Artificial Flavors Free Berbere Spice Blend
When you make your own spice blend from scratch, you know exactly what's going into it — no mystery fillers, no lab-created flavor enhancers, just real dried chiles and whole spices doing all the work. This Ethiopian-inspired blend layers heat, warmth, and depth through ingredients like guajillo and arbol chiles, toasted fenugreek, cardamom, and cloves, all ground fresh for maximum impact. The toasting step is where the magic really happens — briefly charring the dried chiles and blooming the whole spices in a dry skillet unlocks an aromatic complexity that no pre-packaged shortcut can replicate. Once you grind everything together and fold in the paprikas, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, you end up with a bold, brick-red powder that smells absolutely incredible. It's the kind of blend that transforms roasted vegetables, braised meats, or even a simple marinade into something that tastes deeply considered. Store it in an airtight jar and you'll have a reliable, clean-ingredient staple on your spice rack for up to three months.
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Learn more →Ingredients
12 servings
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 dried arbol chile, stem removed
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 4 green cardamom pods
- ¼ tsp whole cloves
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Tear the guajillo and arbol chiles into rough pieces and place them in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, pressing them flat with a spatula, for about 1–2 minutes per side until they darken slightly and smell fragrant — watch closely, as they can scorch quickly.
- 2
Add the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, and whole cloves to the same skillet. Toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes until the seeds are fragrant and the coriander turns a shade darker.
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