If you love Lawry's seasoned salt or restaurant french fry seasoning, this is the recipe for you. It's made with pantry spices that most people have on hand and takes no time to whip together. Use it for anything from french fries to burgers to roasted vegetables and more.
For a long time, when I needed to quickly add flavor to a dish, I would reach for seasoned salt. The blend of salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper is hard it beat. It instantly adds flavor to burgers, fries, popcorn, veggies, you name it. Unfortunately, the store bought version I was using was packed with sugar, MSG, and natural flavors. I wanted something healthier that still packed in a ton of flavor.
That brings me to this homemade seasoned salt. It's got all the classic flavors without all the unnecessary extras. Since we use it so much in our home, I make a double or triple batch every couple months. That way whenever I need a quick flavor booster, it's ready to go.
What is seasoned salt made of?
There are lots of variations when it comes to seasoning salt, how it is made, and what exact spices are used. To me, this is the classic version, that's packed with flavor.
- Kosher salt is the base for this recipe and gives the blend some texture and crunch. You could also use table salt, but you will want to use about half the amount so the mix isn't too salty.
- Paprika adds the classic red color to the seasoning blend. The flavor adds some sweetness and brightness. In case you are wondering, paprika is made from ground sweet peppers. You could also use hot paprika or smoked paprika.
- Garlic and onion powder: This adds the aromatic flavors of onion and garlic to the seasoned salt mix. You can play with the amount of each spice to get stronger or more mild garlic or onion flavor.
- Black pepper: To balance the salt and add some spice, black pepper is a critical ingredient to round out the spice blend. Black pepper also adds some spiciness without heat.
- Sugar: This ingredient is optional, but it is found in most seasoning salt blends.
Recipe Ideas for Using Seasoned Salt
- French fries: This is sometimes called fry seasoning for a reason, it is so so good on french fries. Use it for traditional potato fries, crispy wedges, baked potato chips, or veggie fries.
- Burgers: This adds instant flavor to any burger patties. Make them with ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, or any combination of ground meats. It works for vegetarian burgers as well.
- Grilled and baked proteins: Use this as a quick spice rub on proteins from chicken to pork to beef. It works for meats on the grill, baked in the oven, or cooked in a pan.
- Roasted vegetables: This is a great way to flavor roasted vegetables. Just toss the veggies in some olive oil and seasoned salt before roasting them in the oven.
- Seafood: This also works great on seafood, especially with fish like salmon and shrimp.
- Popcorn: If you are a popcorn fan, try this sprinkled on your popcorn. It is such a delicious snack.
How long does this last?
Most experts recommend that spices can be kept for between 6-12 months. Assuming you are using relatively fresh spices, assume that you can store this seasoning salt for up to six months. Older spices generally have less flavor than fresher spices.
Why make it homemade?
There are a few reasons to make your own seasoned salt at home. The main reason is to avoid the use of monosodium glutamate - MSG, which is used in a lot of commercial seasoning salt blends. Additionally, many store bought options contain preservatives and natural flavors. Lastly, making your own version at home let's you control the flavor. You can add extra garlic, make it spicier, and create a blend that is exactly what you like.
The other reason is to control the sugar. Some commercial blends have almost as much sugar as salt. To be honest, you just don't need that much. Just a touch of sugar will round out the flavor profile and add a slight touch of sweetness.
Variations and Recipe Ideas
Believe it or not, there are a lot of ways to customize and personalize this seasoned salt blend playing with the spices, adding dried herbs, and playing with the proportions.
- Make a spicy seasoned salt version by adding some chili powder, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes.
- Make a more herbal blend by adding dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, or basil.
- For a more savory, earthy option consider adding some ground turmeric, curry powder (another spice blend), or ground mustard.
- For a smokier version, use smoked paprika in place of the sweet paprika or add some cumin.
- Add some citrus flavor by adding some dehydrated lemon peel or lemon pepper.
- If you prefer a sweeter seasoning salt, then consider doubling or even tripling the sugar. White sugar is traditionally used, but you could also use brown sugar or coconut sugar.