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Home Meal Type Seasoning Blends
4.95
/5
10 minutes minutes

Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Low Carb Low Carb Vegan Vegan
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard22 Comments
Posted: 12/2/17 Updated: 7/31/24

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Homemade Moroccan spice blend is the perfect way to add a little kick to your chicken, potatoes or vegetables! Great for sheet pan or grilling. Vegan, gluten-free, clean eating and paleo-compliant.

Ingredients for the Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend

One of my all-time favorite ways to add more flavor to my meal prep routine without adding a ton of calories is to mix it up with a spice blend.

I have a pretty awesome collection of homemade spice blends (you can check them out in this post with 7 Dry Rub Recipes), and this homemade Moroccan spice blend is finally getting it's own post!

This spice blend is soooo good...it's savory, a bit sweet, and has the distinctive flavors of Morocco. Cinnamon, ginger and cumin give it such a cool flavor profile!

And the best part of this homemade Moroccan spice blend is that you can customize the heat. I have had problems in the past with store-bought Moroccan spice blends that were waaaay too spicy for me. All I got was so much heat that I couldn't even taste the flavors.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend mixed up in a white bowl

How to make homemade Moroccan spice blend

Making your own spice blends is so easy, and I bet you already have all of these ingredients in your pantry! All you need to do is mix them up and store them in an air tight container for up to a year. A year!!

Let's discuss the spices in this blend:

  • Paprika & cumin- these guys make up the savory base of the spice blend.
  • Brown or coconut sugar- brings a subtle sweetness that helps balance out the other flavors.
  • Cinnamon, ginger, cloves- bring the Moroccan flavors to the spice blend.
  • Salt & pepper- essential for bringing all the other flavors to life.
  • Cayenne- bringing the heat! Moroccan food is spicy, but I need to tone it down a bit for me and my family. Feel free to up the cayenne to your taste level 😉
Roasted vegetables tossed in the Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend

(Pictured above: ingredients for the Moroccan Couscous Meal Prep Bowls tossed in the homemade Moroccan spice blend)

How to use this homemade Moroccan spice blend recipe?

There are so many delicious ways to use this seasoning! It pairs particularly well with a bit of lemon, so make sure to add a bit to your recipes if possible.

  • chicken- we love this Moroccan spice blend on chicken, particularly thighs. Toss the chicken in a little olive oil, sprinkle on around 2 tablespoon of the seasoning per pound of chicken thighs, and bake or grill. Serve with lemony couscous!
  • cauliflower- SO freaking good on roasted or grilled cauliflower. We toss in olive oil, add the Greek seasoning blend, and roast up for 25-45 min (will depend on the size of your taters) at 425°F. Squeeze on some lemon juice just before serving!
  • ribs- OK I'm totally guessing but I have a feeling this Moroccan spice blend would taste pretty amazing on a rack of ribs. Let me know if you try it!
  • roasted chickpeas- I haven't tried this either, but I would toss the chickpeas in 1 tablespoon of the Moroccan spice blend and roast up at 400°F for 30-45 minutes, until crispy! Follow directions here.
an overhead shot of a meal prep recipe featuring moroccan lentils

How much of this homemade Moroccan spice blend do I use per pound of meat? I roughly 2 tablespoons per pound. You want to use this seasoning aggressively, and it might look like too much. Don’t forget to pair your protein with something lemony flavored...even adding in some lemon wedges during baking or grilling can help.

What are some other ways I can use this Moroccan spice blend recipe?

  • Add some olive oil and lemon juice and use it as a marinade (I would add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon Moroccan seasoning per boneless skinless chicken breast)
  • Add it to the cooking liquid for your rice or quinoa to give it some pizzaz (I would add 1 tablespoon per 1 cup uncooked rice or quinoa)
  • Add it to your hummus, or even to a yogurt based dip for a new flavor combo.

Looking for more delicious spice blends? Check out this post with 7 Easy Spice Blends!

Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend used in Moroccan couscous meal prep bowls

How to Store Spices

You can easily store these spices up to one year in an airtight container. I love using small glass jars with screw-top lids. Sometimes spice jars will come with cork lids, and I've found those do not keep the spices fresh for as long. Small Weck Tulip Jars are also a favorite.

Weck Tulip Jars

These 500 ml Weck Jars with glass lids are so handy for meal prep. Use them for condiments such as pickled red onions, to jar salads, and so much more.

Shop Now
7 spice blends all stacked up in jars

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

ingredients lined up for moroccan spice blend with labels on white background

Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend

4.95 from 20 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 10 minutes mins
Print Rate
Homemade Moroccan spice blend is the perfect way to add a little kick to your chicken, potatoes or vegetables! Great for sheet pan or grilling. Vegan, gluten-free, clean eating and paleo-compliant.
4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons paprika
  • 4 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)

Instructions 

  • Stir together all ingredients and store in an airtight container for up to a year.
  • Use aggressively: 1 tablespoon per 7 oz chicken breast, 0.5 tablespoon per 4 oz salmon fillet, and roughly 2 tablespoons per lb of vegetables.

Tips:

Makes roughly ½ cup

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 44kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Sodium: 589mg, Potassium: 94mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1115IU, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 2.1mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Moroccan

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

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Reader Interactions

4.95 from 20 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Karen O'Brien says

    Posted on 4/23/25 at Posted on 4/23/25

    5 stars
    Very good resource for spice blends!

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth says

    Posted on 4/8/25 at Posted on 4/8/25

    5 stars
    Best one. I.ve made

    Reply
  3. Jean says

    Posted on 3/11/25 at Posted on 3/11/25

    5 stars
    I recently used this spice blend to spice up some homemade peanut butter. I thought Moroccan spice would go well with peanuts. Of course, figuring out the amount of spice blend to use for a pound of peanuts without overpowering the peanut flavor is a balancing act.

    Reply
  4. Yvonne Conway says

    Posted on 11/24/24 at Posted on 11/24/24

    5 stars
    Fantastic

    Reply
  5. Kirsten says

    Posted on 9/9/24 at Posted on 9/9/24

    5 stars
    Delicious and so easy to prepare. We marinated some chicken thighs with garlic and lime juice with the seasoning and BBQ'd and it was great!

    Reply
  6. Brendan says

    Posted on 6/2/24 at Posted on 6/2/24

    5 stars
    Used the morocan spice mix on some lamb and goat ribs and cooked them on a Webber and finished them w a honey and orange glaze flavour was amazing definitely one to had to your cook book

    Reply
  7. Venessa says

    Posted on 5/18/24 at Posted on 5/18/24

    5 stars
    Goodmorning Denise, I was wondering if I could use chilli powder instead of cayenne as I want to make this but I'm missing the last ingredient from my cupboard...looking forward to making your recipe as I haven't been able to find the manufactured pot in any in the shops ...by the way I use this in my homemade cous cous recipe
    Kind regards Venessa

    Reply
  8. Paulette says

    Posted on 2/18/24 at Posted on 2/18/24

    5 stars
    I love this on chicken. I add my potatoes and veggies (peppers/broccoli/onions even garlic cloves) to same pan and bake everyting together and wow, so tasty. I have been using your recipes for years. Thank you for your hard work and for sharing it with us. Very much appreciated!

    Reply
  9. Lucy says

    Posted on 6/26/22 at Posted on 6/26/22

    Can you reduce the salt for a lower salt version?

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 7/4/22 at Posted on 7/4/22

      Hi Lucy! Feel free to adjust the salt for your nutritional needs.

      Reply
  10. Robin Bruce says

    Posted on 4/30/22 at Posted on 4/30/22

    5 stars
    This spice mix made our chicken taste just like our favorite Moroccan restaurant's.

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 5/2/22 at Posted on 5/2/22

      Hi Robin! That's so great to hear. Thanks so much for taking the time to report back.

      Reply
  11. Angelia Mullins says

    Posted on 5/24/21 at Posted on 5/24/21

    I really love this spice blend. I used it to make a roasted vegetable shakshuka and on salmon. Delicious.

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 5/31/21 at Posted on 5/31/21

      Hi Angelia! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for reporting back <3

      Reply
  12. Dasha says

    Posted on 4/16/21 at Posted on 4/16/21

    5 stars
    This blend is absolutely lovely tossed with olives!

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 4/19/21 at Posted on 4/19/21

      Ooh that sounds divine! Thanks for reporting back, Dasha!

      Reply
  13. Janice says

    Posted on 1/25/21 at Posted on 1/25/21

    The Jamaican rub is linked to the Moroccan rub.

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 1/27/21 at Posted on 1/27/21

      Hi Janice, thanks for letting me know. I fixed it for a second time, let's hope it sticks this time 😉

      Reply
  14. JD says

    Posted on 5/27/20 at Posted on 5/27/20

    This is an amazing blend of spices. I would compare it to someone giving me the KFC recipe! We love to put it on kabob and grill them outside. Love it, love it, love it!!!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 6/2/20 at Posted on 6/2/20

      So happy to hear you enjoyed it, JD! Thank you for coming back and letting us know 🙂

      Reply
  15. Zzoey says

    Posted on 6/10/19 at Posted on 6/10/19

    My husband is Moroccan and have travelled there twice. I have cooked with many women who are in their 70’s and have been in the kitchen since they were 5 years old, cooking. Never have I ever seen anyone add any sugar at all to a dish. Maybe that’s just the region I was in but I would skip the sugar.

    Reply
    • Rachelle says

      Posted on 11/18/24 at Posted on 11/18/24

      4 stars
      I was surprised to see sugar in this. I’ve never seen sugar in Moroccan food. This blend is very nice without it. Maybe the sugar is meant to add a bit of sweetness that would usually come from dried fruit in a recipe.

      Reply

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