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    Recipes » All Recipes

    Homemade Baharat (Middle Eastern Spice Blend)

    Published: Jul 1, 2023 by The Sage Apron - This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Homemade baharat is an intoxicating blend of spices that is perfect for adding Middle Eastern flavor to soups and stews, braised meats, marinades and more. Also known as Lebanese 7 spice blend, this seasoning is easy to make and a lovely spice to have on hand in the kitchen.

    A spoonful of baharat seasoning in a terra cotta dish with a sprinkle of whole spices.

    Try this aromatic spice blend in our lamb shish kebab with baharat marinade recipe.

    Jump to:
    • What is Baharat?
    • Why You'll Love Making Your Own Middle Eastern Spice Blend
    • Spices Needed to Make Homemade Baharat
    • How To Make Baharat
    • How To Use Baharat in Home Cooking
    • Saving & Storing
    • Similar Spice Blends
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • You May Also Like...
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What is Baharat?

    Baharat (also spelled b'harat) is simply the Arabic word for 'spices'. It is a plural word (singular to bahar) that can refer to any spices. However, baharat most commonly refers to a specific type of spice blend that is used in cooking throughout the Middle East.

    Baharat is used as a seasoning for meats, fish, legumes and vegetables. The blend of spices varies from region to region but often has a warm, earthy flavor balanced with sweet and smoky notes.

    Why You'll Love Making Your Own Middle Eastern Spice Blend

    • Easy to personalize - When making your own spice blends, you're in the driver seat! I like mine a little spicy, so I use Aleppo pepper. Maybe you love the warm flavors of fresh cardamom pods, so you add a couple of those.
    • Multi-purpose seasoning - Baharat is a burst of flavor that can be used in several applications, all year long.
    • Taste of the Middle East - I love to travel, but when I'm stuck in the rut of my daily routine, I use cooking to transport me around the world. Using this traditional Middle Eastern spice blend inspires me with a world of flavors outside of my day to day cuisine.
    • Fresh, toasted spices - When using whole spices and freshly toasting them (optional, but worth it), you can unlock a depth of flavor that you will never find in a store-bought blend.
    • Approachable - In the United States, we don't often cook at home with as many herbs and spices as they do in other parts of the world. Sometimes, stepping out of our daily cooking habits can feel intimidating. When making baharat from scratch you will likely find familiar herbs and spices transform into a spice blend that is easy to make, cook with and enjoy in various dishes.

    Spices Needed to Make Homemade Baharat

    The joy of baharat is that there are no set rules. It is a spice blend that will vary from country to country, village to village, restaurant to restaurant and home to home. Even in Lebanon, where baharat is often called 7 spice blend, you will find blends with six spices, eight, nine or ten!

    There are, of course, some spices that tend to be at the core of most baharat spice blends. Regardless of region, you are likely to find some combination of black pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, and nutmeg.

    This blend of baharat is the combination that I have found to love in my own home. It's more of a Turkish style. I use Aleppo pepper, in lieu of paprika, for a kick of heat, paired with a blend of spices that are warm and aromatic. This baharat has a hint of dried mint, which is common throughout Turkey, but less so in other regions of the Middle East. Here's what you'll need:

     labeled image of the spices needed to make homemade baharat.
    This recipe can be made with whole or ground spices.
    Ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Ingredients

    I recommend using whole spices for the black pepper, cumin, coriander, and allspice. Toasting and freshly grinding the spices in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle will result in the best flavors. However, you can also use ground spices, if preferred.

    • Aleppo pepper (for a slightly spicy kick) or smoked paprika for a sweeter, smoky blend
    • Black Pepper
    • Cumin
    • Coriander
    • Cinnamon
    • Nutmeg
    • Allspice
    • Dried Mint

    Additional Spices or Substitutions

    There are several other spices commonly found in baharat, as well. Feel free to play around adding or substituting spices, to your liking. Some other spices you may find in baharat include:

    • Cardamom
    • Cloves - an especially nice addition for slowly braised meats, like lamb shank
    • Dried Rose Petals - common in North African blends
    • Turmeric
    • Saffron
    • Sumac
    • Cassia bark
    • Ginger
    • Coffee - lovely in rubs for beef and lamb steaks

    How To Make Baharat

    Making homemade baharat is as simple as combining the ground spices together. It comes together in just a couple of minutes. For the richest flavor, I recommend toasting whole spices and grinding them yourself.

    Toasting & Grinding Whole Spices

    1. Add whole spices to a dry pan over medium heat. Toast, stirring frequently for 1 - 2 minutes or until the spices are aromatic. Transfer the spices out of the pan and allow to cool completely.
    A pan full of whole toasted spices including pepper, cumin, coriander and cinnamon sticks.
    1. Once cooled grind the toasted spices to a fine powder using a spice grinder, high speed blender or a mortar and pestle.
    A spice grinder full of whole toasted spices.
    Freshly ground spices in a grinder.

    Pro Tip: Sieving the Mint - When cooking with dried herbs, I recommend sieving them through a fine mesh strainer. The sieving process helps to strain out any small stems while finely grinding the herb to release flavor and aromatics. Simply use your fingertips to rub the dried mint through a fine mesh strainer.

    A thumb rubbing dried mint leaves through a fine mesh strainer.
    Finely powdered dried mint leaves after sieving.
    1. Combine your freshly ground spices to the remaining ground spices to complete your baharat blend.
    A dish full of piles of spices needed to make baharat.

    How To Use Baharat in Home Cooking

    Bharat is a versatile spice blend that can be used in many, many applications. Here are a few of our favorite ways to use this spice blend:

    • Soup & Stews - Add a Tablespoon of baharat when sautéing the vegetables.
    • Braised meats - Phenomenal with slow cooked meats like lamb shank and short ribs.
    • Dry Rub - Use baharat as a dry rub on chicken, fish and steaks.
    • Marinades - This spice blend adds so much flavor to simple marinades. Use it simply with lime juice and olive oil or try it with our tomato paste marinade for our lamb shish kebab recipe.
    • Kofte & Meatballs - Add this spice blend to ground meats for flavorful mince skewers, meatloafs and meatballs.
    • Dips - A dash of baharat adds delicious flavor to hummus, white bean dips and labneh.
    • Lentils, Chickpeas or Rice - Baharat spiced legumes or rice make for a flavorful side dish or entree.
    • Grilled & Roasted Vegetables - Baharat can be a great seasoning for vegetables. I especially love it with roasted squash or pumpkin in the cooler months, or grilled eggplant in the Summertime.
    A platter of bahraht spiced lamb shish kebabs.
    Our Turkish Lamb Shish Kebabs are made with a flavorful baharat marinade.

    Saving & Storing

    Baharat can be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place in your pantry for 3 - 6 months. I recommend making baharat in smaller batches, to keep the spices fresh and aromatic.

    Like all spices, after several months, baharat will lose some of its' flavor, aroma and intensity.

    Similar Spice Blends

    There are several types of spice blends found along the Silk Road throughout Northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia. While many use similar spices, and can be used in similar ways, they each have unique characteristics, history and heritage.

    Here are a few of my other favorite spice blends to add to your pantry:

    • Ras al Hanout - A complex Moroccan spice blend ranging from spicy to mild that often contains dozens of spices. These blends often contain cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, rose petals, cinnamon and more.
    • Graham Masala - An Indian spice mix often containing cumin, coriander, fennel, cloves, mace and chili powder.
    • Za'atar - An herbaceous Middle Eastern spice blend often made from wild thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, and sumac.
    • Chinese Five Spice - A popular blend of warm spices from Southern China often made with Szechuan peppercorns, star anise, cloves, fennel and cinnamon.
    A dish of homemade baharat with a heaping wooden spoonful.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is baharat?

    Baharat (meaning 'spices' in Arabic) is a Middle Eastern spice blend used to season a variety of foods from meat and fish to legumes and vegetables.

    What is baharat spice made of?

    Like all good spice blends, the spices in baharat can vary from region to region. This mix often contains paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

    What does baharat spice taste like?

    The flavor of baharat will vary slightly, depending on the specific spices used. Overall, baharat has a warm and earthy flavor with a balance of subtle sweet and smoky notes.

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    Recipe

    A dish of homemade baharat with a heaping wooden spoonful.

    Homemade Baharat (Middle Eastern Spice Blend

    Author: The Sage Apron
    This Turkish style Middle Eastern spice blend has an earthy flavor with warm spices, and a subtle smoky finish. It's easy to make and perfect for seasoning meats, fish, legumes and vegetables.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 2 minutes minutes
    Total Time 7 minutes minutes
    Yield 10 Tablespoons
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Middle Eastern, Turkish

    ADJUST SERVINGS

    Special Equipment

    • Spice Grinder or Mortar and Pestle (Optional, if using whole spices)
    • Fine-Mesh Cocktail/Tea Strainer

    Ingredients
     

    Homemade Baharat Using Whole Spices

    • 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
    • 2 ¼ teaspoons cumin seed
    • 1 Tablespoon coriander seed
    • 2 teaspoons allspice berries
    • 1 - 2 sticks cinnamon
    • ⅓ seed whole nutmeg freshly grated, about 2 teaspoons
    • 2 Tablespoons ground aleppo pepper or smoked paprika
    • 2 Tablespoons dried mint sieved (Note: a.)

    Homemade Baharat Using Ground Spices

    • 2 Tablespoons Freshly-ground black pepper
    • 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
    • 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
    • 2 teaspoons ground allspice
    • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
    • 2 Tablespoons ground aleppo pepper or smoked paprika
    • 2 Tablespoons dried mint sieved (Note: a.)

    Instructions
     

    Homemade Baharat Using Whole Spices

    • Add peppercorns, cumin seed, coriander seed, allspice berries and cinnamon sticks to a dry medium pan. Toast over medium heat, stirring frequently for 1 - 2 minutes or until spices are lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
    • Transfer toasted spices to a coffee/spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Grind spices until finely powdered.
    • Add Aleppo (or paprika) and sieved mint. Stir well to combine. Use immediately and/or store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

    Homemade Baharat Using Ground Spices

    • Stir well to combine all ingredients. Use immediately and/or store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

    Notes

    a. Rub the dried mint through a fine mesh tea strainer to grind it into a fine powder while removing any tough stems. 
    * A Note About Salt

    Unless otherwise noted, all recipes on The Sage Apron are developed using Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. It is a great all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If using table salt, reduce quantities by about half.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 15kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 533IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
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