Barbecue Spice Mix Seasoning. You control the salt level! A restaurant style shake-on seasoning blend that boosts flavour on everything from french fries & hash browns to popcorn, grilled meats & even veggies!
I started thinking about this barbecue spice mix seasoning several months ago when I had breakfast at a hotel restaurant. The hash browns they served were lightly dusted with a tasty seasoning mix before being served, which made them all the more delicious.
That reminded me of the barbecue spice mix seasoning blends that I’ve often seen in restaurants in my travels, especially in the southern US. They are often found on the table with the other available condiments and seasonings.
Many individual recipes are closely guarded secrets of the individual establishments. I always have to try to taste the seasoning on its own to see if I can guess some of the ingredients.
The best Barbecue Spice Mix as a shake on seasoning.
The best of these shake-on seasonings have smoky, spicy, sweet and salty elements, although many have too much salt for my taste. I am not a huge fan of many salty foods.
Onion and garlic are also essential as the background flavours in the mix. I like to keep the garlic to a minimum though, so that it doesn’t overpower the other flavours, which it can easily do.
Yesterday, while I was home alone and cooking for myself, I decided on lamb chops, which quick I roasted in a similar manner to my Worcestershire Butter Roast Beef.
I thought perhaps that I would have them with some Smoked Paprika Roasted Potatoes because smoked paprika and lamb are a favourite of mine. It was then I thought that some quickly fried hash browns would be quicker because the chops were only roasted for about 20 minutes.
Getting the flavour right.
Thinking about the seasoning on those hotel restaurant hash browns and wanting to replicate those barbecue spice mix seasoning blends from down south, I set out to give it a try.
There were several tweaks, tastings and several glasses of water to clean my taste buds along the way. In the end I was satisfied with the balance of flavours and when I dusted the fresh crispy fried hash browns with the seasoning.
The first thing that came to mind was barbecue flavour potato chips. Success!
Barbecue Spice Mix taste test
Spouse and Noah came home from work at the same time and found the cold leftover hash browns on the counter which I intended to reheat in the oven for them to try.
They started popping them into their mouths cold and declaring them “absolutely delicious”. I shooed them away and reheated them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. They promptly devoured them all.
I can’t wait to try this seasoning on shoestring fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings and even Deep Fried Pickles. I am really looking forward to the grilling season ahead to try the seasoning on plain grilled chicken, steak or pork chops.
I’m thinking it would be excellent to boost the flavour of grilled asparagus and other veggies too. I’ll betting that this blend will become a pantry mainstay in this house… and maybe yours too.
UPDATE:
Within a couple of days we had used this seasoning mix on several things but I just had to try my hand at sprinkling it onto some homemade potato chips! Spectacular!
The best BBQ flavour chips I’ve ever tried and with all natural ingredients PLUS you control the salt. Perfect! See recipe notes for tips on making potato chips at home.
Looking for barbecue side dish inspiration?
We have plenty more summer side dish inspiration to explore. Everything from baked beans & corn bread to deliciously different potato and pasta salads. Be sure to check out our collection of 35 Best BBQ Side Dishes .
Originally published March 2017.
Like this Barbecue Spice Mix Seasoning recipe?
Get lots of other barbecue inspiration by browsing the many recipes in our BBQ & Grilling Category.
It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram. Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too.
You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You’ll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly meals and desserts too!
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Barbecue Spice Mix Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp onion powder
- 4 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 3 Tbsp firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp fine sea salt, (You can see less, of course. Try half the amount if you are looking to make a lower sodium version.)
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dry thyme
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- I process this in a food processor to ensure that it is well combined and to make the spice blend as fine as possible.
- Store in an airtight spice shaker. Makes 1 cup of BBQ Spice Mix Seasoning.
- When seasoning hash browns or french fries, add them to a large bowl, straight from the fryer. Begin shaking on the seasoning a little at a time and tossing the hash browns or french fries between additions of the spice mix. Repeat until they are coated to your liking.
Notes
Who I posted the photo of the potato chips on social media, folks immediately asked how I made them. The truth is, it's pretty uncomplicated but here's a few tips.
- Use canola oil for neutral flavour to fry the chips. Be sure the oil is up to temperature at 365 to 375 degrees F before beginning to fry the chips. In general, the lower the temperature the more oil fried foods absorb. Fry them in small batches so they cook faster and don't cool down the oil too much when they are added.
- Use a mandolin or food processor to cut the chips to a uniform thickness. This is important because you want them all to cook at the same rate so that some are not over crisped while others are underdone.
- When slicing the potatoes, hold them in lukewarm water so that they do not discolour. Using cold water to store the sliced potatoes will again cool down the oil when you add them to the fryer.
- When frying the small batches of potato chips, remove only the amount of potato slices in the batch from the lukewarm water and pat them dry on a tea towel before adding them to the hot oil. This cuts down on splattering and the less water entering the fryer, the less the oil will cool down.
- When the chips are all golden browned and crispy, drain them quickly on some paper towels before adding them to a large bowl and begin sprinkling them with the seasoning mix, a little at a time. Toss the chips in the bowl as you add the seasoning to ensure even distribution of the spices.
- Cool on a cookie sheet while you fry the rest of your chips. If storing your chips, make sure that they are completely cooled. Store them in an airtight plastic container.
Recommended Products
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
100Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 4Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 145mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Chicklet
Saturday 18th of March 2017
I hve my own bbq seasoning mix very similar to yours but I'mI courious as to how you do your potatoe chips?
Barry C. Parsons
Sunday 19th of March 2017
Nothing special really, U fry in canola oil at 365-375 degrees F. I use a small mandolin to slice the chips evenly, which is important so that they all cook at the same rate.