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All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

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Made with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper, this fragrant all purpose Lebanese spice blend is the secret to enhancing your grilled meats, soups, roasts and other Middle Eastern specialties.

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prep time5 minutes

As a busy mother of two young boys under the age of 10, I have become a bit of a master in turning my family’s traditional Middle Eastern recipes into quick and easy weeknight dishes. In fact, I often joke that I am in favor of anything that helps me get dinner on the table before the meltdown train leaves the station.

mixing spice blend

For example, my mother and aunts have been preparing traditional Lebanese Green Beans and Beef for years, but I was the first to turn it into a hands-off slow cooker dish. I promise it’s just as good as the classic because my family would be the first to tell me if it wasn’t. Trust me on that one.

Instant Pot Recipe Lebanese Green Beans and Beef

To speed things up in the kitchen I decided to create a simple, 5 ingredient All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend made with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and pepper.

It couldn’t be any easier to make and the versatility is astounding. I love making it in bulk, stashing it in the pantry, and grabbing it whenever I am craving Lebanese food. It makes every dish more savory and flavorful.

All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend on Plate

Spice Blend Uses

We love using this spice blend to flavor Hushwee (Ground Beef with Toasted Pine Nuts), Sfeehas (Lebanese Meat Pies), Grilled Kafta Patties, Beef or Chicken Shawarma and so much more. If you’re making Lebanese food, this is the perfect seasoning for your dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much spice blend should I make at one time?

The recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or even multiplied by ten. I love to make it in bulk and store for later.

What is the shelf life?

All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend will keep for up to six months stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.

How much should I use at once?

One serving will cover one pound of meat. If you want your dish to be a little spicier, you can adjust accordingly.

Does it need to be refrigerated?

No, it does not need to be refrigerated. Dried spices are best stored at room temperature to avoid humidity and fluctuations in temperature.

Mixing All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend

Your fork is waiting.

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All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend?

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All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend on Plate

All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend

Liz Della Croce
4.65 stars average
This fragrant all purpose spice blend is the secret to enhancing your grilled meats, soups, roasts, and other Middle Eastern specialties.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
CourseCondiment
Serves1 Pound(s) of Meat

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice

Video

Instructions
 

  1. Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container until you're ready to use.

Liz’s Notes

  • Recipe is designed for one pound of meat.
  • It creates a total of four servings

Nutrition

Serving: 1teaspoon | Calories: 8kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.9g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 846mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 0.2g

Have you tried my


All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend?

Leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how you liked it in the 📝 comments and share it on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest.

We love hearing from you! This helps us continue to provide free, high-quality recipes.

Want more healthy Lebanese recipes? Head over to Pinterest!


4.65 from 42 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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70 responses to “All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend”

  1. Noel Assad Avatar
    Noel Assad

    Great blend of spices. I’m starting toon a journey of cooking Lebanese foods. My mother made your recipes. I’m 87 years old and I miss these foods that you make. Thank you for sharing.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh I hope you enjoy your journey in making Lebanese dishes yourself!

  2. J keal Avatar
    J keal

    I fell in love with hushwee from a local restaurant. It closed so I went looking and found this. Hooray for this and for you , Liz

  3. Kathleen Banuelos Avatar
    Kathleen Banuelos

    Love this combination it’s my go-to recipe.

  4. Denise Dayie Avatar
    Denise Dayie

    Hi Liz! I haven’t been here in a long time. Your spice mix is excellent! I have a question. How much is a serving of the spice blend please?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Glad you enjoy it Denise! Serving size is for 1 teaspoon.

  5. Craig R Avatar
    Craig R

    I’m looking at the nutrition information for the All Purpose Lebanese Spice Blend.
    8 kcal seems quite a lot for cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, pepper, and allspice. Do some of the spices have a high oil content, or what?

  6. Deb Ingalls Avatar
    Deb Ingalls

    Hello and so happy to have found this website! I live in a rural area and would love to be able to make kibbee at home (right now I have to travel to a major city in order to get it!), but would like to know the recipe for getting the meat ground properly so I can (maybe) obtain it from a local butcher. I’m particularly interested in making kibbee niyay. Can you help? Thanks so much!

  7. susan Avatar
    susan

    Hello Liz,
    I just came across your website and love it. I need a clarification for this spice blend. I would like to make it in bulk, maybe for 5 times to make my preparation time easier. So, if I pour the bulk amount together in one container, how do I know how much of the mixed batch to pour? Thank you.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      You’ll use about 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. :) ENJOY!

  8. Caryl Avatar
    Caryl

    Is this the same spice blend used in making kibbie?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      YES!! :)

  9. John Avatar
    John

    Thanks so Much!!!

  10. John C Avatar
    John C

    The Green Bean with Tomatoes recipe calls for 2 servings of the Spice Blend…not sure what the measure per serving is. Thanks!!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      1 teaspoon per serving!

  11. A. White Avatar
    A. White

    Do you recommend any recipes to use this with? Lebanese food is new to me.

  12. Danielle Avatar
    Danielle

    This was super fast and yummy!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad!

  13. John Avatar
    John

    I wanted to do something differently to spice up my beef meatball recipe, literally. This blend was perfect. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      What a great idea!!

  14. Bettina Avatar
    Bettina

    Hello, there is something else in that spice blend that is not listed — I see it in the photo. It looks like sesame seeds…is that Zaatar?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Nope that’s Kosher salt you see. There are no sesame seeds or za’atar in this blend – this spice blend is used differently than za’atar. :)

      1. Bettina Avatar
        Bettina

        Great, thank you! I’ll have to try this.

  15. Derek A Kamal Avatar
    Derek A Kamal

    Just discovered your blog and I’m happy to find another Lebanese cook. This is a great idea! I love cooking Lebbo (my father’s side is Lebanese) and you pretty much always use the same spices, so why not blend them?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you found me!!

  16. James Avatar
    James

    There is a little Lebanese restaurant about 15 miles from our house. It is run by an older Lebanese man and his sons. Small little hole in the wall type of place but my gosh do they have the best gyros and gyro bowls as they call them. We love this restaurant and their food but one of our hobbies (Wife and I) is to try to copy good food at home. Your ALL PURPOSE LEBANESE SPICE BLEND pushed our homemade version over the top! I almost saved some of the roasted zucchini, onions, yellow rice, and tzatziki sauce to have him try our attempt at his food! It was THAT good thanks to your spice recipe. Nothing beats learning to cook from the grandma’s.

    If you are ever in the Sylvania Ohio area stop by Pita Sub Express. You won’t be sorry.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh my goodness thank you so much for the tip on the place in Ohio!! And thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed the spice blend!

  17. john Avatar
    john

    Hi liz. Is this the same spice blends used to make basturma sausage? Thanks john

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Hmm..I’ve never heard of that sausage?? Is it Lebanese?

      1. john Avatar
        john

        Yes. Found it for sale in amiddle eastern store in mich det metro area.

      2. Yoanna Avatar
        Yoanna

        Basturma is Armenian. The spices are not the same.

  18. Jersey Girl Cooks Avatar
    Jersey Girl Cooks

    Great flavors! I will definitely be trying this as I love middle eastern food.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much!! :)

  19. eat good 4 life Avatar
    eat good 4 life

    There is nothing better than making your own spice blend. So easy!! I need to try this combo soon :-)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Let me know what you think!!

  20. EA-The Spicy RD Avatar
    EA-The Spicy RD

    I’d love to try my hand at making Lebanese food! Your spice mix sounds delicious and love the childhood memories behind it :-) Fun video too!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you for watching the video!!! :)

  21. Olivia - Primavera Kitchen Avatar
    Olivia – Primavera Kitchen

    I love all of the spices in this! I ADORE spices of any kind and I just think everything tastes better with spices. Looking forward to making it ;-)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I totally agree…spices make the world go round. :)

  22. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    This spice blend sounds wonderful. It reminds me of the Lebanese boyfriend I had many years ago who introduced me to some of the most important foods of the world: string cheese, tahini, hummus and pita bread. The flavors I grew up with were Hungarian (especially sweet paprika), but those no longer call to me. My favorite flavors come from Indonesia, southeast Asia, Greece, the Middle East, Mexico and South America. There are not enough days left in my life for all the wonderful flavors out there. I will definitely be putting this spice blend together.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh my goodness those ARE the best foods in the world!!! I couldn’t agree more!

  23. Phoebe Lapine Avatar
    Phoebe Lapine

    What an interesting combo for savory dishes! Must try!!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much Phoebe!

  24. julia Avatar
    julia

    Of course I love this post! It is so fun to see you talk about your Middle Eastern roots and your Mom, Grandma and Aunt and how they inspire you. I can totally relate. I am saving this spice blend–can’t wait to try it out! It would be perfect in Lebanese Green Beans!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I knew you would love this post!! We are so lucky to have such good food in our family!

  25. Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg Avatar
    Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg

    You know I love this, Liz. My favorite foods.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I had a feeling you’d like this one my friend!

  26. Ann Avatar
    Ann

    I can almost smell it. Looks amazing, Liz!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you Ann!

  27. sheila Avatar
    sheila

    BRavo! Love this! Hmmm what are my go to spices curries! Garam Masala! Oregano, Basil! coriander! now I’m hungry ;)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      hahah Thank you my friend!! Sorry for making you hungry. ;)

  28. Zainab Avatar
    Zainab

    I love the sound of this. The warm spices and familiarity makes me smile. Can’t wait to try!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much- it’s so true. :)

  29. Ashley | CenterCutCook Avatar
    Ashley | CenterCutCook

    First of all, I loved your video. You are a natural behind the camera! But secondly…. I love your Lebanese spice blend. Can you believe I’ve never had Lebanese food before? Time to make a batch of your spice blend and make something delicious!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Aww you are so sweet Ashley!! Thank you so much. And are you kidding me?!?! You NEED to have Lebanese food! So fresh and healthy and flavorful!!

  30. Christine from Cook the Story Avatar
    Christine from Cook the Story

    I can only imagine how much flavor this spice blend brings to food. YUM!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      The warm spices are really a nice surprise in savory dishes!

  31. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious Avatar
    Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

    My fork IS waiting! That looks like great stuff!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much Dorothy!

      1. Shirley Avatar
        Shirley

        Liz, how much is a serving of your spice blend. I’m making Lebanese Green Beans for our parish priests. I made the spice blend, but wondered how much to use?
        Thanks ,
        Italian / American cook

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          1 teaspoon!! Sorry about that. Enjoy!

  32. Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain Avatar
    Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain

    My mouth and fork will be waiting! Love this X a zillion!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      haha you crack me up!! xo

  33. Gaby Avatar
    Gaby

    I need to make a batch of this for my kitchen!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      You would love it Gaby!

  34. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    Hi Liz, thanks for the great recipes! For me too, it always comes back to Lebanese food. My mother was a chef & pastry chef. She can make just about anything and it’s always amazing. Although she brought us up eating foods from all different cuisines, she’s 100% Lebanese and it was always those foods that were really special to me. Luckily, she is a great teacher and has been very generous with her time, patience, and recipes with me, so that now, I’m a pretty good cook, too. We use a few different words for our dishes than you do, but the recipes are pretty similar. So, thank you again! I love your blog!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Wow that is such a great story Sara! That is so amazing that your mom was a pastry chef! Thank you so much for sharing. :) And thank you for your sweet words on the blog – let me know if you try any recipes!

  35. Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes Avatar
    Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes

    You’re probably not surprised that I LOVE this Liz. I am all over these flavors. I love that a little bit of this spice adds so much flavor and zero calories. Can’t wait to check out the green beans and beef recipe.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you so much Katie!!! I am all about flavor without the cals!