Chicken Seasoning

Whip up THE BEST Chicken Seasoning recipe in just 5 minutes with 7 pantry staple ingredients! It’s perfect for using as a rub on grilled chicken, seasoning Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, rotisserie chicken or baked chicken.

Store it in the pantry for up to 6 months and use it to turn bland chicken into a flavorful meal! This seasoning mix is naturally gluten free and whole30 approved, perfect for making healthy chicken recipes.

Making homemade spice blends is one of my secrets to creating incredibly flavorful food! When you make your own seasoning blends at home, you know exactly what’s going into them, simple herbs and spices. No additives, or sneaky extra “flavorings” that you don’t know what they are!

I’ve been making my own steak seasoning for years, but it wasn’t until a few months ago that I started experimenting with my own chicken seasoning. I wanted to add more flavor to this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe, so I started testing out different spice blends.

Because chicken is lighter than steak, it needs a lighter spice blend with less coarse spices. So I took some notes from my popular steak seasoning blend and altered it to pair perfectly with chicken.

The flavor is incredible and it can be used to flavor everything from chicken breasts, to wings, to a whole rotisserie chicken! The possibilities really are endless with this versatile spice blend.

Ingredients

• Garlic powder
• Onion powder (or granulated onion) – the only difference between granulated onion and onion powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated onion. I prefer to use granulated onion because it’s less likely to clump over time, than onion powder.
• Sea salt (or kosher salt) – both sea salt and kosher salt can be used interchangeably when cooking. I prefer either kosher or sea salt, over table salt, in this seasoning mix because of their coarse texture and superior flavor.
• Ground black pepper
• Dried parsley – there’s no denying that chicken pairs perfectly with herbs. In this seasoning mix, we’re using dried parsley, but you can easily swap it out (or add in) basil, oregano, thyme or rosemary instead. I love using Litehouse freeze-dried herbs, as they’re the closest you can get to a fresh herb, that’s actually dried.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – these add just a tiny bit or spice, nice flavor and color to the rub.
• Paprika – basic paprika is just fine for this recipe. It adds a mild flavor and beautiful red color. If you’d like to add a little sweet or smoky flavor to the rub, you can use smoked paprika or sweet paprika.

Step by step instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.

Easy as that, in 5 minutes or less, you have a flavorful chicken seasoning, ready to spice up all your favorite chicken recipes!

Tips and tricks

• This recipe makes 8 tablespoons of seasoning mix. If you’d like to make a double batch of the seasoning, simply hover over the servings in the recipe card below and change it from 8 tablespoons, to 16 tablespoons. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update to accommodate the new serving size.
• I recommend using 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of chicken.
• The chicken seasoning will stay good, stored in an airtight container in the pantry, for up to 6 months. After that the spice blend will not “go bad” but as spices sit longer, they begin to lose their flavor.
• I recommend storing the seasoning mix in an 8 ounce mason jar. If doubling the recipe, use a pint size or 16 ounce mason jar. I recommend labeling the chicken seasoning with a date and using the seasoning mix within 6 months. In my house, we double this recipe and it’s easily gone in a month, so I don’t think you’ll have a problem using it all up!
• To make a spicy chicken seasoning, add 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper.

Ways to use it

The possibilities really are endless when it comes to this chicken seasoning recipe. It can be used to season a whole chicken, chicken breasts, wings or thighs. It can be used for grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, baked chicken and even fried chicken!

Check out the list below for all of my favorite ways to use this seasoning mix.

1. Grilled chicken – lightly coat one pound of chicken wings, breasts, drumsticks or thighs with olive oil, then toss with 1 tablespoon seasoning mix. Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken on all sides until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for wings or breasts and 170°F for chicken thighs or drumsticks.
2. Baked chicken – pound 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they’re 1 inch thick. Lightly coat with olive oil, then toss with 1 tablespoon seasoning mix. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165°F.
3. Instant pot chicken – the easiest way to make shredded chicken for salads, tacos, dips and wraps, is to make it in the Instant Pot, or an electric pressure cooker. This Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe uses this chicken seasoning to add tons of flavor to basic shredded chicken breasts.
4. Rotisserie chicken – coat a whole chicken with olive oil, then with the seasoning mix. Place in a roasting pan and into a 425°F oven for 70-80 minutes. Baste the chicken every 15-20 minutes with juices from the bottom of the pan. If you have a grill with a rotisserie, or own a rotisserie oven, you can use that to cook the whole chicken and skip the step of basting the chicken.
5. Slow cooker chicken – add 2 pounds of chicken breasts or thighs, or a combination of both, to a slow cooker. Coat the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the seasoning mix. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and slow cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. The chicken can be served whole or shredded and used in salads, sandwiches or chicken pot pie.
6. Fried chicken – instead of simply seasoning the flour for fried chicken with salt and pepper, add 2-3 teaspoons of this seasoning mix to the flour. Soak the chicken in milk, then dip in the seasoned flour, dip in an egg wash, then back in the seasoned flour, before frying the coated chicken.
7. Air fryer chicken – pound 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they’re 1 inch thick. Lightly coat with olive oil, then toss with 1 tablespoon seasoning mix. Place the chicken in an air fryer and cook at 400°F for 8-12 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking process. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches 165°F internally before removing it from the air fryer. You can also use it to season these air fryer chicken wings.

More homemade seasoning recipes

If you’re looking for chicken seasoning for tacos, be sure to check out my delicious Taco Seasoning recipe. And if you’re in the mood for chicken fajitas, don’t miss my popular Fajita Seasoning recipe!

Stock your pantry with all of my homemade seasoning mixes to add flavor to every meal!

• Cajun Seasoning
• Ranch Seasoning Mix
• Chili Seasoning
• Italian Seasoning
• French Onion Dip Mix
• Pork Chop Seasoning

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