Herbs and Spices That are Good for Seasoning Chicken

Nothing allows as much space for culinary experimentation and improvisation as chicken. It is easy enough for amateur cooks to make mouthwatering dishes with chicken. At the same time, it is a main ingredient for countless gourmet dishes that any expert chef would be proud to serve.

But even a clean slate like chicken requires an understanding of the best ways to season it. It goes equally well with about two dozen herbs and spices, making things even more interesting.

Herbs and Spices That Go Well With Chicken

Along with the virtues mentioned above, chicken also takes a relatively short time to cook, making it perfect to whip up a hearty dinner any day of the week. To make the job easier, here is a list of herbs, spices, and other condiments that bring out the best in this lean meat.

The first things to come to mind are black pepper, paprika, oregano with lemon juice, onion, and garlic. These are the most common herbs and spices used when cooking chicken, whether you are planning to grill, roast, fry, or do something completely different. So, they appear high on the list.

Check the table to pick your spices based on what you are cooking and whether you have the spices (or their substitutes) at hand. It also gives an idea about how to put them on the meat.

Name	Flavor Profile	Used for	Added as	Combines Well With	Substitutes & Alternatives
Black Pepper	Peppery, pungent	Grilling, frying, roasting, stir-fry	Seasoning, dry rub	Garlic, paprika, thyme	White pepper, red pepper
Paprika	Smoky, sweet	Barbecueing, grilling, roasting, stir-frying	Seasoning, dry rub, marinades	Cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper	Ancho chili powder, red pepper
Oregano	Earthy, minty	Roasting, grilling, salads, stir-frying	Seasoning, marinades	Basil, thyme, rosemary	Marjoram, Italian seasoning
Cayenne pepper	Spicy, smoky	Barbecuing, grilling, roasting, stir-frying	Seasoning, dry rub, marinades	Paprika, garlic, black pepper	Red pepper flakes, chili powder
Garlic Powder	Savory, pungent	Frying, stir-frying, grilling, barbecuing	Seasoning, marinades, rubs	Onion powder, black pepper, cumin	Minced garlic, onion powder
Onion powder	Sweet, savory	Roasting, grilling, stir-frying, soups	Seasoning, sautéing	Garlic powder, black pepper, cumin	Minced onion, garlic powder
Ginger	Warm, peppery	Stir-frying, grilling, roasting, soups	Marinades, stir-fry, seasoning	Garlic, onion, soy sauce	Galangal, cardamom
Chili powder	Spicy, smoky	Barbecuing, grilling, frying, stir-frying	Seasoning, dry rub, marinades	Cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper	Ancho chili powder, chipotle powder
Cumin	Earthy, nutty	Stir-frying, grilling, roasting, soups	Seasoning, dry rub, marinades	Coriander, paprika, chili powder	Ground coriander, garam masala
Thyme	Woody, floral	Roasting, grilling, soups, salads	Seasoning, dry rub, marinades	Oregano, rosemary, basil	Marjoram, sage, savory
Basil	Sweet, peppery	Salads, pasta, grilling, stir-frying	Seasoning, pesto, marinades	Oregano, thyme, garlic	Cilantro, mint, Italian seasoning
Rosemary	Piney, resinous	Roasting, grilling, frying, soups	Seasoning, dry rub, marinades	Thyme, sage, garlic	Savory, marjoram, oregano
Dried Dill	Fresh, anise-like	Salads, soups, grilling, stir-frying	Seasoning, dressings, marinades	Lemon juice, garlic, onion	Fresh dill, tarragon, chervil
Sage	Earthy, piney	Roasting, grilling, stir-frying, soups	Seasoning, stuffing, dry rub	Rosemary, thyme, garlic	Savory, marjoram, poultry seasoning
Celery Seeds	Earthy, bitter	Soups, salads, stir-frying, grilling	Seasoning, pickling, marinades	Mustard seeds, cumin, paprika	Celery salt, caraway, fennel seeds
Nutmeg	Warm, sweet	Pies, soups, grilling, roasting	Seasoning, dry rub	Cinnamon, cloves, allspice	Mace, cardamom
Coriander	Citrusy, sweet	Stir-frying, grilling, roasting, soups	Seasoning, marinades, dry rub	Cumin, chili powder, ginger	Cilantro, caraway seeds, fennel seeds
Lemon Juice	Citrusy, tangy	Grilling, roasting, stir-frying, salads	Marinades, seasoning	Dill, garlic, basil	Lime juice, white wine vinegar
Fennel	Sweet, anise-like	Roasting, grilling, stir-frying, soups	Seasoning, pickling	Coriander, garlic, lemon juice	Anise, caraway, dill seeds
Marjoram	Sweet, citrusy	Roasting, grilling, stir-frying, soups	Seasoning, dry rub, marinades	Oregano, thyme, basil	Italian seasoning, savory, sage

Note: While the term 'seasoning' might bring to mind only table spices, in today's culinary world, it encompasses all the spices and condiments that enhance your food — whether added before, during, or after cooking.

The list does not include salt because it is an essential ingredient in whatever you cook rather than a ‘spice’ (unless you avoid it for medical reasons).

Other herbs and spices good for chicken dishes include allspice, cardamom, tarragon, mustard, cilantro, and parsley. You could also make your own spice blend and store it for a quick dry rub or seasoning.

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