup (15g) Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ cup (15g) dry minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons (8g) dry minced onions
  

Can I make salt-free All-Purpose Seasoning?

Absolutely! Just skip the salt. (This is for my uncle Warren and anyone else on a low-sodium diet. Or, when I'm brining or dry-brining, and I want to separate the salting from the seasoning.)

How to make All-Purpose Seasoning

Mix up the seasoning

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. For pre-ground, store in an airtight container (preferably a shaker jar with a sealing lid) for up to a year. The whole-grain version will last for years in a spice grinder. (A funnel helps get spices into their jar or grinder without spilling them everywhere. Don't ask how I learned that.)

What should I season with All-Purpose Seasoning?

Anything you'd season with salt and pepper but want a little more flavor. About the only thing I don't use it on is steaks; there, I want the simple flavors of salt and pepper (and maybe salt, pepper, garlic). Other than that, I use it on everything. In the week since I've ground it up, I've used it on grilled chicken breasts, hamburgers, baby red potatoes, and steamed broccoli. It's a very versatile seasoning.

How to store All-Purpose Seasoning

If you make it with ground spices and keep it in an airtight container, it will last for a year before it loses its flavor. The grinder version will keep even longer than that; the salt, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes will stay fresh for a very long time. The minced garlic and onion will lose some flavor after a while, but they keep better than ground garlic powder and onion powder.

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Why use a spice grinder for All-Purpose Seasoning?

This is the same question as "Why use a pepper grinder?" because the answer is "Because black pepper tastes so much better fresh-ground." The salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper are fine pre-ground. Black pepper's flavor comes from volatile oils and aromatics, which fade quickly after grinding. (My recipes almost always recommend fresh ground black pepper.) If Pepper was a minor player in the seasoning, I'd be fine with pre-ground. But, because it is one of the major ingredients in this All-Purpose seasoning, I want fresh ground. I keep my All-Purpose Seasoning blend in a grinder.

How do I know how much All-Purpose Seasoning I'm grinding?

I eyeball it. I usually use All-Purpose Seasoning seasoning when I'm not measuring carefully. If it looks like it's seasoned enough, I'm good. That said, I also measured the grinding rate from my favorite Kuhn Rikon Vase grinders. I measured 30 grinds to get ½ teaspoon of seasoning, so when I want a specific amount, I count as I grind.

Related Posts

Looking for a seasoning to kick it up a few notches? For a similar, versatile, simple seasoning, try my Salt Pepper Garlic (SPG) Seasoning. For more specific flavor profiles, try my Cajun Rub Recipe,  Sichuan Roasted Pepper Salt, or for a BBQ, my Homemade Barbecue Rub. 

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