How to Season Chicken

Chicken – ever popular, versatile and healthy – comes into its own when infused with a myriad of spices, herbs or spice blends that might not immediately come to mind when learning how to season chicken. A wonderful all-rounder, chicken – traditionally flavoured with salt, pepper and thyme can be imaginatively enhanced using any of a vast range of exotic spices and easy to use pre-created spice blends. Seasoning chicken just became very easy!

Here are six seasonings that do the hard work for you and bring a little magic to meal times! This is how to season chicken giving you lip smacking results.

Kebab Seasoning

Kebab Seasoning (used in our ‘Chicken Lollipops‘ as we like to call them!) is a fragrant blend with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. A delicious combination of punchy paprika and herbs that can coat or make a marinade with citrus or vinegars, our Kebab Seasoning is absolutely amazing! You will love this succulent chicken with a smoky aroma, a hint of spice and a touch of earthiness. A great choice for grilled skewers or pita sandwiches.

Achiote Spices

Achiote (Annatto) Spices – of Mexican origin – give a vibrant red hue and a mild peppery taste to chicken. By mixing orange juice with this spice blend and marinating the chicken for up to 12 hours (overnight?), this time-served method will produce an attractive colour and an amazing rich earthy flavour. Serve this traditional dish with burritos, tacos or any rice dish. Another great addition to your chicken repertoire!

Harissa

Harissa is a ‘definite’ if you like to heat things up a bit! This fiery North African blend, made into a paste with olive oil and crushed garlic, smeared over chicken and allowed to marinate before being cooked by whichever method you prefer, will definitely put the ‘F’ back into ‘Flavour’! A spicy, smoky, adventurous offering, it will really make a statement! Serve with flatbreads, roasted vegetables and couscous.

Fajita Seasoning

Liven up your chicken with our Tex-Mex Fajita Seasoning! Pungent, piquant and zesty, this wonderful combination of spices makes inspired Fajitas! Sprinkle the delicious mix over chicken strips and allow them to rest. The flavours will infuse and once cooked the meat will burst with savoury, smoky spiciness! Accompany with a salad, tacos or fajita wraps. Perfection!

Zahtar

A unique, tangy seasoning – Zahtar Spice Mix (originating in the Middle East) – combines thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and salt to give a very distinctive blend. An exceptional marinade for chicken, the resulting tender, succulent meat tastes incredible with hummus, grilled vegetables and pita bread. (See Nigella’s Za’atar Chicken recipe for inspiration where she used Seasoned Pioneers Zahtar spice mix.)

Kabsa

Kabsa Spice Blend will make a seriously interesting and unusual addition to your collection of great spice blends. Its unique Middle Eastern flavour works extremely well in ‘one-pot’ rice dishes, is wonderful with vegetables and is a ‘must’ for coating chicken thighs! Magic!

How to Season Meat

With the simple use of seasonings a ‘run of the mill’ meal can be transformed. Whatever the ingredients or method of cooking, a little time spent experimenting with herbs and spices can tantalise the taste buds, creating delicious, distinctive – even unique – dinners, which make even weekday meals memorable!

Salt and pepper – those ‘go to’ flavourings will always be a fundamental part of the meat cooking process. They are, indeed, a staple of the kitchen cupboard. There are, however, numerous other ways to maximise our enjoyment of food. A great diversity of herbs, spices and spice blends can open up a whole new world of mouth-watering eating experiences!

Different ways of Seasoning Meat

There are three basic methods used in seasoning meat, but no ‘hard and fast’ rules.

1) Sprinkling. This is the simplest and quickest way of using herbs and spices and is especially suitable for meat cooked at a high temperature.

2) Wet rub. Seasonings may, for example, be mixed with oil, vinegar, alcohol, lemon or lime juice. This helps them adhere to the meat.

3) Marinating. To add flavour, moisture and to tenderise the meat a marinade is made by combining oil (or dairy) with acidic liquids and then seasoning. Follow with up to 12 hours of total immersion.

Helpful Hints (Hopefully!)

Before cooking allow meat to reach room temperature for even cooking.
Cook as you normally would – frying, barbecuing, roasting, grilling, slow cooking etc.
Check if salt is already included in any spice blend and adjust its addition accordingly.
Rest meat after cooking to allow juices to settle and flavours to consolidate. (Cover in foil.)

The use of seasoning in transforming the most ordinary of midweek meals is simply amazing! Whatever the ingredients, method of cooking and accompaniments, discover that the time-saving addition of our spice mixes can make meals truly memorable!

The above are but a few ideas to help you reap the rewards of more adventurous cooking and explains how to season chicken efficiently. Our quality, authentic and inspirational Spice mixes can liven things up a little (a lot?!) and help you create your own masterpieces!

Experiment, have fun and enjoy the delights of seasoned chicken!!

PS See our Special Spice Bundle of Chicken Seasoning designed to start your culinary journey…