Mustard Free Berbere Spice Blend
This deeply aromatic Ethiopian-inspired spice blend layers smoky dried chiles, warm cardamom, and earthy fenugreek into something that transforms everything it touches — from roasted meats to lentils to roasted vegetables. Every single ingredient is a whole spice, a dried chile, or a ground spice you likely already have in your pantry, which means there's no hidden mustard lurking in a pre-mixed commercial blend. That's actually the biggest win here: store-bought berbere and many seasoning packets can contain mustard flour or mustard seed as a filler or flavor booster, so making it from scratch puts you completely in control. The technique is straightforward — toast the chiles and whole spices in a dry skillet until fragrant, grind everything down, then stir in the pre-ground spices and salt. Toasting coaxes out deep, complex flavor that no pre-ground shortcut can replicate, and the result is a vivid, rust-colored powder with serious depth. Stored in an airtight jar, it keeps for up to three months and makes a genuinely impressive pantry staple to reach for whenever you want bold, layered heat without any worry about what's actually in the jar.
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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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