Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend

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.

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.

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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 😉

(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.

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!

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

Homemade Moroccan Spice Blend

5 from 9 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

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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: Denise Bustard

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Moroccan

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