Name: All Purpose Seasoning
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon kosher salt ((if you use table salt which is finer, you may want to decrease this amount)); 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes; 1 tablespoon paprika; 1 ½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper ((if you use finely ground black pepper, you may want to decrease this amount))

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Make your own all purpose seasoning to add flavor to meats, vegetables, and salads. Instead of grabbing a bunch of spice jars to season foods, this mix has everything you need in one shake. It’s so tasty and you’ll find yourself reaching for it again and again.

How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: measuring spoon, small jar
Servings: makes about ⅓ cup

All purpose seasoning spilling out of a jar.

Make This Once, Use It on Everything

I made the same seasoning blend for years — a little of this, a little of that, every single time. Same combination, every single time. It took me embarrassingly long to just mix up a big batch and keep it in a jar.

I’ve been making my own seasoning mixes for years, starting with taco seasoning. Everyone loved that so much that I posted a large batch taco seasoning which is ten times the original amount (I did the math for you, you’re welcome very much). My steak seasoning and pizza seasoning are a couple more favorites.

This is the blend I use the most, though. It’s similar to seasoned salt (think Lawry’s) but made with real herbs and spices and nothing else. Salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, dried parsley. No sugar, no cornstarch, no “natural flavor.” Just the stuff that actually makes food taste good.

What makes it special:

Make it your own. If you’ve used seasoned salt, this homemade mix is much the same but the advantage of making your own is that you can totally customize it. Make it your own special “house seasoning.” You can adapt it to fit. You can even reduce or eliminate the salt if you need to.
So useful! Use this seasoning blend to season chicken, salmon, roasted vegetables, potatoes, soups, salads, you name it. It adds great flavor to whatever you cook. Roasting some chicken breasts? Sprinkle on a little of this seasoning first and your chicken will go from blah to great tasting. The seasoning can be used for salmon, or steak, or pork, whether it’s roasted, broiled, grilled, air fried, or baked. It adds a whole new dimension to potatoes and vegetables, too. One of my favorite uses is this sheet pan dinner of baked chicken drumsticks with sweet potatoes, onions, and russet potatoes. This blend is truly all purpose!

Jane Said:

“It is wonderful. It really is an ALL PURPOSE Seasoning!”

See More Reader Reviews

Seasoning mix with separate spices in background.

Ingredient Notes

Garlic Powder: Use garlic powder, not garlic salt. There’s quite a big difference. Garlic powder is simply dehydrated garlic that is processed into powder form. If you use garlic salt, your blend will be way too salty.
Onion Powder: The same goes for onion powder. Don’t substitute onion salt which is mostly salt. It can be a little confusing. Onion flakes, dried chopped or minced onion, or dehydrated onion are okay but I prefer onion powder because it blends into the mixture better.
Dried Parsley Flakes: While dried parsley doesn’t have as much flavor as fresh, the bits of green add visual appeal.
Paprika: Use basic paprika. It is mild in flavor and won’t add heat to your blend. Smoked paprika or Hungarian paprika can be substituted but definitely start with less. They are much more potent in flavor.
Kosher Salt: You can use whatever salt you like but we like kosher salt because it is coarser. If you are on a low sodium diet, feel free to reduce the amount.
Ground Black Pepper: Use a coarse ground pepper if you can. If you only have fine ground pepper, you may want to use less.

How to make All Purpose Seasoning

Select an airtight container. If you have a spice jar that’s empty, refill it with this homemade all purpose seasoning and relabel it “My Famous House Seasoning”. You’ll feel happy and prepared every time you reach into the cupboard. Maybe you’ll want to leave it out on the counter because you’ll be reaching for it so often.

Combine the ingredients. You can mix the ingredients in a small bowl but my preferred method is to just put them directly into a jar and shake it up. It’s a pretty easy formula: a tablespoon of each ingredient, except black pepper which is one and a half teaspoons.

Overhead view of individual spices in small white bowls.

A white bowl contains separate piles of dried herbs, black pepper, salt, paprika, and garlic powder on a white surface.

How to use all purpose Seasoning

For meat: To use this seasoning blend for chicken or other meats, sprinkle on the desired amount. I like to put some on both sides of the meat and lightly rub it in. If you have a little extra time, let the meat set out for a few minutes to give the seasoning a chance to soak in.

For vegetables: To use this seasoning blend on roasted vegetables, add the desired amount to the vegetables along with the oil. Stir well and roast. It goes great on any kind of potatoes. You can season broccoli, cauliflower, squash, carrots, you name it.

For vinaigrette: If you like to make your own vinaigrette with oil and vinegar, add a bit of seasoning in proportion to the mix. A basic vinaigrette is one part vinegar to three parts oil. Begin there and season it to taste.

For air fryer: I always use this blend when I cook with my air fryer. It’s easy and adds just the right amount of flavor. Try air fryer chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs, or wings. It also works for fish, like air fryer tilapia, air fryer cod, or air fryer salmon. Try it on air fryer potatoes, air fryer broccoli, or air fryer cauliflower.

I’m sure you’ll be able to think of a thousand ways you can use this all purpose seasoning blend!

Recipe Variations

Make a double or triple batch. Once you’ve tried this all purpose seasoning and find out how useful it is, you’ll want to make a bigger batch!
Make it salt-free. Some of you may be on a low sodium diet and are looking for ways to eliminate salt. By making your own blend, you can just leave the salt out. There’s plenty of flavor without it.
Make it Mexican. Add a teaspoon of cumin and Mexican oregano. Substitute smoked paprika for the paprika if you like. Add a bit of cayenne pepper. This will make it similar to taco seasoning.
Make it Italian. Add a teaspoon of dried basil, oregano, and a half teaspoon of thyme (or, try my Italian seasoning recipe).
Other possible add-ins. Some add-ins you may want to experiment with: turmeric, coriander, dried dill, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, sugar, or celery seed. Any of these will add another layer of flavor.

Make-Ahead

An all purpose seasoning blend is an easy make ahead trick. If you have a jar of this on hand, you’ll be saving time every time you cook.

Storage Suggestions

Store in a tightly sealed jar or container. It will keep for up to six months or longer.

More Seasoning Mixes

Browse All →

Chili Seasoning Recipe

BBQ Rub

Cajun Seasoning

Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix (Buttermilk)

Homemade Curry Powder

Homemade Italian Seasoning

Apple Pie Spice – so easy to make!

Homemade Onion Soup Mix Recipe

Browse All →

Recipe