This authentic recipe for Ras el Hanout spice mix was given to me by a local spice merchant in Morocco! It is a fragrant blend of spices you most likely already have at home!
While in Morocco, I met a local spice merchant in one of the old souks in Marrakech, who taught me all about ras en hanout. As a chef, I am particularly interested in spices and their origins, so this animated conversation was especially memorable.
He shared that in Arabic, ras el hanout translates to “top shelf,” a term originating from North African spice dealers who would blend the very best of their spices to create their own “signature” blend, often kept very secret!
I asked him if he had his own secret spice blend, and he sweetly gave me his own personal recipe to share with you here. The best part? You probably already have all the spices to make this fragrant blend of spices at home!
Why You’ll Love This!
- An authentic Moroccan recipe that will bring aromatic flavor to your dishes.
- You likely already have everything you need on hand!
- This version was more typical of what we found in Morocco, with warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
Ras El Hanout Ingredients
Ingredients will vary from region to region. Many can be quite light and floral with the addition of rose petals or even lavender.
Now, if you’d rather buy it, we have this lovely Villa Jerada Ras El Hanout at our Bowl and Pitcher Store – it is made in Seattle, and it is the best I’ve had here in the States!
How to Make Ras el Hanout
- Quick and Easy Version: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, and store in a sealed jar for up to 6 months.
- Elevated version: For an increased intensity of flavor, use whole spices, lightly toasted in a dry skillet. Let cool, then finely grind with a mortar and pestle, coffee grinder or spice grinder.
Variations
- For a lightly floral flavor add dried crushed rose petals (food grade)
- For a more savory flavor, add turmeric, extra cumin, onion or garlic powder, paprika, or chile powder.
- For added heat, add a pinch of cayenne.
Storage
Ras el haout will keep for 3-6 months in a sealed jar or container. To revive the spice if left too long, gently heat in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant.
How to use Ras El Hanout
Try this Moroccan spice blend in Grilled Moroccan Chicken Recipe, Meltingly Tender Eggplant or the Moroccan stuffed sweet potatoes!
- To season tagines, stews, and soups
- To season rice or couscous
- To season roasted chickpeas
- As a rub for grilled meat, like lamb, and vegetables
- Eggplant Chickpea Tagine
- As a marinade in Grilled Moroccan Chicken
- Slow roasted Moroccan Eggplant
- Sweet Potatoes with Ras El Hanout
FAQs
The spice blend is traditionally made with more than a dozen different spices, including the ones we’ve listed here. Our version is a bit more simplified but still packs a flavor punch.
Ras el hanout is Arabic for “head of the shop,” which means “top shelf.” This refers to the best spices a shop has to offer.
Once blended and sealed in a jar, ras el hanout will last in your pantry for up to six months.
Star anise, coriander seeds, nigella, caraway, turmeric, garlic powder, paprika, or cayenne pepper. If you wish to grind whole spices, you can include any color peppercorns and cardamom pods. Sort through your spice rack and see what you have!
I hope you enjoy this Ras el Hanout Recipe, let me know what you think in the comments below.
xoxo
More Spice blends you may enjoy!
Ras el Hanout Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 15
- Yield: ¼ cup
- Category: Spices, Moroccan food
- Method: stirred
- Cuisine: Moroccan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
An aromatic recipe for Moroccan Ras el Hanout – an aromatic blend of spices used in Moroccan cooking to season tagines, meats, vegetables and stews.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon gound cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, and store in a sealed jar.
- For an increased intensity of flavor, feel free to use whole spices, lightly toast in a dry skillet, let cool, then finely grind.
Notes
Optional additions: dried damask rose petals, saffron, mace, lavender, or ground fennel seeds
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 teaspoon
- Calories: 6
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 195.4 mg
- Fat: 0.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.1 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Great taste. I like that there’s a shortcut using ground spices.
Glad you found this helpful Nina!
Wonderful!
Thanks!
We all really enjoy the Moroccan Ras el Hanout spice mix. On chicken and veggies.
Glad to hear it Anne!
Oh my gosh! I am new to WFPB eating. I started mid December 2023 due to my high cholesterol and I have not looked back! I got introduced to your site after telling a friend what I was doing with my diet and she made your corn chowder vegan for me. I wanted to make everything after she sent me your link.
I am so glad I have made this change at this time. Because of chefs like yourself, who are making your recipes available in such an easy to prepare way. I never knew eating healthy good foods was so easy and enjoyable.
AC
So wonderful to hear this AC!
I made this and it was delicious but it yielded just a bit over 2 TBSP, and not 1/3 c. as noted in recipe.
Sorry about that Karen! I have updated the recipe. I miscalculated big time! I think it is better now. 🙂
Hello Sylvia, is it the green or black cardamom? If I were to add fennel, how much should I add? And it should be in grounded form, correct?
Yes, ground, and I like green cardamom, but black works too.
Thank you, Sylvia! Just one more question – how many teaspoons for the fennel seeds? Looking forward to making the Eggplant chickpea tanging.
I would try 1/2 teaspoon. 🙂
Thank you!
Great seasoning combo! I made extra to use for seasoning my stews. By the way, can I add some curry powder to this mix when making sweet potatoe and Butternut squash stew?
I don’t see why not? Have fun with it!
Didn’t have cardamom so added a bit more nutmeg and cinnamon. Also added smoked paprika and a touch of turmeric. Great spice blend , authentic flavour, chicken was very moist as I marinated overnight. A must try
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi love your recipes.
The chick pea one caught my eye and I just kept reading.
I have broken my arm so someone needs to do the chopping🤣
Oh no! Sorry about that Maryanne. Hopefully you have help?
I blended the Moroccan spiced mix & added a slow cooked pan fried eggplant in 15 mm slabs to the mix.
(Left out the couscous)
Pan fried aquaponic rainbow trout on top & it went down real well!
Great recipe thanks:)
Yum!
Hi,
I haven’t tried your recipe yet as I have a Moroccan stew recipes which required ras el hanout PASTE.
How do I make your spice mix into a paste please?
Thanks!
I suppose you could mix the spice blend with a little olive oil. Maybe add a clove of minced garlic?
Hi I’m new to your site so it may be wrong to answer an old post but what I’ve found that works well is to use a red onion in the food processor with your spices to make a paste. About 50 years ago while in India a very nice family let me camp on their farm and invited me to supper and while she was cooking she showed that to me.
Never wrong to comment- thanks Joe! I love this idea!
Do you have a recipe for Harissa, please. My friend brought me some from Morocco in a clay pot It was so good I can not find that I like. Thanking you in advance.
Yes, we have a good one- just search for it in the search bar. 🙂
Is there asubstitute in the grocery store?
Not really, unless you are at a gourmet grocery store- a co-op or Wholefoods, etc. Check the bulk spices area too. 🙂
Easy to make and delicious. Thank you!
If you add any of the optional ingredients, what amounts would you suggest.
I would start conservatively, 1/4 teaspoon?
This recipe was delightful! I made it last night and it will be added to my repertoire! I made my own Ras el Hanout and added saffron, lavender, and fennel seeds. Next time I’ll add a little cayenne for a little heat (I noticed several other recipes for Ras el Hanout call for cayenne). The “smoked” yogurt was amazing with this.
Where can I find this “smoked” yogurt? PLEASE!
Hey Melissa, not sure if you have a smoker, but you can cold-smoke yogurt in a smoker. Place yogurt over ice. 🙂
Yes, the seasoning was awesome!
Mine isn’t as red as the picture. Am I missing something?
No Josie, I updated the recipe and pictures now don’t reflect. I will reshoot soon!
Thanks Sylvia!
I just got my first mix from Rainbow, an organic shop in San Francisco. My daughter-in-law brought it to me and it is similar to your list but had paprika in it. (I prefer sweet hungarian paprika).
Delicious! Thanks!
Love this recipe! We use it for many things. I season chicken or pork with it. I also blend it with cream cheese and dried cherries and make a dip or sauce depending on what is in season. I add a little more cayenne to give more heat to grilled fruit or veggies. Very versitile!
Sorry about the typo- I was trying to cook and type! Versatile…not versitile.
Great to hear, thanks Alli! Appreciated!
Used this on the grilled Moroccan chicken- so tasty!
We love this recipe. Toasted the cumin, coriander and peppercorns and ground them. Very fragrant and complex flavors!