What is Poultry Seasoning made of?
Poultry seasoning is a blend of spices that remind me of the flavors used in Thanksgiving stuffing. It makes recipes, like my Air Fryer Chicken Breasts or Instant Pot Chicken Breasts, taste unbelievably good! The most common spices include:
Sage Thyme Marjoram Rosemary Black Pepper Cayenne Pepper Nutmeg
I don’t always have ALL of these dried spices on hand, but I would say the most important spices to use are the sage and thyme. They are the most prominent flavors in poultry seasoning, so you won’t want to skip them.
In the recipe below, you’ll notice that I typically don’t use rosemary in my homemade spice blend, because it requires a little extra effort. You’ll need to grind it in a spice or coffee grinder, to make the texture powdered like you’d expect from a store-bought blend. I rarely take the time to grind my spice mix (it’s easier to simply shake it all together in a jar), so I leave out the rosemary, but you can grind it all together if you prefer a super-smooth, powdery seasoning.
What Can Be Used in Place of Poultry Seasoning?
If you are working with a recipe that calls for poultry seasoning, but don’t have any on hand, you can use the following combination as a substitution. Here’s a quick swap for 1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning:
2 teaspoon dried sage 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or marjoram)
These are the two main flavors you will taste in any poultry seasoning blend, and you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper, black pepper, or both for a little extra spice. I tend to keep this seasoning blend unsalted, since that is how many seasoning blends are sold at the store. But don’t forget to season whatever you’re cooking generously with salt (on both sides) for the best flavor.
How to Grind Poultry Seasoning
If you would prefer a super-smooth, powdery poultry seasoning, simply place all of the dried spices in a coffee grinder. (Or a spice grinder, if you have one.) Blend briefly, until the spices are powdered, then store it in a dry, cool place along with the rest of your spices. You can easily scale this recipe up or down, depending on how much you need! If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience! – Reader Feedback: Do you make any of your own spice blends? I don’t make them often, but my Cajun seasoning is another popular option if you need something with a little kick!
