All-Purpose Seasoning

All-Purpose Seasoning is an extremely versatile (yet simple) blend of spices that elevates literally any protein and even vegetables too. The good news is you likely already have everything you need in your spice cabinet!

This seasoning makes cooking homemade meals--and cleaning them up--a cinch on busy weeknights.

What is All-Purpose Seasoning?

The purpose of a seasoning blend that's truly all-purpose is to blend in seamlessly with other flavor profiles while simultaneously enhancing flavors across the board. We love it for vegetables like roasted potatoes, asparagus, and Southern purple hull peas as much as we love it on grilled steaks and roasted chicken!

An all-purpose seasoning blend should work for any literally any dish you're cooking, regardless of the type of cuisine, whether Tex-Mex, Italian, or good ol'-fashioned American comfort food. And guess what? This seasoning does exactly that.

Why This Recipe Works

This has been our tried-and-true house seasoning for well over a decade. As we've introduced it to friends and family, it has since become a staple in their home as well. It's definitely a seasoning blend no one wants to cook without.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself using it every day. It's the perfect blend of flavors. Try it on some of our weeknight favorites like baked chicken legs, easy air fryer burgers, and baked pork chops.

All-Purpose Seasoning Ingredients

The beauty of making your own all-purpose seasoning is that it is truly customizable. If you are on a low-sodium diet, you can easily adjust the quantity of salt. If you have an allergy to a certain spice, leave it out altogether. If you can't get enough of something, add more!

Kosher Salt | We always recommend using Kosher salt over table salt.

Black Pepper | You can use storebought pepper, but once you've tasted fresh ground, you'll never go back. We use an electric spice grinder to grind black peppercorns and the flavor is phenomenal.

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Paprika (optional) | This spice will be absolutely perfect with the 4 spices listed above; paprika has a mild, unintrusive flavor profile that plays well with others and can do amazing things to the color of meat. Especially baked meat that has not been seared or browned like our stuffed chicken breasts; we eat with our eyes first, and paprika is excellent for adding color to food.

How to Customize Your Spice Blend

If you want to expand on the flavor profile and create your own house seasoning mix, feel free to use this recipe as a building block and let those culinary juices flow.

Make It Herby | Using dried herbs like sage (like we do in our homemade breakfast sausage seasoning) will add sweetness and warmth to your mix. Dried basil and oregano could give it a bit of an Italian flare. Or go the smokier route with the edge of paprika, like in our chicken seasoning recipe. We incorporate thyme in our meatloaf seasoning to bring in earthy flavors and round out the savory beefy flavor

Make It Smoky | If you love smoky, sultry flavors (like we often enjoy Mexican food), cumin and chili powder might be great additions. Smoked paprika could be subbed in for regular paprika, and if you just love having your very own seasoning blends on hand, you'll probably want to whip up a batch of this taco seasoning.

Make It Hot | If spice is your thing, the addition of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes might be where it's at for you; however, you might want to start with a small amount (like we do in this blackened seasoning mix). It's easier to add than to take away, and you don't want to overpower your food.

Another season we can't get enough of for our homemade prime rib seasoning. It's as simple as they come and works on just about any cut of meat out there--not just prime rib!

How to Make All-Purpose Seasoning

It's not just the perfect mix of flavors that makes this all-purpose seasoning so good--especially on a sirloin steak or pork steak--it's the perfect quantity of each that provides such great balance to dishes. House seasoning couldn't be easier to make, but you really want to be sure you measure.

Measure Your Spices | Carefully measure each spice according to the recipe card.

Combine Spices | In a bowl or jar, combine your spices and mix evenly.

Store in airtight container for up to a year. I like to use glass hermetic jars so I can see when it's time to make another batch. You can also use a metal shaker or even Tupperware to store your all-purpose seasoning.

How to Use All-Purpose Seasoning

Typically, I recommend using about 1-½ teaspoon for an average-sized chicken breast, steak, or pork chop. If measuring by the pound, 2-3 teaspoons per pound works well. If you're eyeballing it, you just want a nice, even sprinkle across the surface area of the meat.