This chicken seasoning is the perfect blend of herbs and spices that produces flavorful and juicy chicken each and every time. A pantry staple that takes just minutes to put together and can also be used to season other types of meat, vegetables and potatoes.
I prefer to make my own seasoning blends whenever possible, some of my favorites include fajita seasoning, steak seasoning, Cajun seasoning, and this quick and easy poultry rub.
In my opinion, homemade seasonings taste so much more fresh and vibrant than the store bought variety. I use this chicken seasoning constantly, on all cuts of chicken, mixed into burgers, sprinkled over potatoes or even on my Thanksgiving turkey!
How do you make chicken seasoning?
Start by placing kosher salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and dried herbs in a bowl. Stir everything together until it’s well combined. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to 6 months.
Tips for the perfect spice blend
- Smoked paprika can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores and really adds a lot of dimension and flavor to this rub. If you don’t have it on hand, you can use all sweet paprika instead, but I definitely think it’s worth purchasing.
- I’ve had success using this rub on chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks and whole chickens. It’s also great on pork tenderloin, pot roast, roasted potatoes, turkey, salmon and carrots.
- I recommend using freshly ground black pepper for maximum flavor.
- My seasoning recipe contains salt, so you shouldn’t need to add any more salt to your chicken aside from what’s in the rub.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, in fact, I almost always make a double batch so that I always have some on hand.
How to use chicken seasoning
This is more than just a rub; it can be used in so many different ways.
- Marinade: Stir together 2 tablespoons of chicken seasoning, 6 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add one pound of meat to the marinade and let it sit for at least one hour.
- Brine: Make a simple chicken brine by stirring together 4 cups of water, 1/4 cup of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of this seasoning blend.
- Wet Rub: Mix together 2 tablespoons of seasoning with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to make a paste. Rub the paste all over the meat of your choice.
- Roasted Chicken: Brush 2 tablespoons of olive oil over bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of chicken seasoning. Roast at 400 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Fried Chicken: Soak chicken in buttermilk for at least one hour. Mix together 2 cups of flour with 3 tablespoons of chicken seasoning. Coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then beaten egg, then add another coating of flour. Deep fry until golden brown.
Flavor Variations
This chicken seasoning is fabulous as-is, but you can add other flavors to make it your own.
- Spicy: Kick up the heat by adding ground chipotle pepper powder, cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- Mexican: Omit the thyme, rosemary and parsley. Add 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon coriander.
- Italian: Add 1/2 teaspoon dried basil and 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano.
All it takes is 5 minutes and a trip through your spice drawer to produce a seasoning blend that’s amazing for so many different uses!
More seasoning blends to try
Chicken Seasoning Video
Chicken Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until well combined
- Use right away, or transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
So so so so delicious on chicken pieces. My kids are fussy and they loved this seasoning. Have made another batch and stored for later.
Wow did we love this seasoning mix!
I love this blend. My wife made me mix up a big container of it. Thanks for sharing this!!!
This is pretty much how I season my chicken too and it comes out perfect every time!
This seasoning was so incredibly flavorful and delicious!! We used it as a marinade for chicken for dinner tonight and it turned out great! We took your suggestion and added crushed red pepper flakes for even more heat and it was perfect!
Wow! Wha this a great and lovely seasoning! Perfect for bbq weekends and such a great seasoning to have on hand! We love using this for dinners and barbecuing!
Smoked Paprika is one of my all time favorite spices and I love how the inclusion of this elevated the flavor so much more when I used this as a dry rub for my barbecue chicken
Wow! Chicken is my favorite and I would love to try this just to make a difference. Thank you for this!
I love making my own spice blends – they are always so much tastier than bought ones, and they make cooking so much quicker and easier! This one looks great!
I love making my own seasonings at home too but hadn’t tried making chicken seasoning on my own before! This turned out so flavorful – so much better than store bought!
I love how versatile this chicken seasoning recipe is! I often marinate my chicken so I can’t wait to try this as a marinade! Thanks for the recipe.
I love how versatile this seasoning is. I am definitely all about making it spicy!