Gelatin Free Berbere Spice Blend
Berbere is one of those spice blends that transforms everything it touches — deeply aromatic, warmly spiced, and just the right amount of fiery. This homemade version layers toasted guajillo and arbol chiles with whole coriander, fenugreek, cardamom, and cloves before grinding them into a fine, fragrant powder. The addition of sweet and smoked paprika, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice rounds out the blend with a complexity that no store-bought jar can quite match. Toasting the whole spices and dried chiles in a dry skillet first is the move that makes all the difference — it coaxes out oils and deepens the flavor before a single pinch hits your food. Many packaged spice blends and seasoning mixes can contain unexpected additives, so grinding your own from scratch gives you complete control over every ingredient. Store it in an airtight jar and you'll have a bold, versatile blend ready to go for weeks.
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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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