As the resident food lover in my family, I often get panicked 5pm phone calls asking how to season a bowl of steamed veggies or what can replace thyme or if there's a way to make this chicken taste less boring. While there is really no "One Right Way" to season or spice your favorite foods, here's a quick guide to some of the most common — and dependably tasty! — ways to do it.
A Million Ways to Roast a Chicken
When given the choice between fresh herbs and dried herbs, fresh herbs are going give you better flavor every time. Likewise, whole spices freshly-ground right before you use them will also taste better. This said, dried herbs and pre-ground spices are better than none at all!
I included several spice mixes here because they are convenient for seasoning a quick weeknight meal and also because they can be good gateways into new ways to spice your food. It's also good to learn what spices are in the mixes so that you can get a sense for which ones are making your food taste so good (see our complete spice and herb guide, below).
Think of this guide and the seasonings I suggest as a starting place. Use it to learn the basics of what herbs and spices tend to go best with which basic dishes, but don't stop there.
What particular herbs and spices do you like to use when seasoning your favorite foods?
Teeny Tiny New Potatoes with Lemon
A Reference Guide to Common Spices for Common Dishes
Chicken
- Dried herbs and spices: thyme, rosemary, coriander, marjoram, sage, garam masala (spice blend), harissa (spice blend), jerk seasoning (spice blend), dukkah (spice blend), chili powder (spice blend), herbes de provence (spice blend)
- Fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, parsley, tarragon, marjoram, sage
- Other: lemon, garlic, soy sauce, white wine, ginger, pesto, miso paste
Fish
- Dried herbs and spices: coriander, chili flakes, jerk seasoning (spice blend), dukkah (spice blend), za'atar (spice blend)
- Fresh herbs: chervil, tarragon, chives, dill, marjoram, cilantro
- Other: lemon, mustard, ginger, sherry, pesto, miso paste, soy sauce
Pork
- Dried herbs and spices: sage, rosemary, thyme, chinese five-spice (spice blend)
- Fresh herbs: sage, rosemary, thyme
- Other: mustard, garlic
Beef
- Dried herbs and spices: rosemary, thyme, chinese five-spice (spice blend)
- Fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme
- Other: red wine, garlic
Lamb
- Dried herbs and spices: cinnamon, harissa (spice blend), dukkah (spice blend), za'atar (spice blend)
- Fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, parsley, mint
- Other: garlic
Steamed or Roasted Vegetables
- Dried herbs and spices: thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, chili flakes, za'atar (spice blend)
- Fresh herbs: dill, thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram
- Other: lemon, good extra-virgin olive oil, butter, pesto
Potatoes
- Dried herbs and spices: rosemary, thyme, garam masala (spice blend), herbes de provence (spice blend)
- Fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, parsley
- Other: good extra-virgin olive oil, butter, pesto
Also, take a gander through our herb and spice archive:
Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia
Related: Do It Now! Throwing Away Our 4-Year-Old Spices
(Images: Roast Chicken/Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, Spices/AlexeiLogvinovich/Shutterstock, Potatoes/Tilapia/Faith Durand)
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Nice reference, with some interesting variations I want to try!
I'd add my go-to spice for chicken: sage, preferably fresh, but dried if in a pinch.
I like Rosemary with potatoes, obviously! But I love tarragon with potatoes, too, fresh, of course. With a squeeze of lemon! Here are some roasted garlic tarragon mashed potatoes...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/01/30/tarragon-roasted-garlic-mashed-potatoes/
I love ginger with parsnips, like in these ginger and parsnip pakoras...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/01/27/parsnip-and-ginger-pakoras/
or this smooth bright parsnip, carrot, red lentil and ginger soup...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2011/10/28/parsnip-pumpkin-ginger-soup/
I love sage with butternut squash, like in this roasted butternut and portobello tart...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/10/04/roasted-butternut-portobello-tart-with-a-pecan-crust/
or this tart with pumpkinseed sage custard and butternut squash coins...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/04/20/tart-with-pumpkinseed-sage-custard-and-roasted-butternut-coins/
I like sweet potatoes with cumin paprika and lime, like in this kale and chickpea stew...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/01/12/kale-sweet-potato-chickpea-stew-with-cumin-paprika-lime/
I like white beans with sage, as in this white bean, spinach and roasted mushroom pie with a pecan sage crust...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/12/13/white-bean-spinach-and-roasted-mushroom-pie-with-pecan-sage-crust/
totally agree with dwhitman on the sage/chicken combo.
but, have what happened to cilantro!!?? only fresh, alone or in combo with onion and fresh or roasted tomatoes; alone or with the aforementioned tomato combo on roasted or grilled eggplant, roasted or grilled chicken or salmon, steamed brown rice, avocados, with refried beans on grilled corn tortialls; in any vegetable curry; along with garlic on roasted or sauted mushrooms; in chicken soup, especially with some lemon or lime juice squeezed in at the last minute .... I know I'm forgetting something!
Sage! How could I forget sage! I'm adding now. :) And @lakesq - I totally agree with you on all the great ways to use cilantro. Yum.
I should add that I like smoked paprika with EVERYTHING!! I'm a vegetarian, but I love it with butternut squash, greens, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, chickpeas, black beans....
This is a really great post - especially to new cooks! Great to keep on hand!
http://beanafoodie.com/blog
I use a lot of these combinations...we love herbs and spices in my house! I started my son off right away (at 4 months!) with herbs and spices in his food!!
Chicken roasted with spices (garam masala, for example) and mayonnaise is delicious.
Great reference guide.
I was hoping to see uses for Turmeric since that is the health spice of the moment.
Definitely some great references!