Chicken Seasoning
Abuja, Nigeria · View all recipes
Overview
A dry rub for chicken: thyme, cayenne, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, onion powder and salt. It carries no country and it is a broadly Western blend, the direct counterpart to the fish seasoning already in this collection. That is worth saying plainly on a platform documenting African food, because Africa has a great many chicken seasonings that this is not. Nigerian suya spice, yaji, is built on ground peanuts with paprika, cayenne and ginger. Ethiopian berbere combines chilli with cardamom, fenugreek and rue. Moroccan ras el hanout can run to a dozen or more spices. Peri peri from Mozambique and Angola leads with African bird's eye chilli and lemon. Any of those would be the regional answer. What is here is a competent all-purpose rub, useful for roasting, grilling or frying, and it keeps for months in a sealed jar. It is filed under Worldwide Recipes rather than presented as African. One practical note the source makes and is right about: the salt is adjustable and can be left out entirely, which is worth doing if you are also using a seasoning cube or a brine, since both already carry a great deal.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Gather all the ingredients in one place.
- 2
In a bowl, combine the dried thyme, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano and onion powder.
- 3
Add the salt, adjusting the amount to your taste. Reduce it or leave it out entirely for a lower-sodium blend.
- 4
Mix, then transfer to an airtight container or a spice jar with a tight-sealing lid.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Deborah Olayiwola- Leave the salt out if you are also using a seasoning cube or brining the chicken. Both carry plenty and the blend is easy to over-salt.
- Rub it onto dry chicken. Any surface moisture turns the blend to paste and stops the skin crisping.
- Smoked paprika in place of sweet paprika changes the character considerably and suits grilled chicken particularly well.
- Season shortly before cooking rather than hours ahead, unless you are deliberately dry-brining, since the salt draws moisture to the surface.
- Stored airtight away from heat and light it keeps several months, though it fades noticeably after about three.
- Roughly a tablespoon seasons a whole chicken, or a teaspoon per portion.
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