Thai Seasoning Mix
Making your own Thai seasoning mix from scratch is easier than you'd think. A trip to the Asian food specialty store and a few minutes in the kitchen is all you need to make a batch of this homemade seasoning and store it for months, for all your recipes.
The last time I made my yellow curry paste, I ended up finishing it up so quickly and it turned out to be SO useful. This time, I wanted to try making a shelf-stable version of it, and that's when I thought of trying this seasoning blend.
I've recently been trying out a lot of dry rubs, marinades and spice mixes to make my everyday cooking easier. This week, I made some lemon pepper seasoning for my meats and a batch of vegetable bouillon cubes for my soups and stews.
And since we're an Indian household and we eat a lot of curries, I like to batch make my Tikka Masala sauce almost every 2 weeks. This time, I wanted to try a Thai inspired sauce or seasoning that could help me whip up a bowl of Thai curry quickly, and that's when I thought of this recipe.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 min.
- ⏲️Cook time: 15 min.
- 👪 Servings: 8.
- 📋Main ingredients: Kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil, whole spices, turmeric, ginger powder, red pepper flakes, lemongrass, galangal, desiccated coconut, brown sugar.
- ♨️Cooking method: Dry roast Asian herbs 🡢 add desiccated coconut and whole spices and dry roast 🡢 cool, blend and store for later.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Sprinkle this Thai seasoning over your veggies while stir frying them or use as a dry rub for your meats.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It's really easy to make. Just like my vegan ranch seasoning and homemade Creole seasoning, this spice mix comes together in just minutes.
- Since you're making it from scratch, you get to control the flavors and put it together your way.
Recipe Ingredients
Thai herbs: I used a mix of Thai basil, some lemongrass, galangal and Kaffir lime leaves. These herbs are commonly used in Thai and Asian cooking and you should find them in almost any supermarket or Asian food specialty store.
Desiccated coconut: For that delicious, nutty flavor.
Whole spices: Some black peppercorns for the heat and some cumin and coriander seeds to bulk up the seasoning.
Brown sugar: To balance the other flavors. You can also use some homemade date sugar if you want to use a natural sweetener.
Turmeric: For that bright color.
Red pepper flakes: For the heat. Use as much as spice as you can tolerate.
Ginger powder: For that earthy kick of heat. I love using my Air Fryer ginger powder here.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Want to make the seasoning more spicy? Add some cayenne or ground mustard (or both) into the mix.
- Love the tangy, citrusy flavors? Zest some fresh lime and add it to the mix during the final 5 minutes of roasting. Sometimes, I just end up adding some of my leftover citrus Kosho here.
- Some versions of this Thai spice mix call for the use of spices like star anise, cinnamon and cardamom, which are commonly used in Indian cooking and spice blends like Garam Masala. If you love those bold flavors, feel free to use them here too.
How to Make Thai Seasoning Mix
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 F. Roast the galangal, kaffir lime and lemongrass for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns and roast again for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the Thai basil, desiccated coconut and red pepper flakes and roast again for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Let cool and transfer to a blender jar along with the remaining ingredients.
Step 5: Blend until you get a slightly coarse mixture. Use immediately or store for later.
💭Top Tip
Make sure you let the spices cool down completely before you blend them. This will prevent clumping.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Make sure you use the best quality and freshest ingredients here, especially the whole spices. This will ensure every bit of your seasoning packs in the maximum flavor punch.
- If you don't want to turn on the oven, you can also choose to dry roast the ingredients in a pan over medium heat, stirring continuously to ensure they don't burn.
- If you're adding lemon zest, make sure you don't use the white pith- which can be bitter. I realized this when I made my lemon pepper seasoning.
- For a deeper flavor, you can use pink salt instead of regular salt- like I did when I made my homemade Chaat Masala. Alternatively, you could use an infused salt like citrus salt or jalapeno salt for a deeper, flavorful seasoning.
- Taste as you go. Start with a little heat, taste and add more if needed.
How to Use Thai Seasoning Mix
This versatile Thai seasoning can be used for your soups, stews and even curries. I love the idea of mixing it together with some olive oil and using it as a marinade for chicken, and slathering it with some peanut sauce to make a nice chicken satay.
And of course, you can also sprinkle it over some stir fried or roasted veggies to jazz them up, or even use it to season a simple vinaigrette. I did it once to drizzle over my Thai fried egg salad and it turned out SO good.
I've also used this to season the filling for my homemade wontons, which I then paired with my spicy Thai dipping sauce.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Transfer the Thai spice blend to an airtight jar or container and store in a cool and dark place (like your pantry), and it should stay fresh for 4-5 months.
More Seasonings to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Thai seasoning mix or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Thai Seasoning Mix
Ingredients
- 3-4 kaffir lime leaves
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon galangal
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Thai basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. Roast the galangal, kaffir lime and lemongrass for 5 minutes.
- Add cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns and roast again for 5 minutes.
- Add the Thai basil, desiccated coconut and red pepper flakes and roast again for 5 minutes.
- Let cool and transfer to a blender jar along with the remaining ingredients.
- Blend until you get a slightly coarse mixture. Use immediately or store for later.
Notes
- Make sure you let the spices cool down completely before you blend them. This will prevent clumping.
- If you don't want to turn on the oven, you can also choose to dry roast the ingredients in a pan over medium heat, stirring continuously to ensure they don't burn.
- Make sure you use the best quality and freshest ingredients here, especially the whole spices. This will ensure every bit of your seasoning packs in the maximum flavor punch.
