Ultimate list of spices for Chicken that adds flavour instantly
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Wondered how to add more flavour to chicken without putting any extra effort. This list of selected best spices for chicken is all you need to make different types of chicken dishes.
Chicken is one of the most eaten protein by most non vegetarians.
It is fairly easy and quick to cook and can be used in a variety of ways.
The neutral taste of chicken also makes it easy to add flavour to chicken and create different types of chicken dishes such as roast, curry, stew, soup, pan fried by adding different herbs and spices for chicken. Here you will find a list of the best seasoning for chicken to cook the type of dish you wish to.
How Do You Add Flavour To Chicken
If you are looking for inspiration on how to dress up this pale bird then the answer lies in your spice cabinet. There are a variety of herbs and spices to put on chicken that instantly enhances the flavour.
A good seasoning for chicken, marination or a combination of spices make a world of difference to how the chicken will taste.
Adding a selection of spices and herbs is one of the best way to season chicken.
I select the spices for chicken depending the type of dish I wish to cook.
Make way for Ms. Spice & Mr. Herb and dress up that chicken into a new avatar.
What Are The Good Spices For Chicken
Chicken is a very versatile protein that can be cooked in many different ways with many different flavours.
What to add to chicken to make it tasty depends on the type of dish you wish to cook.
There are many spice combos for chicken to choose from,
The chicken and spice combination dish you choose depends on how much time you have to cook and what your family’s favourite chicken dish is ie. is it baked, curry, roasted etc.
I have broken down the list of best spices for cooking chicken according to the most common ways used to cook chicken that is curries, grilled, baked, stir-fried etc to make it easier for you to select your chicken flavouring.
This is where this complete printable list of some of the best spices for chicken will come handy.
So let’s check the list of spices for chicken along with recipes for ideas.
List Of Best Spices And Seasonings For Chicken
One of the best thing about cooking with chicken is that it goes well with almost all kinds of flavours and ingredients.
Depending on the type of dish you wish to make with chicken, simply choose from the below list of best spices for chicken.
The list has been divided according to the the cut of chicken you have or the type of dish you wish to make.
Best Spices for Chicken Soup
Those who enjoy chicken will have at least once if not more times made some type of chicken soup.
For your next chicken soup, apart from black pepper add one or a combination of two or three of the spices and herbs listed below to jazz up your chicken soup recipe.
1. Bay Leaves
When frying the chicken pieces for making soup or boiling the broth add a few bay leaves. This will give a subtle woody fragrance to your soup broth.
2. Cayenne Pepper
If you want to add a bit of a spicy kick to your bland chicken soup then cayenne pepper will do the job without overpowering.
Adding cayenne also helps with cold and flu symptoms.
Pepper is not only good for making spice rubs. Try adding it to your soup for a soothing smokiness! You won’t regret it.
3. Rosemary
Rosemary is not only great for fish but also for chicken especially when added to soups.
You can use either fresh or dried rosemary to give any soup a soothing aromatic touch.
It is considered to be a medicinal herb used to improve digestion.
COOKING TIP – Be careful when adding rosemary to any dish. It is a strong herb so overdoing can ruin the taste of your dish.
4. Thyme
Just like rosemary, thyme is another fragrant herb that can be used both fresh or dried.
Thyme adds a herby aroma to the soup broth. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice to give is a zesty garden-fresh taste.
COOKING TIP – Add thyme with other herbs such as oregano for added flavour. Also, remember to use it sparingly.
5. Coriander leaves
Adding fresh coriander leaves to any chicken soup will give it an instant burst of freshness and flavour. Simply add a handful at the end and serve.
COOKING TIP: Don’t discard the coriander stem and stock. Use it as it has a lot of flavours.
Recipes using some of the best spices for chicken soup
Best Spices for Chicken Breasts, Legs & Thighs
1. Cumin powder
One spice that can be used in many foods and in many cuisines.
Cumin powder is one such spice that can be used alone or added with other spices and herbs on a piece of chicken to add an extra touch of flavour.
Simply add a teaspoon and taste the difference.
2. Oregano
The greeks add oregano in many of their chicken dishes and there is a reason why.
A simple dressing made with oregano, garlic and some lemon juice is all you need to make a delicious meal in minutes.
3. Tandoori Masala Spice Blend
If you happen to be a lover of Indian food then Tandoori chicken is something you may have not missed trying on the menu. It is one of the most popular Indian spices for chicken.
It is one of those spice blends that spark joy to your soul. Buy a bottle and use it. You won’t regret it.
COOKING TIP – Add tandoori masala with yoghurt to make your chicken piece tender soft.
4. Taco Seasoning
What tandoori is to Indian food, Taco is to Mexican.
A mellow blend of spices that is versatile to be used in multiple ways. I firmly believe that tandoori spice blend is one of the good spices to put on chicken.
5. Smoked Paprika
It may not be BBQ season or you may not have time to heat up the grill, but adding smoked paprika to chicken lends a woody, smoky aroma.
Simply rub smoked paprika on chicken and use it in any dish.
COOKING TIP– Make sure you buy the smoked paprika and not the regular one. They are two different spices.
Recipes using some of the best spices for chicken breasts, legs & thighs
Sheet pan chicken thighs with chipotle glaze
Best Spices for Chicken Curry
1. Curry Powder
When you think of curry, one of the main spice to come to your mind (most non-Indians) is Curry powder.
It may intrigue you to know that unlike popular assumption, curry powder is not really an Indian spice. You can read this post on how to use curry powder for cooking and easily make homemade curry powder.
When cooking chicken curry, all you need to do is add 2 teaspoons of curry powder and follow this easy step-wise guide on how to cook chicken curry to make authentic Indian curry sauce at home.
2. Green Cardamom
Also known as the queen of Indian spices, cardamom adds a citrusy freshness to any curry sauce.
Strong without being overpowering and aromatic, it is one of my most favourite and essential spices to have.
It is a whole spice, which can either be added whole to any liquid or made into powder and added to the dish.
COOKING TIP – Use cardamom with other spices such as curry powder, cumin powder or coriander powder for some truly great flavour.
3. Cumin powder
Another spice which is commonly used in multiple cuisines and has many uses is cumin powder.
Subtle and non-hot spice is also one of the must-have spices to add to a curry dish.
A spoon or two added directly to the curry sauce would do the trick.
4. Coriander powder
Just like its cousin cumin, coriander powder compliments other spices or alone to bring out an authentic tasting curry.
Most curry recipes will include both cumin powder and coriander powder to be added.
It is mild and non-hot and imparts a woody spicy taste to the dish.
COOKING TIP – Add a teaspoon of cumin and coriander powder to curry sauce for a well-rounded taste.
5. Garam Masala
You must have heard about one of the essential Indian spice blend called Garam Masala.
Do not mistake curry powder to be the same as Garam Masala powder.
They are two different spices and used for different cooking purposes.
Garam Masala is a blend of strong spices and if overused in a curry then can be overpowering and make the dish taste bitter.
It is normally added during or at the end of the cooking process.
COOKING TIP – This guide on using garam masala powder in cooking will be very useful when using the spice.
Recipes using some of the best spices for chicken curry
Chicken rezala with yoghurt and cream
Slow cooker Moroccan chicken curry
Best Spices and Herbs For Baked Chicken
1. Parsley
There is no shortage of herbs and spices that go with chicken. Parsley is a great combination when making a baked chicken dish.
It gives the chicken a fresh flavour.
Combine it with lemon, garlic or other mixed herds for added oomph.
You can either use fresh or dried parsley for a simple herby chicken bake.
2. Za’atar Spice Blend
Za’atar is a flavour packed spice blend of the Meditteranean.
Made with aromatic spices, it makes a brilliant spicy herb seasoning for chicken. Add to any cut of chicken and bake it with other vegetables for a super easy one sheet pan dish.
3. Chipotle chillies or cayenne pepper
In case you want to retain the original flavours of the chicken yet like a subtle spicy kick, then adding Chipotle chillies is the easiest way to get the unique balance of flavours.
Chipotle chillies is a type of jalapeno peppers that are dried and smoked.
The smoky aroma will give you an idea of how flavoursome this spice can be.
It is a chilli commonly used to make adobo seasoning.
4. Jerk Chicken Spice Blend
Just like Za’atar, Jerk spice seasoning belongs to the Caribbean.
Jerk is a cooking style belonging to the Jamaica which refers to marinading chicken with the spice blend before baking it. It is Jamaica’s must have seasonings for chicken and personally for me one of the best chicken rub.
It can be a bit spicy hot depending on the kind of blend you use but the flavours are absolutely divine.
5. Mixed Herb Seasoning
If spicy hot is not your taste then, go adding aromatic herbs for chicken is a great option to flavour it.
Mixed herb is a non- spicy seasoning for chicken that lends a mild aromatic flavour, that caters to most palates.
You can either choose to make a sauce with mixed herbs and bake your chicken or simply use it as a marinade.
Recipes using some of the best spices for baked chicken
Oven-baked chicken with chimichurri sauce
Za’atar chicken tenders with vegetables
Parmesan crusted bruschetta chicken
How Much Chicken Seasoning To Use
Given the different types of seasoning for chicken that you can use to flavour chicken, the amount of the spices and herbs depends on the quantity of chicken you are going to cook and also the addition of other ingredients to it.
If you are unsure about the amount then start by adding a little. You can always add more later if you wish.
There is a method on how to spice a chicken so that it tastes flavourful retaining the natural chicken taste instead of disguising it. Below is a guide of how much and when to add the spices for each type of chicken dish:
For making chicken soups and curries
- 1-2 tsp for a pound or 500 grams of chicken
For making baked, grilled chicken legs, breasts or thighs.
- 1 tablespoon for a pound or 500 grams of chicken.
When making dry or semi dry chicken dishes it is best to ensure that the pieces are covered well with the spices or seasoning for absorbing optimum flavour.
When To Add Chicken Seasoning
Now that you have an idea of what spices go well with chicken, adding your chosen seasoning to chicken at the right time is also important in order to get the best taste.
When making soups
- Add it during the cooking process and cook along with other ingredients
When making curries
- You can choose to marinade the chicken with the spices before you start cooking.
- You should always add the spices during the cooking process along with other ingredients.
When making baked or dry chicken dish
- Marinade the chicken with seasoning and rub the seasoning in well before you start cooking.
TO CONCLUDE
The list above is some of the best spices to cook chicken with to bring out different flavours and cook various dishes with seasonings.
I hope that the above list of spices for chicken gives you ideas to experiment with spices or herbs that may already be there in your pantry.
Simply click on this link here to access the list of the spices and herbs to use for cooking chicken or pin the image below.
Enjoy spicing UPP!!
Thankful for every click to share:
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I wonder, do you have a suggestion for spices to use with ground chicken when making chicken patties?
Hi Hugh!
Try dry roasting cumin seeds and then crush it into a coarse powder. Add it to ground chicken. the taste will be completely different. Few other alternatives are using a mix of curry powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. Hope this helps.
Thanks Heidy!! I am a chicken lover too, so this post had a somewhat personal connection.
So many ways to spice up chicken! Can’t wait to use some of these ideas. Thanks so much for the info!
Glad you liked it.Thanks Michelle