5 Minute Recipes/ Condiments and Sauces/ Recipes

Baharat – Middle Eastern 7 Spice Mix

28/09/2020 (Last Updated: 29/01/2021)
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Smoky, sweet and tangy spices bring a deep and aromatic flavour to your cooking. Baharat is one spice mix you’ll want to add to your pantry. Use this all-purpose Middle Eastern spice blend to season meats, chicken and fish, or add a new depth of flavour to your favourite dishes.

Spices in bowl before being mixed together.

Why We Love This

Baharat is a deliciously simple spice mix that you can whip up in under two minutes. If you love cooking, chances are you’ll have all the spices you need in the pantry already. For the freshest experience, you can grind your own whole spices OR use already-ground versions for a quick mix. 

Baharat is perfect as an all-purpose seasoning or rub for meats, fish and chicken. You can even add it to soups, stews or casseroles to add extra smokey flavour. Or why not sprinkle over your favourite dips such as hummus?

Since you’re making your own spice blend from scratch, it’s easy to tweak the ingredients to suit your taste! 

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P.S. If you love making your own homemade spice blends, try our recipes for curry powder, Japanese 7 spice or matcha green tea salt next!

Brown spice mix known as Baharat in small container.

What is Baharat? 

‘Baharat’ simply means ‘spices’ in Arabic language. This all-purpose blend / seasoning is most often in Middle Eastern, Turkish and Greek cuisine, and varies slightly from region to region.  It’s also known as Lebanese 7 spice.

The special part about this Baharat recipe is not just its tiny list of ingredients. It’s the magic flavour they create when they come together.

Before you even have a taste, those freshly mixed spices will be filling your kitchen with a unique and exotic aroma.

What You’ll Need

If you already have the following spices in powdered/ground form, you’ll be able to whip up this Middle Eastern spice mix in just a few minutes. If not, you can easily grind whole spices in a spice grinder OR use a mortar and pestle.

This recipe for baharat spice mix calls for eight individual spices (yes, 8! Even though it is referred to as Lebanese 7 spice):

  • Black pepper
  • Cardamom
  • Cinnamon
  • Cloves – These can be bought whole and ground or buy them as a powder.
  • Coriander – You can buy them as coriander seeds and grind them yourself, or look for ground coriander – not fresh!
  • Cumin
  • Nutmeg
  • Smoky paprika – We love the smoky flavour with this paprika, you can also use regular Hungarian Paprika or Hot Paprika for extra spice kick.

If you’re missing any of these spices, most should be available at your local supermarket, Asian or Middle Eastern grocer or online.

Ingredients in bowl for baharat spice mix with labels.

Wandercook’s Tips

  • Storage – Store your blended baharat in an airtight glass jar out of direct sunlight. 
  • Use Within 3 Months – Any longer and your blend may start to lose its potency.

FAQs

Is baharat a 7 spice?

While baharat is also referred to as Lebanese 7 Spice, it more commonly contains 8 spices. Some of the 7 spice variants use allspice to replace the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove components of the mix.

What meats go well with baharat?

Baharat is most popularly used alongside chicken, however lamb and beef are also popular.

How to use baharat:

Here are a few ways you can add an extra flavour to your cooking by using this wickedly aromatic spice:
– Use as a spice rub – for meats, chicken or fish.
– Use as a flavouring – for soups, stock, casseroles, tureens or rice dishes. We recommend trying it in Egyptian Koshary or blending into a batch of Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce.
– Use as a condiment – sprinkle across pita bread, popcorn or fresh dips such as hummus. Or sprinkle over vegetables such as eggplant before roasting to give an extra depth of flavour. 
– Use as a marinade – simply mix with olive oil and lime juice for a quick marinade recipe. 

Is Baharat similar to Garam Masala?

Both spice mixes share a lot of the same base spices, however there are some notable differences. Garam Masala is more common in Indian cuisine while Baharat is more popular in the Middle East. Garam Masala is a little spicier and contains bay leaves and red chilli powder instead of the paprika in Baharat.

Variations

  • For a More Turkish Flavour Profile – Try adding dried mint flakes. 
  • Tweak to Your Liking – Don’t be afraid to experiment with your own ingredient ratios – this spice blend is easy to adapt to your own tastes.
  • Substitutes – You can substitute the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves with 1 tsp of allspice.
Freshly mixed baharat with cinnamon and cardamom pods.

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★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating below!

Bowl of spices to make baharat.

Baharat – Middle Eastern 7 Spice Mix

Smoky, sweet and tangy spices bring a deep and aromatic flavour to your cooking. Baharat is one spice mix you'll want to add to your pantry. Use this all-purpose Middle Eastern spice blend to season meats, chicken and fish, or add a new depth of flavour to your favourite dishes.
4.84 from 25 votes
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Course: Spice
Cuisine: Egyptian
Servings: 1 jar
Calories: 44kcal
Author: Wandercooks

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pop all your aromatic spices (smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, ground coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves) into a mortar and grind away with your pestle until blended into luscious dark red and brown powder.
    2 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cardamom, 1/4 tsp cloves
  • Alternatively, if you’ve already got your spices ground and ready to go, pop them in a small bowl and mix until well combined.
  • Store your gorgeous aromatic Baharat mix in an airtight container in the pantry until ready to use.

Video

YouTube video

Recipe Notes

  • Storage – Store your blended baharat in an airtight glass jar out of direct sunlight.
  • Use Within 3 Months – Any longer and your blend may start to lose its potency.
  • For a More Turkish Flavour Profile – Try adding dried mint flakes.
  • Tweak to Your Liking – Don’t be afraid to experiment with your own ingredient ratios – this spice blend is easy to adapt to your own tastes.
  • Substitutes – You can substitute the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves with 1 tsp of allspice.
  • Uses
    • Use as a spice rub – for meats, chicken or fish.
    • Use as a flavouring – for soups, stock, casseroles, tureens or rice dishes. We recommend trying it in Egyptian Koshary or blending into a batch of Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce.
    • Use as a condiment – sprinkle across pita bread, popcorn or fresh dips such as hummus. Or sprinkle over vegetables such as eggplant before roasting to give an extra depth of flavour.
    • Use as a marinade – simply mix with olive oil and lime juice for a quick marinade recipe.
Adapted from Michelle Southan (Australian Good Taste).

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Baharat – Middle Eastern 7 Spice Mix
Amount per Serving
Calories
44
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Sodium
 
12
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
163
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
8
g
3
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
 
2021
IU
40
%
Vitamin C
 
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
 
50
mg
5
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Hey hey – Did you make this recipe?We’d love it if you could give a star rating below ★★★★★ and show us your creations on Instagram! Snap a pic and tag @wandercooks / #Wandercooks

Baharat - Middle Eastern 7 Spice Mix

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34 Comments

  • Reply
    Alina | Cooking Journey Blog
    26/07/2019 at 11:22 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve recently thought I wanted to try a new spice mix with ground meat. Thanks for sharing!

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      29/07/2019 at 9:52 am

      Mmm yum! I’m thinking beef patties or hamburgers could be a winner – how about you?

      • Reply
        Karen
        16/04/2023 at 2:53 am

        I’m going to give this a try in a Middle Eastern spiced beef bowl

        • Reply
          Wandercooks
          18/04/2023 at 2:21 pm

          Great idea Karen, let us know how it goes!

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