I realize it’s very pretentious to mix a bunch of spices and call it “house” seasoning as if I’m running some sort of restaurant over here, but I’m too far in to stop now. I used an actual label maker for this, guys. It’s officially a thing.

I didn’t set out to make a “house seasoning,” but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. It started when I was organizing my spice drawer and realized I should make sure all the spices I use the most were up front and center (or whatever the equivalent of that is in a drawer).

But here’s the thing: I don’t gravitate towards just one or two, so as I was pulling them up front I started to realize that “most used” was more like “half the drawer.” On a whim, I grabbed an empty spice jar (if you’re wondering, these are the ones I have) and started dumping in random amounts of the ones I knew I used the most together: chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin and garlic. Then I started putting it on roughly 75% of my food and now I barely remember life without it.

(I’m only being slightly dramatic.)

Now, more than six months later I have my perfect blend. It has a few more additions, but it takes like one minute to put together and makes everything better. I put it in/on everything – from roasted vegetables to salmon to pasta. Seriously, everything! It’s perfect for quick weeknight cooking, and I’m sharing it now because I know these few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can turn into a giant mess and it’s easy to find yourself eating cookies for dinner three nights in a row.

But now! Now you can just pick up some chicken and tortillas on your way home from work, cook it with this seasoning, shred it and suddenly you’re eating tacos. Actual tacos. For dinner. Like an adult.

OR roast up a pan of your favorite vegetables tossed with your seasoning and pile it on top of rice or quinoa. Add a fried egg and some avocado and….it’s dinner! Or maybe lunch! I don’t know – it’s your life!

My favorite thing to do is season potatoes (white or sweet) and serve it with something like my green onion cilantro sauce. It might not sound like a full meal, but if you eat a whole pan it most certainly is thankyouverymuch.

Look, I don’t want to have to throw around the word “hack” here, but this really is a low-key kitchen hack. Opening up a bunch of jars of spices might not take thaaaat long, but you’ll feel the difference when you suddenly only have to open ONE. Most importantly, because I’m assuming you’ll make this seasoning to your liking, you know you’re going to end up loving whatever you decide to cook because all your favorite flavors are right there.

And that’s the BEST part (and the last thing I’m going to say, I promise)! It is the most customizable thing on the planet. I literally just put all my favorite spices together, so that’s what you should do too. If you’re into these flavors, use this recipe as a starting point and tinker as you go. If chili powder and cumin make you sad, maybe start with some garlic powder and dried herbs. Anything goes!

It’s your house – make it your seasoning.

House seasoning

Yield: ~1/2 cup

Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1–2 teaspoons red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like your food / completely optional!)

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together really well (I like to use a whisk) to make sure everything is evenly combined and there are no clumps.
Store in an airtight jar. Lasts well for months!

Notes

I don’t like to put salt in this one because I don’t want to worry about using too much and making something salty. It’s just easier to add it separately for me, but you can include salt in your seasoning blend if you want!