Make a DIY Emeril Essence Spice Blend

One of the strategies I’ve used for increasing my “Make Your Own” recipe options at dinner time is to get more familiar with my jars of ground spices. It’s much easier to start eliminating processed foods and those pre-packaged spice mixes once you get more comfortable with how to flavor and season your meat and vegetables yourself with the jars of spices you probably already have in the cupboard.

So among the different spice blends that I’m learning to make, I decided to give a homemade version of Emeril Essence a whirl too so I can add a little homemade BAM!

At the time I first tried this, there was a recipe both on the Food Network site and on chef Emeril Lagasse’s own website for his spice blend. Is he really giving away his secret recipe? Well, I guess only Emeril knows for sure, but what he’s shared is a great blend of spices so I’ll take it!

Because I prefer to make my spice blends in slightly smaller sizes than many other recipes out there, I’ve adapted his recipe to make it in a size that’s more my style. Here are the spices I’m using that are adapted from Food Network and Emerils

• 3 teaspoons Paprika
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground (Cayenne) Red Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

I combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and then transfer the mix to a spice jar or other small covered container. It can then be used to sprinkle on meats or vegetables before cooking to add extra flavor.

One thing to note with this spice blend is that it does have a little “heat” to it because of the cayenne red pepper (that’s the BAM I guess!) If you want a little less heat, you might want to reduce the cayenne to 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon instead of using the full teaspoon.

More Homemade Spice Blends to Try:

• Homemade Taco Seasoning Blend
• Homemade 10 Spice Blend
• Easy way to make Garlic Salt