homemade spice blends

Going camping or living full-time on the road is an adventure. Connecting with nature is fun, but what’s more fun than bringing spice blends for your meals? Cooking over an open fire and knowing that you made the blends yourself?

One of the keys to successful campsite food is having the right spice blend with you. This makes it easier to add flavor and depth to your dishes without having to mix your spices each time.

Whether you’re grilling meat, roasting vegetables, or simmering a nice hearty stew, a well-stocked spice blend can bring your meal from good to great!

Let’s dive in and see how easy it is to make your own spice blends.

 

Premade spice blends

When it comes to spicing up your food, there are plenty of different tastes to choose from.  

What do you do when you don’t want to carry around or have 10 or 20 spice bottles to deal with?  

Spice blends would be your answer.

Here are some blends that you can buy premade at the grocery store. They are convenient and tasty.

 

 

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Cajun seasoning – This blend comes from Louisiana and usually includes a blend of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme, and some black pepper and salt. This one is perfect for adding a kick to your campfire cooking of grilled meats, seafood, vegetables, and even soups and stews.

Old Bay seasoning – Originally from Maryland, this seasoning blend includes celery salt, paprika, ground mustard, pepper, bay leaf, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and red pepper flakes. It’s usually used for seafood like shrimp, crab, and fish. It’s also great on meat, vegetables, and even popcorn! Old Bay is a campfire classic.

Montreal steak seasoning – This blend is very popular with grilled meat, but especially steak. It’s a simple blend of garlic powder, coriander, black pepper, red pepper flakes, dill seed, and salt. It brings a slightly peppery flavor to your meal.

Southwest/taco seasoning – A taco blend includes chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and sometimes cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes. This is a very familiar flavor for Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, and chili. Paul likes it in his scrambled eggs.

Adobo seasoningThis blend comes from the Philippines. It’s a mixture of garlic, black pepper, oregano, paprika, and other spices.  

Herbes de Provence – A French herb blend is usually used for seasoning roasted meats, grilled vegetables, soups, stews, and even bread dough. A mixture of dried thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and sometimes even edible lavender flowers. It kind of adds a taste of the Mediterranean to your camping experience.

Garam Masala – This blend comes from India. It’s a mixture of cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. We like to add it to curries, stews, and roasted vegetables and sprinkle it on our after-dinner popcorn over the open fire.

 

 

homemade spice blends

 

 

 

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Homemade spice blends

Creating your own homemade spice blends for camping is a great idea. When you don’t have the premade ones from the store, you can make your own special campfire blends.

Campfire BBQ Rub

Course Seasoning
Cuisine American
Keyword BBQ
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Calories

Equipment

  • 1 mixing bowl
  • 1 small storage bottle

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp salt

 This is perfect for rubbing the seasoning on ribs, chicken, pork chops, or even vegetables before you grill them over the campfire.

Trail Mix Spice Blend

Course Seasoning
Cuisine American
Keyword trail mix
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Calories

Equipment

  • 1 bowl
  • 1 small storage bottle

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp ginger
  • 1 Tbsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Sprinkle this spice blend over nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate chips to make a really tasty trail mix for your next hiking or backpacking adventure.

Campfire Spice Mix

Course Seasoning
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Calories

Equipment

  • 1 bowl
  • 1 small storage bottle

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp salt

This is a great spice mix to bring a smoky flavor to your camping meals.

Italian seasoning

Course Seasoning
Cuisine American
Keyword Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Calories

Equipment

  • 1 bowl
  • 1 small storage bottle

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp dried basil
  • 2 Tbsp dried thyme
  • 2 Tbsp dried rosemary
  • 2 Tbsp marjoram
  • 2 Tbsp parsley
  • 4 Tbsp oregano
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp garlic powder

This is a great seasoning to add to meat, chicken, veggies, and even garlic bread!

Thai seasoning

Course Seasoning
Cuisine Thai
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Calories

Equipment

  • 1 bowl
  • 1 small storage bottle

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp ground white pepper
  • 2 Tbsp dried lime zest  to taste
  • 2 Tbsp ground dried lemongrass
  • 2 Tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp dried mint
  • 2 Tbsp ground toasted unsweetened coconut

This one is great on chicken and pork.

 

 

homemade spice blends

 

Finally

When you take these homemade spice blends on your camping trip, you can create satisfying and tasty meals no matter where you are in the outdoors.

These blends give you the convenience and flavors to help you enjoy delicious meals.

So, before you leave for your next camping trip, take some time to put together some of these essential spice blends.

 

Nibbler Tip:  Always try to keep the ingredients for some of these blends handy, so you don’t run out while camping in the great outdoors.

 

 

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