Homemade Seasoned Salt

Seasoned salt is one of those seasoning blends that can be used on almost anything. I usually keep a pint or even quart-size mason jar of this homemade seasoning mix in my spice cabinet. It easily goes in soups and stews, on chicken or beef dishes, and even adds some kick to eggs and breakfast foods.

It’s aptly named because it’s literally a mixture of salt (I use Himalayan salt) and spices. It takes about a minute to make (two minutes if you let a toddler help you). Plus it shortens the time it takes to season recipes since it combines many common spices.

My History With Seasoned Salt

It’s hard for me to even type this now, but in college, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt was the only seasoning I had on hand. I used it to make my ramen noodles palatable (cringe-if that’s even possible) when I cooked them in the microwave (double cringe). There are plenty of ingredients in the grocery store version that I now try to avoid!

Instead of mineral-rich sea salt, these blends are made with table salt. You’ll also find GMO cornstarch and anti-caking agents like tricalcium phosphate. And although some seasoned salt blends boast “no added MSG” on their labels, they’re actually hiding a sneaky secret. Flip it over to read the fine print and it says the product has naturally occurring monosodium glutamate from the mystery “spices.”

Thankfully, my taste buds and meal choices have matured quite a bit. Now I use an upgraded version of store-bought seasoned salt and a wide array of much healthier recipes!

How to Make Seasoned Salt

This salt uses natural flavors from healthy spices, no weird mystery ingredients required! It has a flavor profile similar to taco seasoning but without the cumin. I love the universal flavor that goes with a wide variety of dishes, though you can customize it to your liking.

Instead of regular paprika, try smoked paprika for more of a bacon flavor. Some recipes also call for turmeric which adds a nice yellow color and anti-inflammatory benefits. And if you like it spicy add a little cayenne pepper to the mix.

This recipe really is as simple as dumping and stirring the spices together. It’s a great one to make with little kids since dumping and stirring are their kitchen specialties.

Homemade Seasoned Salt

Today, I’m sharing my homemade version of seasoned salt as a throwback to my poor food choices in college and to celebrate my love of real food today. After all, as Erma Bombeck said,

“Once you get a spice in your home, you have it forever. Women never throw out spices. The Egyptians were buried with their spices. I know which one I’m taking with me when I go.”

Ways to Use Seasoned Salt

Looking for more ways to use your homemade seasoned salt? It adds great flavor to a variety of meat, veggie, and grain dishes. Here are a few ideas of foods to use it on!

You can also check out all of my homemade spice blends here, like ranch dressing mix and Cajun seasoning.

What are your favorite ways to use seasoned salt? Leave a comment and let us know!