Ras El Hanout — Authentic Moroccan Spice Blend Recipe

Ras el Hanout is a famous North African spice blend integral to the culinary traditions of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Translating to "head of the shop" in Arabic, it signifies the finest selection of spices a merchant offers. This aromatic spice mix is the backbone of countless North African dishes, adding warmth and complexity to everything from spiced couscous, Moroccan chicken tagine with preserved lemons, to Moroccan pastilla. It also makes a fantastic marinade for grilled meats and fish.

Making your own ras el hanout at home not only allows for full customization but also ensures you always have the freshest, most fragrant spice mix at hand. Whether you prefer to toast and grind whole spices or mix a quick pantry version, this recipe will guide you in creating a blend that's better than anything store-bought.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step-by-step instructions
• Substitutions and variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Ways to use ras el hanout
• Top Tip
• Related recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Cardamom - Usually, green cardamom is used. Black cardamom rarely.
• Mace - Mace is the leaf that surrounds nutmeg. Very similar in flavor and can be substituted.
• Cinnamon - Cinnamon sticks. Mild and fragrant. Not to be confused with cassia, which has a more rustic, bitter taste.
• Pepper - This recipe uses long pepper. Easily found online, but use regular black peppercorns if you can't find long pepper.
• Cloves - Cloves can be overpowering, so use them sparingly.
• Ginger - Dried fresh ginger will give a punchier flavor, but use regular powdered ginger if you want. It's the same thing, but the freshly dried is more potent.
• Mustard seeds - Yellow or black mustard seeds both work.
• Allspice - Allspice berries often get overlooked for their unique floral pepperiness. Easily found online or in most stores.
• Cumin - Regular cumin seeds. Black cumin can also be used.
• Turmeric - A tiny touch of ground turmeric for color and warmth. We don't overdo it because it has a potent flavor that can easily overshadow the other spices.

Ras el hanout spices can vary depending on region, merchant, and household. Optional extras include dried orange peel, black lime, and rose petals, among others.

See recipe card for quantities.

Step-by-step instructions

Hint: Keep a close eye on the spices to make sure they do not burn. Use your smell to judge doneness and look for a bit of smoke coming off the pan. Let them cool down completely before blending, in order to preserve all the aromas and flavors.

Substitutions and variations

• Ground spices - Use pre-ground spices if you want to skip roasting them whole. The flavor will not be as intense, but it will save about 5 minutes.
• Mace - Use nutmeg instead.
• Add-ins - If you like floral notes, add dried rose petals. For a fresh citrus note, add dried orange or lemon peel.

Equipment

I like toasting spices in a heavy-bottom skillet or stainless steel pan.

For convenience, I blend it in a spice/coffee grinder, but if I have time, I like doing it in a pestle and mortar.

Storage

Keep ras el hanout sealed airtight at all times. If you let it stand open or store it in a weakly sealed container, the flavor will change and lose freshness. For more extended storage, it's best to keep it in the freezer.

Ways to use ras el hanout

Naturally, you use it in Moroccan tagines like lemon chicken tagine or lamb tagine. It can also be used to flavor Moroccan spiced couscous or yellow rice.

It makes a fantastic marinade for chicken when mixed with yogurt, garlic & ginger paste, and a touch of lemon juice.

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