Homemade Seasoning Mixes
Thanks to Susanne from Hillbilly Housewife for this guest post today!
I’m a big fan of homemade mixes, so when Merissa invited me to guest blog today, I sat down to think about what I should share with you. Her blog is already full of wonderful information, but I finally decided on something easy, but impactful. It’ll not only save you money for years to come, but is also much healthier … it’s making your own homemade mixes. Today I want to share three homemade seasoning mixes with you that we use constantly. They don’t have any additional additives or preservatives and are mostly made from simple spices and herbs that are already sitting in your pantry.
Let’s start with one of my all-time favorite mixes. We love fajitas around here and I almost always have tortillas in the house. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grabbed some chicken or beef at the store, gotten an onion from the pantry, and picked some bell peppers from the garden ready to cook up some yummy fajitas, only to realize I didn’t have one of those little seasoning packets. That’s actually what first got me interested in making my own mixes at home. After a couple of quick searches, I saw that I had all of the individual spices and seasonings in my spice cabinet already!
I changed and tweaked things a bit over time and came up with my own fajita seasoning mix we’ve been using for years. The recipe is the equivalent of 1 seasoning packet. I usually make it in larger batches and store it in a glass jar.
Fajita Seasoning Mix
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Chili Powder
2 tbsp. Paprika
2 tbsp. Sea Salt
1 tbsp. Cumin Powder
1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Cayenne Powder
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Store in an airtight container.
Use in place of store bought fajita seasoning packets for fajita meat and season to your taste. You can also use it on veggies or salads to spice them up.
Another favorite around here is lemon pepper seasoning. I use it a lot of fish and chicken.
Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning Mix
Ingredients:
1/3 cup crushed pepper corns
1/4 cup kosher salt
5 large lemons
Directions:
Zest all the lemons and mix with crushed peppercorns in a bowl until well combined. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the lemon mixture evenly onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the oven on the lowest setting until the mixture is completely dry.
Add the dry lemon-pepper to a spice grinder and grind to desired texture. Mix with the kosher salt and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Let’s wrap things up with the one I grab most often. Other than salt and pepper this is my most used seasoning. It’s great for soups, stews, sauces, veggies and perfect if you’re going to grill some steaks or chicken.
Spicy Cajun Seasoning
Ingredients:
2 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
5 dashes cayenne pepper
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Use immediately or store in an air tight container.
Tip: You can use this on veggies, meat, in soups, or on anything that you want to add a little Cajun kick to.
Make sure you check out Susanne's ebook, Homemade Mixes: Make Your Own and Save for even more homemade seasoning mix ideas and recipes!
Susanne is the author of multiple ebooks and currently blogs at Hillbilly Housewife.