Berbere is a bold, spicy and complex spice blend that is essential to Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines. It comes in many variations, but I am trying to keep true to the original essence of the spice. Traditionally, it includes a few ingredients that are not easy to find here in the states, but I find this homemade blend much better than the jarred varieties of berbere, which contain a bunch of unnecessary additives.
So. We haven’t given you a seasoning blend in a while. The last was Fajita Seasoning, and that was over a year ago. Considering we pretty much make all of our own seasoning mixes, we’re well past due for one.
Now I’m going to warn you ahead of time, this one has a lot of components. If you regularly cook international food, you probably have most of them in your cupboard. If not, just do the best with what you have. As I said earlier, it’s a very complex spice blend, so missing one or two won’t be the end of the world. However, for the effect I would recommend the full recipe. Everything is available online these days.
Hot to Use Berbere Seasoning
This seasoning is a key element in Ethiopian and Eritrean food. Our next post will be the iconic Doro Wat, which is the national dish of Ethiopia. You’ll definitely want to stay tuned for that one. It also goes in a number of other dishes from the region, like Awaze Tibs.
If you’re looking for something simpler (because many of those Ethiopian recipes are pretty labor intensive), just sprinkle it on some chicken thighs or pork chops and then bake or grill them. It’s a great seasoning to take something simple and really give it some big flavors.
More Great Homemade Seasonings:
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Shawarma Seasonings
Creole Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
Berbere (Ethiopian Spice Blend)
Berbere is a bold, spicy and complex spice blend that is essential to Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp fenugreek powder
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp allspice powder
- ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients and mix them together in a bowl.
Notes
- Store leftovers in a zip-top bag or other sealed container for up to 4 months.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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