Moroccan Seasoning
Published Sep 09, 2019•Updated Mar 24, 2025
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This unique and exotic Moroccan Seasoning (also called Ras El Hanout) is a great addition to beef, lamb, chicken or to any vegetables. Add pita bread and hummus on the side for a fun and richly flavorful meal.
I only recently discovered this unique spice blend that makes everything (well…almost everything) taste amazing. My first bite of chicken seasoned with Ras El Hanout was a revelation. It brought back all the unexpected flavors of the Moroccan restaurant I loved when I lived in Washington, D.C. where we ate whole chickens on beautiful gold platters and sat on cozy couches lined with brightly colored pillows.
The seasoning uses basic pantry staples but what makes it so unique is the addition of a few spices that you most likely use in baking. Adding these spices to savory dishes is an absolute revelation and makes the kitchen smell absolutely divine.
Ingredients for Moroccan Seasoning (Ras El Hanout)
Moroccan Seasoning / Ras El Hanout is a combination of ground cumin, paprika, ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon. Because it uses many different spices it’s tempting to skip one or two (which you can certainly do), but the combination of these flavors really makes the seasoning shine.
It’s up to you if you’d like to add salt and pepper to this seasoning mix. If you prefer, you can make and store the seasoning without these – just be sure to add them later when you use the seasoning in a recipe.
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Pin It NowWays to Use Moroccan Seasoning
- Rubbed on Seared or Grilled Meats (lamb, beef, chicken)
- Sprinkled on flatbreads
- Meatballs
- Roasted or grilled vegetables like in this Sheet Pan Moroccan Chicken with Veggies
- In Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
Adding Salt to Seasoning / Spice Mixes
It is not necessary to add salt when making your own seasoning or spice blends. The benefit of making seasoning and spice blends yourself is that you can control the ingredients, so this is a great option if you’re trying to limit the amount of salt in your diet.
Keep in mind that salt brings out the flavor of the spices and herbs, so whether you add salt to your seasoning when you make it or not, be sure to taste when you cook with it later and add salt to the dish as needed.
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Moroccan Seasoning (Ras-el-Hanout)
Equipment
- 4 ounce Mason Jars
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt (optional; see note)
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper (optional; see note)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in an airtight container.
- Seasoning blends will taste best if used within 6 months (but most can be safely stored in a cool, dry place for up to a year).
Notes
Storage: A glass or plastic container saved from store-bought spices works great for storing your own seasoning blends. I have been using 4-ounce mason jars for all of my spices and seasoning blends for nearly a decade. It’s inexpensive and looks super organized.
Salt and Black Pepper: It’s up to you if you’d like to add salt and pepper to this seasoning mix. If you prefer, you can make and store the seasoning without these – just be sure to add them later when you use the seasoning in a recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the 4th Moroccan seasoning recipe I’ve tried and I think it’s by far the best. It’s insanely tasty, my housemate was shocked and even said it was as good as KFC haha
Lol – love that compliment!
Hello Jess, I just saw your recipe for the butternut squash lasagna. I tried to request it be sent to my e-mail (pamperedgail@gmail.com). It looks yummy, but I need to cook for a vegetarian and someone who has dairy allergies. I figured that I could use more spinach and perhaps another veggie . Do you have any favorite cheese that isn’t dairy? I know that feta is from the goat, but my son-in-law doesn’t want to chance it. Anyway, I tried to fill out your form and then it asked for a captcha which I didn’t see anywhere, so I guess I am out of luck. I hope you get this and I look forward to hearing you and I hope to follow you as I love what you do. Thank you.
Hi Gail – there are some really great dairy-free subs out there these days. Sometimes it takes a bit of a specialty shopping trip, but if you have a Whole Foods near you, it’s worth stopping in to look at their dairy-free cheese subs. I think they even have a dairy-free mozzarella sub and / or maybe a dairy-free parmesan sub. However, I also think you could make the butternut squash lasagna without any dairy at all! It has so much flavor in all of those layers that I think it would work well even without any cheese at all. I probably wouldn’t change the recipe much, but would maybe add a splash of chicken or vegetable stock to the base (like 1/4 cup) just to add a little more moisture as everything cooks. And maybe add a bit more salt between the layers to make sure you make up for the flavor that you would otherwise get from the cheese.
Hi, Is the Allspice you are using dried Pimenta dioica berry or Allspice blend.
Allspice blend – thanks for clarifying!
I couldn’t find anything on google regarding an Allspice blend is it the same as Mixed Spice Blend? Mixed Spice is listed as containing cinnamon, coriander, caraway, nutmeg, ground ginger and cloves.
Thanks!
Yes – that should be perfect!
Unfortunately I didn’t have allspice nor ginger powder. I used the seasoning to make apricot chicken and it was amazing. My father, who has become a food snob toward anything that’s not Cantonese food, loved the apricot chicken. I was shocked by the compliment.
Will definitely be adding in the other spices and will use your recipe to make Moroccan seasoning again. Many thanks!
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for letting me know.
Where is the slider? I want to make a batch.
Hi Margaret – just click on the number next to “servings” and the slider will pop up.
Hi
I’m cooking a lamb rack and I’m going to put this beautiful rub all over it
Should I cover the lamb with foil while I cook it in the oven or cook it without the foil??
I would cook it without the foil – that will encourage browning and will toast the spices nicely!