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Made with salt and everyday spices, this Homemade Seasoned Salt adds bold, savory flavor to everything from chicken and potatoes to vegetables, eggs, and popcorn. It takes about 5 minutes to make and lasts for months in your pantry.
Unlike many store-bought seasoning salt blends, this recipe contains no sugar, starches, or unnecessary additives. It also uses more herbs and spices than salt, so it adds plenty of flavor without simply making your food taste salty.
Why Make Your Own Seasoned Salt?
- Big flavor. Garlic, onion, paprika, chili powder, parsley, and pepper give this blend much more flavor than plain salt.
- Less salt-forward. This recipe contains a higher proportion of spices to salt than most commercial blends.
- Easy to customize. Adjust the salt, heat, or herbs to suit your family.
- Simple ingredients. No added sugar, cornstarch, or artificial coloring.
- Endless uses. Sprinkle it over meat, potatoes, vegetables, eggs, fries, popcorn, and more.
5-Star Reader Review
This is super delicious. I've been using this recipe for over a year. Get tons of comments on how good the food tastes. --Silvia
Ingredients in Seasoned Salt
This homemade seasoned salt uses basic pantry spices, but a few small details help them blend and season food evenly.
- Iodized Salt: Fine iodized salt provides the familiar texture of classic seasoned salt and mixes evenly with the other ingredients. Fine sea salt also works.
- Garlic and Onion Powder: These make up a generous portion of the blend, adding plenty of savory flavor without relying exclusively on salt.
- Paprika: Adds mild, slightly sweet pepper flavor and gives the seasoning its signature color.
- Chili Powder: Adds warmth and depth without making the seasoned salt noticeably spicy.
- Dried Parsley: Adds a subtle herbal note and a little color.
- Black Pepper: Use finely ground pepper, not freshly cracked pepper, so it distributes evenly throughout the blend.
Kristen's Tip
Use dried spices that are less than 6 months old for the best flavor. While safe to use, they gradually lose their strength, weakening the flavor of this seasoning blend.
How to Make and Store Seasoned Salt
- Combine. Add the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, parsley, and black pepper to a bowl or jar. Stir or shake until evenly combined.
- Store. Transfer to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark cabinet for up to 6 months. Shake or stir before using because the finer spices may settle.
Seasoned Salt Variations
- Lower Sodium: Reduce the salt by up to half. Because the blend already contains a high proportion of spices, it will still add plenty of flavor.
- Salt-Free: Omit the salt to make a salt-free all-purpose seasoning blend. Add salt separately to the finished dish if desired.
- Spicy: Add cayenne pepper to taste. I would recommend beginning with ½ teaspoon, not 2 to 3 teaspoons, unless you know that amount reflects your tested version.
- Smoky: Replace the regular paprika with smoked paprika.
- Italian-Inspired: Replace the chili powder with dried oregano.
- Savory Herb: Omit the chili powder and use 2 teaspoons each of ground rosemary and dried basil.
How to Use Seasoned Salt
Use homemade seasoned salt anywhere you want to add salt along with savory flavor. Because salt preferences and recipes vary, begin with a small amount and add more to taste.
- Chicken and Meat: Use it to season chicken, pork, steak, shrimp, homemade burgers, or pot roast before cooking.
- Potatoes: Sprinkle it over oven fries, roasted red potatoes, baked potatoes, or air fryer potato cubes.
- Vegetables: Use it in place of plain salt when making roasted broccoli or roasted fall vegetables.
- Breading: Add it to the breading for baked chicken tenders or homemade fish sticks.
- Everyday Foods: Sprinkle it over scrambled eggs, breakfast hash, salads, or homemade microwave popcorn.
Recipes Using Seasoned Salt
I keep this homemade seasoning salt in my pantry because it makes adding flavor to everyday meals almost effortless. It is especially useful in:
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Homemade Rotisserie Chicken
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Homemade Seasoned Salt
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup iodized salt
- ¼ cup garlic powder
- ¼ cup onion powder
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon black pepper, fine-grain pepper, not coarse pepper
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small glass jar or mixing bowl. Mix or shake until the spices are well distributed throughout the salt.
- Transfer the salt mixture to an airtight container. Store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 6 months.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We make stovetop popcorn a lot and I'm always looking for new seasoning ideas! I'm doing this one next!
This is really a fantastic blend and easy to throw together. A great alternative to store bought. I've gone through so much of it already!
Thanks for sharing Gina! I am glad you are enjoying it!
I just love your gluten free seasoned salt! I have had several requests from family and friends as to what seasonings I have used in several dishes!!! I do not add any salt to my mixture so I can add salt as needed.
Needed some seasoned salt for a recipe I was making (salmon salad) and found this. Only made 1/2 recipe and I’m glad I did. It makes quite a bit especially if you only need a little. I used regular organic paprika and an organic chili powder I had. It looks very different from my normal seasoned salt and was relieved to find that this does not have sugar in the recipe. Don’t feel that sugar is necessary. The salmon salad turned out great! The seasoning was very good for this. Thank you for posting this recipe!
I am so glad you found this recipe Lorna and that you found the flavor to be spot on. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Very tasty. I made this to make a dairy-free version of your cream of chicken soup and I was so pleased with both. Thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed JT! Thanks for sharing.
I love this seasoned salt. I put it in my biscuits and gravy and it's perfect!
Doesn't seasoned salt usually have a bit of sugar? Brown? White?
Hi Rachel! Store-bought blends may have a bit of sugar but the advantage of making at home is you can control the ingredients. I don't find the added sugar to be necessary.