How to Season Chicken | JUST SPICES®️ (2024)

FAQs

How to Season Chicken | JUST SPICES®️? ›

Some of the spices that go well with roast chicken are paprika, rosemary, thyme, sage, turmeric, fenugreek or clove powder. Whatever you opt for, the key to getting the maximum aroma and flavour from these spices is to combine them with olive oil.

Dry rubs are mixtures of herbs and spices that you can use to season any kind of meat. If you want to use a dry rub on your chicken, you can easily apply it right before you cook or far in advance.

Add a touch of spice to your chicken breast by combining paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic and olive oil to create a paste. Then cover your chicken breast with the paste and pat down to secure.

If you are seasoning it with more than salt and pepper, combine your spice mixture (I love the simplicity of freshly minced garlic and a mix of herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme) in a bowl, then rub all over. Again, don't forget about the inside of the bird! Feel free to season in advance to boost flavor.

Seasoning skinless chicken is as straightforward as with any other cut of meat. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the chicken to act as a binder, sprinkle your seasoning on top, then gently press it in and let your chicken dry-marinate for about 45 minutes.

By the time you are ready to cook the chicken at suppertime, the spices will have seeped into the skin, creating a more aromatic flavor. Even if you haven't got time for an overnight marinade, allowing your rub to sit on the chicken for just 15 minutes will make a massive difference in the overall flavor.

Ideally, a whole chicken would be seasoned a full 24 hours before it was roasted because salting so far ahead of time, I was told, gives the meat more flavor.

How to infuse flavour into chicken? ›

Use a brine

Brining your chicken is a foolproof way to not only add flavour to your roast but also to ensure you don't overcook the meat. Essentially a mix of salt, sugar and water, we love adding herbs, garlic or whole spices such as fennel and cumin to flavour the brine.

Brining is probably the best method you can use to get flavor to penetrate meat. It won't impart intense flavor into meat, but more than most marinades or spice rubs. The protein strands in meat are pretty tightly packed together and they constrict when heated.

Season the Chicken – In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, black pepper, paprika (if using), garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning (if using). Pan-Sear the Chicken – Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the olive oil. Baste with Butter – Flip the chicken over and add the butter.

Fennel, Marjoram, Nasturtium, and Parsley are egg-laying stimulants. (Check out this post on why chickens stop laying eggs.) Cilantro, Sage, Spearmint, and Tarragon are great for general health. Alfalfa, Basil and Dandelion greens create orange egg yolks.

Just because the chicken is already cooked doesn't mean it can't benefit from a rub. Before reheating, make a custom blend of your favorite spices like paprika, cayenne, onion or garlic powder. Mix in dried herbs or a bit of sugar for beautiful caramelization, then sprinkle it evenly over the skin.

Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken). Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well.

Spritz food with water or broth before seasoning it for the oven. Before you hit your food with those seasonings, use a spray bottle to spray it with a light coating of water, broth, or cooking vinegar. This adds a wet coating for salts and other seasonings to stick to, without the need for oil.

Unwrap your poultry or meat as soon as you bring it home from the market, rinse lightly and pat dry (the experts are at odds whether poultry should be rinsed or simply patted dry, so follow your own instincts here). 2. Sprinkle sea or kosher salt evenly over the entire surface of the meat or poultry.