If you are looking for the Best Seasoning for Chicken then look no further. This easy recipe makes amazingly flavorful chicken no matter how you cook it.
Grill it. Roast it. Bake it. Cook it in the slow cooker. Air Fry it. Your chicken will be seasoned to perfection with this homemade chicken seasoning recipe.
The Best Seasoning For Chicken
What Is Chicken Seasoning?
Chicken seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices that you use to adds great flavor to any cut of chicken. This mix adds to the flavor of the chicken and can be used for every type of cooking method. You’ll want to use it with your favorite chicken recipe.
The thing I love about homemade seasoning mixes is I get to control the flavor especially when it comes to the amount of salt in a seasoning mix. I find store bought seasonings that contain salt often are too salty for my personal taste. Making them at home means I can control the amount of salt in the seasoning mix.
Ingredients for this Seasoning For Chicken:
Here’s the herbs and spices you will need to make this recipe:
- Paprika – this adds flavor as well as color to your chicken. Try swapping out some or all of the paprika with smoked paprika.
- Cayenne Pepper – adds flavor as well as a bit of heat. You can adjust this to your own personal tastes. Not a fan of food with a bit of spice? You can leave it out if desired.
- Onion Powder and Garlic Powder – you’ll want to avoid onion salt and garlic salt. These are not the same thing. They are just mildly flavored salts. Still with powdered or even the granulated version of these two seasonings. This will provide flavor without making the mixture overly salty from having too much salt in the recipe.
- Italian Seasoning – use store bought or a homemade Italian Seasoning mixture.
- Salt and Black Pepper – no seasoning mix would be complete without these two. Use your favorite type of salt (sea salt, kosher salt, etc)
How to make Seasoning for Chicken:
Equipment needed:
- A small bowl and whisk
- Container to store seasoning mix
To make this seasoning mix simply combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk or stir until fully mixed.
Store until you need it to season your chicken.
How to store this Seasoning for Chicken
This seasoning mix can be used immediately after making it. You can also store it until needed.
Store this mixture in an airtight container, spice jar or even mason jar for up to 6 months. You’ll want to make sure that it is a container with a good seal. Seasoning mixes containing onion and garlic powder will tend to clump if they are exposed to humidity. Store it in a dry place at room temperature.
How much Seasoning for Chicken do I use?
Try using about 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. That seems to be enough to coat the chicken pieces no matter what type you are using and adds so much flavor.
Here’s a few more tips on seasoning different types of chicken:
No matter which cut of chicken you use you’ll want to cook it until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees ( when testing with a meat thermometer) or when the inside is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Baked Chicken – brush the chicken with a little olive oil or your favorite lightly flavored oil. This will help the seasoning mixture stick to the chicken. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture all over the chicken (whole chicken, skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, wings and more). Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees until cooked through (about 20 minutes depending on the cut of the chicken and how thick it is).
Crockpot or Slow Cooker Chicken – brush the chicken with olive oil as instructed in the baked chicken (above). Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken (1 to 1/2 tablespoons per pound) and layer the pieces in the bottom of the crock. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8.
Serve the chicken whole or use two forks to shred it to be used in your favorite recipes.
Air Fryer Chicken – coat the pieces of chicken with oil and sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken. Pre-heat your air fryer based on your model’s instructions. Lay the pieces of chicken in the air fryer basket. Leave some space between them so the air can cook the chicken on all sides.
Air fry the chicken at 400 degrees (or use the chicken setting on your air fryer) for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces over and continue to cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temp is 165 degrees and juices run clear).
Grilled Chicken – brush your chicken with a bit of oil and sprinkle the seasoning mix over it like you would use a dry rub on other grilled meats. Grill the chicken on all sides until it is cooked through. You can even sprinkle a bit more seasoning on the chicken when it’s done cooking if you want some added flavor.
Fried Chicken – you can add this seasoning to the flour or coating mix that you roll the chicken in as well as sprinkling some directly on the chicken.
Do you season the chicken before or after cooking?
I prefer to add seasoning on the chicken before I cook it. The heat seems to seal in the flavor on the meat. Don’t forget to brush the chicken with a bit of oil so the seasonings will stick to the chicken.
You can also sprinkle a bit more seasoning on the chicken when it’s done cooking if you desire. But the majority of the seasoning should be added before it cooks.
Other homemade seasonings you might like:
Copycat McCormick Spaghetti Seasoning Mix
Homemade Ranch Seasoning / Dressing Mix
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The Best Seasoning For Chicken (Easy Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Combine allingredients in a small dish and whisk or stir until fully mixed.
Nutrition
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