Healthy Spice Mix Recipes

Make a big batch of this Turkish spice mix to have on hand when you need to whip up a quick vegetable dip or flavorful, easy salad dressing. Or try it as a rub for grilled or roasted meat or vegetables. The spice mix is also perfect to give as a hostess gift along with a recipe card for turning it into a dip or vinaigrette (see Tips, below). For the freshest, most economical spices, head to a store that has a large, well-stocked bulk spice department.

Making homemade shrimp seasoning blend is easy and lets you control exactly what's inside. Use it in place of the packaged seasoning blends to bring zesty flavor to shrimp as well as chicken, beef and more.

Make a big batch of this super-herbed spice mix to have on hand when you need to whip up a quick vegetable dip or flavorful, easy salad dressing. The spice mix is also perfect to give as a hostess gift along with a recipe card for turning it into a dip or vinaigrette (see Tips, below). For the freshest, most economical spices, head to a store that has a large, well-stocked bulk spice department.

This spice rub is sweet and savory and pairs perfectly with chicken, pork, or fish.

One of the Test Kitchen's favorite blends is baharat, which means "spices" in Arabic—and this Middle Eastern seasoning is loaded with them.

This spice blend is Padma Lakshmi's riff on an Indian street-food blend called chaat masala.

Sofrito is a flavorful cooking base for all sorts of dishes. It has countless variations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This Puerto Rican sofrito contains tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro. Make a batch to use for flavoring rice, stews and much more. Try it in Mofongo Dressing for Thanksgiving (see Associated Recipes).

If you can't get to the grocery store that sells the famous Everything but the Bagel Seasoning Blend, you can make your own homemade everything seasoning so you always have some on hand. You'll find myriad ways to use this savory mix, from scrambled eggs to pasta, oatmeal to grilled chicken.

Italian seasoning is easy to make homemade: just combine a few classic Italian dried herbs--like oregano and basil--and you're on your way to sprinkling flavor on anything you cook. It's not just for Italian food! It works just as well sprinkled into scrambled eggs as it does in pasta sauce.

Making your own taco seasoning at home is a breeze and lets you control exactly what's inside. Use it in place of the packaged seasoning to bring zesty flavor to fajitas, tacos or quesadillas. Or, swirl it into sour cream for a flavorful dip.

Baharat is an Arabic term for spices or spice blends. Many countries in the Middle East have variations of a basic baharat for fish, poultry, and meat. This version is designed for fish and seafood dishes, but can also be used with beef, poultry, and vegetables.

This Spicy Southwestern Spice Rub is made with chile pepper, brown sugar, and cumin, making it spicy with a hint of sweetness. It's the perfect addition to chicken, beef, pork, or salmon.