Baharat is a spice blend used throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. This Baharat recipe is similar to Indian Garam Masala or Biryani Spice. It is made with an array of aromatic spices that are sure to enhance and spice up your dishes!
Although you can purchase baharat from Amazon or any Middle Eastern marker, there's nothing like making it yourself! Especially when you use fresh, whole spices, then toast and grind them yourself. This spice adds so much flavor and depth to your dishes!
Baharat can be even be sprinkled on seafood, veggies, and grains to enhance their flavor! So make sure Baharat is one of the essential Middle Eastern spices you keep stocked in your kitchen.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Making your own baharat seasoning is a hundred time better than using spices that have been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long...
- This bahart spices recipe requires spices that most cooks already have in their kitchen, or can be easily purchased.
- You can prepare the bahart spice mix ahead of time and store in air-tight containers for when you want to try your hand at some Middle Eastern recipes!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredient & Substitutions
When making any spice blend, always start with fresh, whole spices. The end result will be way more flavorful!
- Black Peppercorns: Use whole fresh black peppercorns.
- Allspice: Contrary to popular belief, allspice is not made with a bunch of spices but is actually a berry. You can find whole allspice berries in most ethnic markets or on Amazon.
- Cardamom: Cardamom comes ground into a powder or you can actually buy the pods and grind them yourself. You may need to sift the ground cardamom to remove the shells.
- Cinnamon: You'll need to add one cinnamon stick to the spice blend. Breaking the stick up into pieces helps with grinding it into a powder.
- Nutmeg: Whole nutmeg is amazing and so much better than powdered nutmeg. Using a microplane to grind the nutmeg is your best bet.
- Paprika: Use sweet paprika instead of smoked paprika.
- Cumin: Be sure to use cumin seeds instead of powder.
- Coriander: Coriander seeds are amazing when toasted and ground. If you think you don't have any, check your seed packs (if you have a garden). Coriander seeds produce cilantro so you may have coriander and not even know it!
- Cloves: Use whole cloves instead of powder.
- Cayenne: Cayenne pepper is optional. I grind dried chiles but you can use cayenne powder if you need to.
- Salt: I usually don't add salt to my baharat seasoning but you can add some to taste, if you choose.
- Optional: Some recipes also call for saffron, turmeric, and sumac, but those ingredients are not usually added to Arabic baharat seasoning.
*For exact measurements, please see recipe card at the bottom of the post!
🧂How to Make Baharat Spice Blend
Step 1: Add whole black peppercorns, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, allspice berries, coriander seeds, whole cloves, whole nutmeg, chili peppers, and ½ of a cinnamon stick to a hot cast-iron pan. Toast spices until aromatic.
Step 2: Allow spices to cool before handling. Remove nutmeg, and grate separately using a microplane. Grind the remaining whole spices into a fine powder either with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
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Pro Tip: You may need to grind the spices in batches.
Step 3: Mix ground spices, paprika, and shaved nutmeg together until throughly combined. Store baharat spice in an airtight container for up to a year. Label the jar with "baharat" and the date.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
The Turkish word "Baharat" means "spices." Additionally, it is also referred to as "Middle Eastern 7 spice."
There are no two baharat recipes that are exactly the same, there are so many variations! However, there are some spices that are almost always found in most Baharat recipes.
Main Baharat recipe Ingredients
black pepper
cumin
coriander
cardamom
cloves
nutmeg
cinnamon
Additional Baharat Ingredients
allspice
paprika
ginger
chili powder
cayenne
turmeric
saffron
star anise
Since baharat is a blend of many spices, it's hard to pick just one spice to replace it. However, a similar spice, known as "ras el hanout," would be a great substitute.
Ras el hanout usually contains the same spices as baharat, along with ginger, mace, and fenugreek. You can also use biryani spice, which has a lot of the same spices.
Baharat and allspice are not the same. Allspice is a berry, and the name allspice does not imply a mixture of spices. Allspice berries are usually ground into a powder and commonly used in Middle Eastern recipes.
Baharat, on the other hand, is a Middle Eastern spice blend that contains allspice, cloves, cardamom, black peppercorns, and cinnamon. 
🍵 How to use Baharat Spice Mix
Baharat can be used to season meat, chicken, lamb, and fish. It is also used to flavor soups and marinades. To make a marinade or a rub, just mix with lemon juice and olive oil.
My favorite way to use it is to make Chicken Biryani (Spicy yellow rice, loaded with shredded chicken, meatballs, potatoes, and onions).
You can also add Arabic baharat spices to dry rub or to season the meat filling in Assyrian Egg Rolls (Bourak), and in Kubba filling.
Another great way to use baharat is in sauces, stews, or to season beef kafta. You can even sprinkle it over roasted vegetables!
If you enjoy making your own spices and seasonings, you may be interested in learning how to make corned beef spice blend, Santa Maria seasoning, pork rub, and shawarma seasoning.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you don't have a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, a coffee grinder works just as well!
- Always start with fresh spices and toss out any spices over a year old.
- I prefer to make smaller batches of baharat spice mix so that it's fresh. If you do make a larger batch, consider freezing the extra to retain the freshness.
- Store baharat in an airtight location, away from direct sunlight.
🫙Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Middle Eastern Baharat Spice Blend
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns (7 grams)
- 2¼ teaspoon cumin seeds (4 grams)
- 2½ teaspoon coriander seeds (3 grams)
- 1 tablespoon paprika powder
- ¾ tablespoon allspice berries (4 grams)
- ½ cinnamon stick (1 gram)
- 28 whole cardamom pods (4 grams)
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves (1 gram)
- ¼ whole nutmeg, grated (1 gram)
- 3 dried chili peppers (or ½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
Instructions
- Add whole black peppercorns, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, allspice berries, coriander seeds, whole cloves, whole nutmeg, chili peppers, and ½ of a cinnamon stick to a hot cast-iron pan. Toast until aromatic.
- Allow spices to cool before handling. Remove nutmeg, and grate separately using a microplane. Grind the remaining whole spices into a fine powder either by hand with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
- Mix ground spices, paprika, and shaved nutmeg together until throughly mixed. Store the baharat spice in an airtight container for up to a year. Mark the container with "baharat" and the date.
Notes
- If you don't have a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, a coffee grinder works just as well!
- Always start with fresh spices and toss out any spices over a year old.
- I prefer to make smaller batches of baharat spice mix so that it's fresh. If you do make a larger batch, consider freezing the extra to retain the freshness.
- Store baharat in an airtight location, away from direct sunlight.
Felicity says
I grew up in the middle East,now live in South Africa, I can't get ras el hanout,or sumac,or
harissa, zaatar or baharat,so I make my own.
thanks for recipe
Hilda Sterner says
I can relate! When I lived in California I can run down to the Middle Eastern market to get what I need, but now that I'm in Montana, I have to make it all myself. It's better anyways when it's fresh!
Mel says
- (Regarding Baharat Recipe)
Hello Hilda,
Thank you for sharing your Baharat recipe. You're the best. Just one (silly) question; are the spices, listed in your ingredients, measured in powdered or whole form? I just want to confirm that the measurements are referring to ingredients that have already been toasted and crushed etc.
Thanks again and apologies for the silly question!
Kind regards,
Mel
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Mel,
Thank you so much for pointing out an obvious question! I should've had more detailed instructions. I measured the ingredients using the whole spices and weighted them in grams and have updated the post with the info. Take care!
Vicki says
Does baharat sometimes include sugar?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Vicki, I've never seen it with sugar but that doesn't mean you can't add a pinch or 2 if you'd like!🙂
Linda Blume says
IF using a pound of beef or lamb how much of the spice would you add?
HildaSterner says
Hi Linda,
It really depends on the recipe. Unlike salt (I always add 1 teaspoon to 1 pound of meat), a recipe might call for 1/2 teaspoon baharat or more. It just depends on what you're preparing. Are there other ingredients in the dish you're preparing? If you're mixing it in with ground meat and making kabobs, for example, I'd probably add anywhere from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. I always start with a small amount when using a new spice to see how I like it before adding more. When making kabobs, you can pinch off a small portion of the seasoned meat and fry it in a pan to see if you're satisfied with the taste. If not, you can add more. You can always add more, but can't take it out once it's in, right? Hopefully, that makes sense?