Baharat (which means "spices" in Arabic) is a spice blend used in Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in the Arabian Gulf region).
It's an all-purpose seasoning that can be used to flavor just about any dish.
If you haven't tried it before, use baharat as a spice rub to flavor your next meat dish. You'll love the slightly spicy, sweet flavors it brings to your meat dishes and find you'll want to experiment with it more.
And making your own spice blend is simple and delicious. This seasoning can be made way in advance and stored for up to six weeks.
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What is Baharat?
Baharat is an all purpose spice blend that's perfect for savory dishes and works very well with chicken, fish, beef, and in soups and stews. It’s also very tasty on top of roasted vegetables.
You can use it as a dry rub or make a marinade for meats. It's also delicious in this Baharat Ramen Snack Mix. It's a versatile Middle Eastern spice blend that can be used in so many ways.
If you're familiar with other spice blends like garam masala, Ras el Hanout, or hawaij, you'll understand the warm flavor with a touch of sweetness this seasoning has. Though all of these seasonings are not the same I highly recommend trying each of them.
Recipes Using Baharat
If you’re wondering what baharat is used for, check out these wonderful recipes!
- Baharat Chicken with Labneh
- Baharat Panko Crusted Albacore Tuna
- Baharat Spiced Eggplant
- Baharat Spiced Beef Hummus
- Lamb Baharat
- Lebanese Chickpea Soup
- Turkish Chickpea and Potato Stew with Baharat
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Baharat Made of?
Typical baharat seasoning ingredients include allspice, chili peppers, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and peppercorns.
The mixture is finely ground and is often used on fish, chicken, lamb, vegetables, and in soups and tajines. It's a lovely, all-purpose blend that has a little heat.
Where to Buy Baharat?
We recommend this Baharat blend from The Spice House.
If you'd prefer to get it on Amazon, we also like this Baharat Spice Blend.
What can I use instead of Baharat?
You can get similar results for baharat if you use another spice blend like garam masala, Ras el Hanout, or hawaij. You could also just use a mix of cinnamon and cumin.
Is Baharat the same as Ras el Hanout?
Baharat is not the same as Ras el Hanout, but they are very similar spice blends. They both typically have some mix of coriander, cloves, cumin, paprika, and cardamom.
Ras el Hanout often has more ingredients and might contain chili, ginger, dried rose petals, red pepper flakes, and allspice as well.
This recipe uses all ground spices as they are easiest to mix together. These spices can all be found at your local grocery store without having to source from specialty spice shops.
Baharat is a versatile spice blend that can be used on a variety of dishes. Try it on vegetable recipes, rice dishes, soups, and use it to season meats.
Make a batch of this baharat spice blend today, and let me know how you use it. I know you'll love it! Connect with us on Instagram and share your photos, or leave a rating.
Baharat Spice Mix
Baharat (which means "spices" in Arabic) is a spice blend used in Middle Eastern (especially the Arabian Gulf region) and Greek cuisine.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients and stir to combine.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks.
Making Baharat with Whole Spices
If you have whole spices instead of ground, here are a few conversions you can use.
Add these amounts to your spice grinder or coffee grinder, then mix with your ground spices and store as normal:
- Ground black pepper- Use 2 teaspoons of whole peppercorns to make the ground black pepper needed for this recipe.
- Ground nutmeg - If you have whole nutmeg, add one to your grinder for this recipe.
- Ground coriander - Use ¾ teaspoon of whole coriander seeds to yield 1 teaspoon of ground coriander needed for this recipe.
- Ground cloves - Add 1.5 teaspoons of whole cloves to your grinder get the amount needed for this blend.
- Ground cardamom - If you have the green cardamom pods, break one of them open to get the seeds out. You'll only need to grind one of the cardamom seeds that are inside the pods to get the amount needed for this blend.
More Spice Blends to Try
I love making spice blends. They make throwing a meal together so much easier. I have a bunch of spice blend recipes and guides you can browse for inspiration. Here are a few you should try next:
Lisa
Tuesday 4th of July 2023
Thank you Emily! I'm fascinated by "baking" spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom, used in savory dishes. I bought some baharat at the Middle Eastern market and loved it, except for the cloves (I hate cloves.) Your recipe lets me make clove-free baharat and it's so good. Mostly I use it with sauteed veggies and potatoes. Today, I'm using it to season grilled lamb kabobs.
EW
Tuesday 4th of July 2023
So glad you're able to make your own blend! Using it on lamb kabobs sounds fantastic!