This Overlooked Secret Ingredient Can Add Big Flavor In One Simple Step

Cooking is a little mysterious, especially if you’re new to it. Seasoning food, despite appearances, requires a little know-how to do right. But with simple blends of herbs and spices, making delicious food can be quite easy.

There are lots of different mixes to choose from, like za’atar, Old Bay, or all-purpose. 

All-purpose seasoning can be a bit of a mystery. What makes up a seasoning that can be used for all purposes? And can said seasoning indeed be used for everything?

What Is All-Purpose Seasoning?

This may not come as a surprise, but all-purpose seasoning is a blend of several different seasonings, including dried herbs and spices. 

We have two recipes on our site with the moniker “all-purpose seasoning.” One is a no-salt seasoning mix, which piques my interest because so many, if not all, store-bought all-purpose blends include salt. 

This blend uses a medley of seasonings, including garlic and onion powder, dried basil and dried parsley, dried savory and dried sage, plus cayenne pepper, ground thyme, ground mace, and ground black pepper. With all of these herbs and seasonings in one blend, I kind of want to put it on everything. 

This recipe is a good example of what can go in an all-purpose blend. Store-bought seasonings will not have all of these, but they could have some of these herbs and spices. Generally, jars you’ll find in the store will include some ratio of salt, black pepper, dried onion, and dried garlic. 

You might think this sounds a lot like seasoned salt, and while it is similar to all-purpose blends, they will be different. Seasoned salt, as the name suggests, will be heavier on salt. And while all-purpose seasoning does use salt most of the time, there are a lot more ingredients to this type of blend.

When to Use All-Purpose Seasoning

What should you use all-purpose seasoning for? Despite the name, it’s probably not great for absolutely everything, but the blend can add a lot of flavor with little effort and can be a great substitute for other seasonings you might be missing in the kitchen. 

1. Foods that require lots of seasonings like meats, especially chicken, beef, or pork, are great options for this seasoning. This is a great ingredient to use as a dry rub. While you could use the seasoning for fish, this is a more delicate food and does not often need the same intense treatment. But cooking is experimenting, so it could be worth a shot depending on the fish. Shrimp, for example, is a bit meatier and would be a great option. 
2. Roasting or sauteing veggies with this seasoning will turn out a great result. Potatoes are a great vegetable to use. If you need to quarter and roast some spuds, along with other vegetables like onions and brussel sprouts, all-purpose is a well-rounded seasoning to use.
3. An all-purpose mix is a great substitute for other blends, like Creole seasonings, Italian seasoning, or adobo seasoning. While all-purpose may not match exactly, it can get you close. And you can always add any seasonings you also have in your cabinet that go in the recipe.
4. Use this seasoning to boost the flavor of rice or other grains. Whether you’re serving rice on the side or creating the perfect grain bowl, this blend can offer a big punch of flavor.