This Underrated Ingredient Can Instantly Elevate Your Dishes with Minimal Effort

Cooking can seem a bit mysterious, especially if you're just starting out. Properly seasoning your food requires some know-how, but with simple herb and spice blends, creating flavorful dishes becomes surprisingly easy.

There are countless seasoning mixes to explore, such as za’atar, Old Bay, and all-purpose blends. 

All-purpose seasoning often leaves people wondering: What exactly goes into a blend that's meant for every dish? And can it really live up to the claim of being suitable for anything?

What Exactly is All-Purpose Seasoning?

It probably won’t shock you to learn that all-purpose seasoning is a mix of various herbs, spices, and other seasonings. 

On our website, we feature two recipes for 'all-purpose seasoning.' One is a no-salt version, which caught my attention because most store-bought all-purpose blends tend to include salt. 

This particular blend combines a variety of seasonings like garlic and onion powder, dried basil, parsley, savory, and sage, along with cayenne pepper, ground thyme, mace, and black pepper. With so many flavorful ingredients in one mix, I can’t help but want to sprinkle it on just about everything. 

This recipe is a great example of what can go into an all-purpose blend. While store-bought seasonings might not include every ingredient listed here, many will feature a few of these herbs and spices. Typically, the commercial blends you find will contain a mix of salt, black pepper, dried onion, and garlic. 

You might think this sounds similar to seasoned salt, and while there are some similarities, the two are distinct. As the name implies, seasoned salt is much saltier, while all-purpose seasoning blends are usually more complex, containing a wider range of ingredients in addition to salt.

When to Reach for All-Purpose Seasoning

So when should you use all-purpose seasoning? While it may not be the best fit for every dish, this versatile blend can infuse plenty of flavor with minimal effort. It’s an excellent substitute when you’re missing other spices in the kitchen. 

1. This seasoning is perfect for dishes that need a lot of flavor, such as meats like chicken, beef, or pork. It’s also an ideal dry rub. While you can use it on fish, keep in mind that fish is more delicate and doesn’t always need such a bold seasoning, though it might work on heartier varieties like shrimp.
2. For roasted or sautéed vegetables, this blend will deliver delicious results. Potatoes, onions, and Brussels sprouts, for example, will all benefit from its robust flavor.
3. If you're out of other seasoning blends like Creole, Italian, or adobo, all-purpose seasoning is a great substitute. It may not be an exact match, but it’ll come close—and you can always tweak it with additional spices you have on hand.
4. This seasoning is fantastic for enhancing the flavor of rice or other grains. Whether you’re serving rice as a side or creating a grain bowl, this mix will give your dish a flavorful kick.