All-Purpose Seasoning Recipe

Jump to Recipe - TOC - Print

This All-Purpose Seasoning recipe, also known as 7:2:1 or 7:2:2, is the perfect mixture of common spices and is ideal for meats, vegetables, potatoes, and salads.

🧂Ingredients

Kosher salt
Black pepper—coarse
Granular garlic powder

Recipes using All-purpose seasoning blend

Jump To:

🧂Ingredients
🧂Salt Notes
🥣Pepper, Garlic, and Other Seasonings
👨‍🍳Uses
✔️Tips
❓FAQs
📖 Recipe

This homemade spice blend saves you time and money. No reason to get your favorite seasonings out every time and measure. Keep it by the stove and on the table in a sealed shaker.

It is much more economical than commercial blends. And it will store well for six months or more, depending on what you add.

You can keep it basic with a 7:2:1 or 7:2:2 ratio of kosher salt:pepper:granulated garlic, which compliments most meat, salad, potatoes, and vegetables. Or make it your signature blend by adding other spices and herbs you frequently use. Also, adjust the basics if you like.

We use it almost everywhere, like on grilled filets, grilled ribeye steaks, baked chicken legs, seared and baked chicken breast, and many more meat or vegetable dishes.

image of ingredients for 7:2:1 seasoning

🧂Salt Notes

This mixture uses coarse salt like kosher or sea salt. The recipe uses Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, which, due to its granular shape, has fewer salt molecules per teaspoon.

The rough equivalent is 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt or sea salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

If you use Morton salt or another coarse salt like sea salt, use 4 tablespoons - not 7 which is for Diamond Crystal.

But since salt is mostly to taste, use what you want. If you are salt-sensitive or restricting salt, try cutting the salt in half.

🥣Pepper, Garlic, and Other Seasonings

Pepper—Use restaurant grind black pepper, which is a rougher grind. Finer grinds will not stay mixed in with the salt well.
Garlic—Use "granulated" garlic and not powder. Its texture will mix a lot better with the salt and pepper. Garlic powder is a much finer grind and will not stay mixed in well.
Onion—Optional, like garlic, use the granulated form if added, not the fine powder.
Less common seasonings—Only add them if you use them very frequently: Paprika, dill, coriander, basil, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper.

👨‍🍳Uses

Use this almost anywhere you use salt and pepper. The suggested basic blend works great on most meat chicken, beef like steak and burgers, and pork like tenderloins or chops.
Other dishes like baked or roasted potatoes, cooked vegetables, and salads.
You can make up several different customized blends for other uses.

✔️Tips

Finer ground spices will settle in the mix and lead to uneven seasoning.
Use a shaker that can be sealed. I buy them at Penzy's Spices. Or recycle another container with a large hole shaker and seals tight. A container can be refilled for many years to come.
The recipe uses tablespoons, but obviously, it could be teaspoons, cups, ounces, or whatever, so you can change up the amount you mix.

❓FAQs

What is All-Purpose Seasoning mix?

It is a mixture of the common spices you add to dishes during cooking and serving. The basic recipe is salt, pepper, and garlic. But you should customize it to your taste and household usage.

How to store All-Purpose Seasoning mix?

Store where it is conveniently close to where you use it. The container should have a tight-fitting top and a shaker with larger holes.

How long can you store All-Purpose Seasoning mix?

For the basic mixture, 6 months at least. For customized blends, if using dried spices, it should be about the same.

↑Jump to Table of Contents

📖 Recipe

All Purpose Seasoning Recipe

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

This All-Purpose Seasoning recipe, also known as 7:2:1 or 7:2:2, is the perfect mixture of common spices and is ideal for meats, vegetables, potatoes, and salads.

Tap to leave a Rating

4.48 from 337 votes

Print Collection

Prep Time: 2

Total Time: 2

Servings #/Adjust if desired 120 ¼ teaspoon

Ingredients

US Customary - Convert to Metric

▢ 7 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - Only 4 tablespoons of Morton Kosher salt. Adjust to your taste.
▢ 2 tablespoons black pepper - course grind
▢ 1-2 tablespoon Granular garlic - 2 for 7:2:2
▢ other things to your taste

Instructions

Mix well. If using Morton then use 4 tablespoons of salt. ADJUST THE SALT TO YOUR TASTE.
This is written with tablespoons, but you could use teaspoons, cups. or any other measurement. It is all about the ratio of ingredients. This is not a "by weight" recipe.
Store in an airtight container.

Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print. Otherwise step-by-step photos are in the post.

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

This is a bit heavy in salt for some. Cut it down for your taste. If you are salt sensitive or need low sodium, try half the salt initially.
This is based on Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. Conversion for various salts: 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
If you are using Morton salt or another coarse salt like sea salt, use 4 tablespoons.
Use granular garlic powder, not regular garlic powder.
We always use two parts garlic powder due to our love of garlic.
Use this almost anywhere you use salt and pepper. The suggested basic blend works great on most meat chicken, beef like steak and burgers, and pork like tenderloins or chops.
Other dishes like baked or roasted potatoes, cooked vegetables, and salads.
You can make up several different customized blends for other uses.
Use a shaker with large holes and a top that seals. I get mine at Penzy's
This is written with tablespoons, but you could use teaspoons, cups, or any other measurement. It is all about the ratio of ingredients.

Optional Ingredients:

Onion powder—Optional, like garlic, use the granulated form if added, not the fine powder.

Less common seasonings—Only add them if you use them very frequently: Paprika, dill, coriander, basil, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper.

To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories : 1 kcalCarbohydrates : 1 gProtein : 1 g (2%)Fat : 1 g (2%)Saturated Fat : 1 g (5%)Sodium : 392 mg (16%)Potassium : 3 mgFiber : 1 g (4%)Sugar : 1 g (1%)Vitamin A : 1 IUCalcium : 1 mgIron : 1 mg (6%)

Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Course : Rubs and Sauces

Cuisine : American

© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

Originally Published August 26, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.