This homemade poultry seasoning is a simple, flavorful blend of 7 herbs and spices you probably already have in your spice rack! Not only is it quick and easy to make, it's so useful. With sage, thyme, and onion, poultry seasoning adds savory, comfort-food flavors to a wide variety of dishes. Use it to season soups and stews, gravies, roasted vegetables, stuffing, and more!
Poultry seasoning has been a staple in my kitchen for years, in particular, the ones from Frontier and Spicewalla (although, theirs is now discontinued).
Eventually, I realized I could easily make my own version at home with herbs and spices I already had in my pantry!
Of course, most people use poultry seasoning to add flavor to chicken, turkey, and other meats. In plant-based cooking, I use it when I'm creating vegan versions of classic chicken dishes.
Whether I’m making a batch of vegan chicken broth powder or adding it to seitan nuggets, vegan buffalo wings or chickpea "chicken" salad, poultry seasoning adds that perfect mix of familiar, savory herb flavors.
You can also use it to build flavor in casseroles, soups and stews, sauces, gravies, grains, and rice dishes.
Why Make Your Own Blend?
Not only is mixing up a batch of poultry seasoning super easy, DIY-ing it solves other problems, too!
If you enjoy cooking as much as I do, you can probably relate to the issue of an overflowing and cluttered spice rack. So instead of buying yet another bottle, it just makes sense to use ingredients you already have, while they're fresh, and potentially reduce waste!
Plus, making your own seasoning blends means you know exactly what's in them. Anti-caking agents are common in most store-bought spice mixes, not to mention other additives you may not want, like sugar, MSG, and salt. With homemade, you also get to customize the flavors to your liking.
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If you enjoy making your own seasonings, be sure to try my Shichimi Togarashi next!
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What's in it?
I based my recipe on Frontier's poultry seasoning. It's heavy on the sage and thyme, which is how I like it. But there are no hard rules here!
- sage: You can use ground or rubbed sage. Ground is more concentrated, so you may want a little bit more if using rubbed.
- thyme: A member of the mint family, thyme is wonderfully savory and essential to this blend. It is the dried aerial parts of the plant and can be a bit "twiggy." So it helps to use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to break it down.
- marjoram: Also from the mint family, marjoram has a mild, lightly citrusy flavor. Some cuisines use it in ways similar to oregano, but it's much more mild than that. Feel free to replace it with rosemary or sub oregano in half the amount.
- onion powder: Adds the usual savory, broth-y type of flavor often associated with poultry dishes. You can also include garlic powder if you like.
- black pepper: Make sure it's finely ground so it mixes well and doesn't overpower the other ingredients.
- celery seed: This one's optional, but a nice addition if you have it.
- cayenne pepper: Also optional, it's included in Frontier's blend, so I like to add a pinch.
Other ingredients you'll find in some poultry seasoning blends are rosemary, nutmeg, paprika, lemon peel, and ginger. Feel free to include any of these that you're particularly fond of.
Tip: Rosemary can be added in an amount similar to the marjoram. The others should be used in much smaller amounts.
How to Make Poultry Seasoning
I like to use a mortar and pestle or electric coffee/spice grinder to break down the thyme and celery seed.
Hint: If you omit the celery seed, or use pre-ground, you can skip this step if you like. Simply whisk everything together, pour into a jar, and you're done!
In a spice grinder it only takes a few pulses to turn the thyme and celery seed into powder. Then add the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.
With a mortar and pestle you'll get a bit of a workout, but it's still fairly quick.
Transfer the poultry seasoning to a clean jar with a lid, and store for up to 6 months—or depending on the best-by dates of the individual herbs and spices.
Can I change the ingredients in my homemade poultry seasoning?
Of course! You can swap out various herbs and spices to suit your tastes or to accommodate the ingredients you have on hand.
You can also choose to highlight particular flavors if you have a specific end dish in mind. Add rosemary, garlic powder, lemon peel, smoked paprika, or ginger. Also, white pepper is sometimes used instead of black pepper.
FAQs
No, poultry seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices that is often used to season poultry, hence the name. But it is entirely plant-based.
No, the two are very different. Chicken bouillon is a concentrated, dehydrated form of chicken stock. It is very salty and contains meat, fat, vegetables, and other flavorings. Poultry seasoning is a blend of herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary—it contains no meat and is typically salt-free.
Helpful Tip
The recipe makes a modest amount, about 3 tablespoons. I recommend trying the small batch first. This will allow you to taste it, use it in a recipe, and adjust the flavors if desired. Then multiply the recipe to fill a spice jar.
Ways to Use Poultry Seasoning
Recipe
Homemade Poultry Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon ground sage - if using rubbed sage you may want a bit more
- 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram - or rosemary; see Notes
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon celery seed - optional
- ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
Instructions
- Using a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder, grind the thyme and celery seed together until thoroughly mixed. Add the other ingredients and pulse or stir to combine.
- Alternatively, if not using celery seed or starting with pre-ground, it's fine to simply whisk everything together in a bowl.
- Transfer your homemade poultry seasoning to a clean jar or other lidded container, and store in the pantry for up to 6 months, depending on the freshness of the individual spices and herbs.
Notes
- instead of marjoram, try ½ teaspoon oregano
- add sweet or smoked paprika for a touch of pepper flavor
- sub white pepper for black
- other common ingredients to try: nutmeg, lemon peel, or ginger
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Tena says
This is great! All of my favorite flavors. I already had the ingredients in my spice rack. I am going to start adding it to everything!
Carella says
Thanks so much for this! I have a bad habit of letting some herbs sit for ages and go unused. This helps me put them to good use. So easy too!