Use just 6 dried spices from your pantry to make this delicious homemade poultry seasoning. Much cheaper than the store-bought version, add loads of flavor to chicken, vegetables, and more with this easy spice blend that packs a flavorful punch!
My husband said to me the other day, “What’s for dinner? And please don’t tell me chicken and sweet potatoes.”
As a family, we were on the Whole30 at the time. He cut out dairy and gluten two weeks before we started and two weeks into the first official month, he cut out nightshades as well.
While I did my best to offer variety, I will admit that the poor man had been eating A LOT of chicken and sweet potatoes.
His one saving grace – poultry seasoning.
WHAT IS IN POULTRY SEASONING?
If you go to Walmart or any other grocery store, you can easily find this seasoning with all the other spices and check out the label to see what is in classic poultry seasoning. It’s a blend of a few savory spices, including:
- Ground thyme
- Ground marjoram
- Ground rosemary
- Ground sage
In addition to those lovely green herbs, there’s a little bit of nutmeg thrown in there too, which is a bit unexpected, but adds depth to the flavor of the other poultry seasoning ingredients.
In a store-bought version, you’ll also likely find salt, pepper, and possibly MSG, which we try to avoid.
You’ll often find poultry seasoning in the ingredient list for chicken or turkey recipes, as well as Thanksgiving stuffing or gravies, but you can use it in all sorts of things!
WHY USE HOMEMADE POULTRY SEASONING?
I saw “poultry seasoning” on the Whole30 shopping list when I first read the book and honestly, I ignored it. I didn’t want one more jar in my spice cabinet taking up space. How many recipes call for poultry seasoning, anyway?
I should have just made it right away though, because sometimes it’s nice to have something different! Besides adding a bit of variety to your meals, homemade poultry seasoning is also:
- Frugal: Making poultry seasoning from the spices already in your pantry saves you at least $3 a jar!
- Making it from scratch means no additives like MSG or dextrose, which we try to avoid!
- Versatile: You can sprinkle poultry seasoning on all sorts of things, not just chicken.
- Yummy! Whether you’re on the Whole30 or just trying to make dinner, it’s nice to have a big burst of flavor without a lot of work. Poultry seasoning gives you that.
- Customizable: You can mix and match the spices to reach your preferred taste.
VERSATILE POULTRY SEASONING RECIPE
- You can omit or substitute based on what you have at home. Truly, if you don’t have something, just leave it out! Despite what some people may say, you don’t HAVE to have sage to cook chicken, and you don’t HAVE to have any of the other spices either.
- Spice it up! If you’re feeling daring, add some cayenne pepper or fresh ground black pepper to this poultry seasoning recipe. This would make for a bit of a kick!
- You can customize the texture of the blend. I like the texture differences between the spices and chose to leave all of them whole, but you can grind them in a spice grinder, old fashioned mortle and pestle, cheap coffee grinder, or even your blender (I have this awesome blender) and turn it all into a fine powder.
POULTRY SEASONING INGREDIENTS
In this homemade mix, you’ll only find 6 ingredients in poultry seasoning.
THIS POULTRY SEASONING DOESN’T HAVE SALT
Notice something missing from the poultry seasoning ingredients? Salt is an essential nutrient that the body needs, but I intentionally left it out of this recipe. That way you can salt your dish however you want, without the salt from a seasoning blend interfering or making your food turn out overly salty.
Psst…Did you know that many salts contain MICROPLASTICS? It’s a sneaky toxin that may be in your everyday salt, and thus your everyday food (um, gross). I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because their salt is FREE of microplastics, and it tastes delicious! (PLUS, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt – just pay shipping and handling!)
HOME MADE POULTRY SEASONING INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1. Combine all ingredients in a jar or airtight container. Store in the pantry with your other spices.
Use home made poultry seasoning as desired on poultry, vegetables, and sauces!
FRESH HERBS FOR HOMEMADE POULTRY SEASONING
I made this poultry seasoning using dried herbs because that’s what I have on hand. Most of the time, I buy my dried herbs from Walmart or ALDI. If you prefer to buy organic spices, Thrive Market has amazing deals!
You can definitely make homemade poultry seasoning with fresh herbs, but it wouldn’t be cost-effective unless you either found ALL of them marked down at the same time, or you have an herb garden.
- If you do happen to use fresh herbs for poultry seasoning, you’ll want to make just enough for the recipe you’re using, and make sure to freeze any extras so they don’t go to waste!
- If you use dried herbs, you can make a large batch of poultry seasoning to keep on hand for future meals.
POULTRY SEASONING USES
I made a super simple chicken seasoning rub the other day, adding 1 Tablespoon of poultry seasoning to ⅔ cup of almond flour.
But you don’t need to limit poultry seasoning to just chicken! You can also sprinkle this homemade seasoning on anything that needs a flavor boost…
- Potatoes (Instant Pot baked potatoes or crispy potato wedges)
- Eggs (The Best Scrambled Eggs!)
- Turkey
- Hamburgers or Meatballs (The Best Burger Recipe or Awesome 15-Minute Meatballs!)
- Chicken Pot Pie uses many of the same seasonings, so just substitute a spoonful of poultry seasoning instead
- Soups
- Stuffing
- Marinades
- Sweet potatoes (Fried Sweet Potatoes or Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes)
- Pasta sauces (Homemade Tomato Sauce)
HOMEMADE POULTRY SEASONING RECIPE FAQS
Can poultry seasoning go bad?
Well, I’m sure it can eventually. As long as you keep moisture out, dried spices have a VERY long shelf life. You can store them in your own jars with the labels removed or use a set like this for your homemade seasonings.
Can I use Italian seasoning instead of poultry seasoning?
Yes, you can use Italian seasoning instead of poultry seasoning. It contains a lot of the same ingredients and is flavorful. Try my homemade recipe for Italian seasoning!
Is poultry seasoning strong?
Poultry seasoning does have a very strong flavor. In general, if you like the individual spices in this blend, you’ll probably enjoy them together. If there’s one you dislike, feel free to leave it out!
MORE FRUGAL HOMEMADE SEASONINGS
- Cajun Seasoning
- All-Purpose Seasoning Salt
- Chili Seasoning
- Homemade Italian Seasoning
- Blackened Seasoning
- Fajita Seasoning
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DIY Homemade Poultry Seasoning
Use just 6 dried spices from your pantry to make this delicious homemade poultry seasoning. Much cheaper than the store-bought version, add loads of flavor to chicken, vegetables, and more with this easy spice blend that packs a flavorful punch!
- Prep Time: 5 minues
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 1.75 Tbsp 1x
- Category: Sauces/Condiments
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: American
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a container. Use as desired to season your poultry, vegetables, and sauces!
Notes
- You can definitely make it with fresh herbs, but it wouldn’t be cost-effective unless you either found ALL of them marked down at the same time, or you have an herb garden.
- You can omit or substitute based on what you have at home. Truly, if you don’t have something, just leave it out! Despite what some people may say, you don’t HAVE to have sage to cook chicken, and you don’t HAVE to have any of the other spices either.
- You can customize the blend. I like the texture differences between the spices and chose to leave all of them whole, but you can grind them in a cheap old coffee grinder or even your blender (I have this awesome blender) and turn it all into a fine powder.
- Spice it up! If you’re feeling daring, add in some cayenne pepper or fresh ground black pepper. This would make for a nice twist to the usual!
Nutrition
- Calories: 21
Hey Tiffany!
I have a recipe I’d like to share with you. Though it isn’t exactly poultry seasoning, it can be filed under sauces/condiments. Though I don’t remember where I found it, this is a homemade version of extra crispy Shake N Bake. Unlike the boxed version, which is usually only for chicken, you can use this one for chicken or pork! If you like, you could even try steaks with it as well. I might even try it with salmon! When you look at the recipe, you’ll notice there are no yucky preservatives. Nothing but ingredients you have right at home! I made this one at a cooking class hosted by Mama Jane, where I was the teacher that day. I made chicken with it. Let me tell you, none of her students could tell the difference! They all said that it tastes just like the store-bought version!
Extra Crispy Shake N Bake
You’ll Need:
3 cups Bread Crumbs
¼ cup Vegetable Oil (Optional)
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Onion Powder
2 teaspoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Basil
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
You Do:
1. Combine all ingredients and mix until well blended and there are no big clumps.
2. Transfer to airtight container.
To Use:
3. Preheat oven to 400 for Pork or 425 for Chicken.
4. Pour some of the mixture into a large zippered bag.
5. Wet each piece of meat and shake off excess water.
6. Place in the bag and shake to coat. Shake off excess breading, place on baking sheet.
7. Bake pork chops for 15-20 minutes.
8. Bake bone-in chicken for 40-45 minutes.
9. Bake boneless chicken for 20-25 minutes.
10. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then store in refrigerator or freezer.
11. Heat in the microwave, an oven, or even an air fryer, serve and enjoy!
And, if you like, you can make the Crunchy Pretzel version by substituting 3 cups crushed, unsalted pretzels for the bread crumbs. Or if you want salted pretzels, you can eliminate the salt. Also, when preparing the oregano, parsley flakes and basil, make sure they’re made into powder so there are no visible specks. You can do this by putting them in a grinder, or simply crushing them in a plastic sandwich-size zippered bag with your hands.