Condiments and Seasoning Recipes & Ideas

Creamy, dreamy, fluffy hummus is 10 minutes away.

You'll want to sprinkle it over everything.

One pantry staple makes it extra nutty and delicious.

It's a game-changer.

And you only need four ingredients.

Whatever regular ol’ butter can do, maple butter can do better. The touch of sweetness and caramel-y, toffee notes alter butter so magically that it’s hard to believe how simple it is to make. Because maple butter has so few ingredients, it’s essential to ensure those ingredients are good-quality. Here you’ll want real-deal maple syrup — sweet, smoky, and amber-colored.

Engaged in a tomato girl summer.

Calling all feta lovers.

Fresh watermelon is one of the most delicious delights of summer. After enjoying watermelon slices, a watermelon salad, or your favorite smoothie, the thick rind is all that’s left behind. This old-fashioned Southern pickled watermelon rind recipe is a zero-waste solution that repurposes the part that is usually discarded and transforms it into a treat that can be a great complement to an appetizer spread, or a unique addition to a salad or wrap.

Better than anything you'll buy at the store.

Cool, briny pickles straight from the fridge are one of the simplest pleasures of summer. Quick pickling is also a brilliant solution for preserving a plethora of summer vegetables from the market or your garden. Quick pickling doesn’t require canning or a bushel of vegetables. Best of all, you can adapt this simple formula for any fresh vegetables; try a mixture of vinegars and spices for a truly custom pickle pleasure. Here’s how to make these easy quick pickles in just 20 minutes.

My grandmother kept a tidy little vegetable garden outside her New England home. While she did a decent job of growing summer squash, cucumbers, and some tomatoes, her best results always came out of her snap bean plants. This also meant my annual August trips to visit her were filled by snapping beans on her porch (a job reserved strictly for grandchildren) and putting jars of quick-pickled green beans in her refrigerator.

It’s so delicious.

It puts the yee-haw in every dish.

I’m visiting family in Texas this summer, and I did a triple-take upon seeing the price of Hatch green chiles from neighboring New Mexico: three pounds for a mere dollar! There are only so many chile peppers one can eat in a sitting, but that didn’t stop me from buying them in bulk and roasting them to put up in my family’s freezer.

Gremolata is one of those things where the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Sprinkled over any number of dishes, it will make every mouthful pop with its bright, fresh flavors. Along with classic basil pesto and chimichurri sauce, it’s one of the essential condiments made with fresh herbs that you can add to practically anything grilled or roasted. Plus it’s a great way to use up a bunch of parsley!

They’re so versatile!

Creamy, peppery perfection.

Cool and crunchy, delightfully sour and capable of going from a quick snack to a crunchy addition to a hearty sandwich without a hitch — that’s what I call a good pickle. Did you know they’re a cinch to make at home? You don’t even need to set aside the afternoon; you can make a few pint jars in less than 30 minutes. Here’s everything you need to know to make your own batch of homemade dill pickles right now.

It’s a keeper.

Being the primary cook in my household, I was shocked to realize recently that I had no idea how to make one of my favorite marinades. My partner always handles the grilling of galbi (Korean short ribs) plus firm tofu for me, but it seemed silly not to know what went into the sauce for this deeply flavored, salty and sweet Korean-style barbecue. Fortunately, it’s pretty simple and now that I know, I can share it with you, too.

Just 7 ingredients come together for big flavor.

It’s no secret that McDonald’s Big Macs are beloved all over the world, primarily for the sweet and tangy sauce that’s slathered onto the burger buns. And while there have been plenty of rumors suggesting the special sauce is simply Thousand Island dressing in disguise, McDonald’s says otherwise.

Try it on chops and chicken.

Date syrup is a thick, caramel-colored sweetener made from dried dates. You may have seen date syrup on the shelves in your local health food store or online, as many cooks embrace it as an alternative sweetener. Date syrup is incredibly easy to make at home, can be more affordable than store-bought, and has the lush caramel hue and heady date flavor of its namesake fruit. Here is everything you need to know about making date syrup at home. Medjool: Medjool dates are ideal for making date syrup.

Breakfast just got its own special sauce.

It’s a five-star recipe.

Perfect balance of sweet and heat.

Easy, cheesy, beautiful.

There are a lot of ways to cook up a hearty, comforting pot of beef stew, but if you ask me, absolutely nothing compares to Guinness beef stew. It also happens to be my favorite dinner to cook for St. Patrick’s Day. In this version, thick chunks of chuck roast are seared and then simmered low and slow in a Guinness-spiked sauce on the stovetop.

Unless you’re from Pennsylvania, you’ve probably never heard of Irish potato candy. I didn’t know what they were, but assumed they were candy made from potatoes. Wrong! Irish potato candies may look like adorable little potatoes, but they’re no-cook coconut and cream cheese candies with a coating of ground cinnamon — essentially the coconut equivalent of chocolate truffles. They’re the perfect St.

Homemade spice mixes can even the speediest meals taste better. To make your own chili seasoning, you only need five ingredients — and at least half of them are probably in your spice cabinet already. Homemade chili seasoning makes a near perfect pot of Classic Beef Chili, but can just as readily spice up a pot of Instant Pot black beans or a pan of roasted sweet potatoes. Here’s what you need to make chili seasoning at home.

Peppercorn sauce is a creamy, spicy, and lightly smoky pan sauce made from beef stock, peppercorns, shallots, brandy, and cream. Originating from the French dish steak au poivre, it’s traditionally created from the fond (the brown bits and residue) left behind from the seared steaks, which are packed with flavor. Peppercorn sauce is a delicious accompaniment to a variety of proteins and vegetables — not just steak. To make it more versatile, this recipe doesn’t rely on fond.

This vegetable jambalaya is faster and just as good, in my opinion, as traditional jambalaya (which typically has andouille sausage, chicken and/or seafood). With the “holy trinity” of vegetables, juicy tomatoes, and long-grain rice, this is a fantastic main dish (with some optional add-ins, if you want) or a hearty side dish to serve alongside your favorite main.

On some level, you probably already know that, sure, it’s pretty easy to make your own peanut butter. But if you’ve never actually made homemade peanut butter, I don’t know if you quite understand how truly, incredibly, ridiculously easy it really is. To make easy, delicious peanut butter at home, use your food processor. Then go make Kelli’s 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies. (Trust us on this one.

There’s really no arguing that scoby is uglydelicious homemade kombuchaIf you want to save a few bucks on your ‘booch habit, there’s just no getting around it. You’re going to need a scoby. You can beg a scoby from a kombucha-brewing friend, or you can order a fresh one online. But there’s one more option: you can grow your own. This can be easily done by combining tea, sugar, and some pre-made kombucha. Here’s how to do it.

Casually read a book while you wait.

Tastes like a ticket to Paris.

Happy soup season, everyone!

You'll quickly fall in love with these sweet and savory spreads.

Steak! Bread! Veggies!

Take a plate of greens from blah to ooh-la-la.

A zesty, vibrant herb-packed sauce for everything from meat to potatoes.

You probably have all the ingredients you need to make it already.