Easy Ras El Hanout Recipe

Name: Easy Ras El Hanout
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 2 teaspoons ground cardamon; 2 teaspoons ground mace; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper; 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 0 mins

Total: 10 mins

Servings: 48 servings

Yield: 1/4 cup

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Ras el hanout is a complex, aromatic spice blend famously associated with Moroccan cuisine. If you're lucky enough to go to this beautiful country, ras el hanout should be on your list of foods to bring back from Morocco. The literal translation of ras el hanout from Arabic to English is “head of the shop," but in reality, it means "top shelf," both terms implying that this is the best offering in a spice shop. Due to its liberal use in mrouzia, a lamb and honey dish with intense seasoning, ras el hanout is also sometimes called mrouzia spice. Some versions are spicy, and some have no heat at all. If you make your own blend, you can control the heat.

Ras el Hanout spices in a wooden bowl — The Spruce Eats

No two versions of this spice blend are the same, so when sampling ras el hanout from different sources, you'll notice slight flavor variations. At its core, the spice blend isn't intrinsically spicy unless you intentionally add this flavor profile. Most recipes include cardamom, nutmeg, anise, mace, cinnamon, ginger, various peppers, and turmeric—at times a total of 30 or more ingredients might be used in varying quantities. Some blends could add up to 80 spices, so the beauty of the spice lies in a fluid recipe as well as personal preferences.

The blend is typically prepared by grinding whole spices, dried roots, and leaves. This recipe keeps things extra simple by using ground spices you may already have at home. If you'd like to try making a more complex and robust version, try using whole spices instead for a bolder and deeper flavor. Note that relatively few Moroccans use this spice blend in daily cooking; instead, the majority reserve it for specialty dishes.

Is Garam Masala the Same as Ras el Hanout?

Garam masala, an aromatic spice blend of Indian origin is sometimes confused with ras el hanout. While they are both carefully curated spice blends, and equally delicious, they are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably. Although they can share common spices in the mix, ras el hanout has a vast number of these, whereas garam masala has fewer spices.

So even if they could have similarities, depending on the blend, ras el hanout is meant to give a North African flavor to your meal, whereas garam masala is intended for recipes of Indian origin.

What You'll Need To Make This Rasa El Hanout Recipe

An Electric Spice Grinder

A Good Set of Measuring Spoons

An Airtight Spice Jar

"The ras el hanout spice blend is super easy to make, and most of the ingredients are fairly common. It took less than 10 minutes to gather the ingredients and measure them, and the flavors were great. The cayenne was a little heavy, so if you like mild flavors, leave it out or use less." —Diana Rattray

Ras el Hanout spice blend in a glass bowl

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2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons ground mace
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground anise seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Gather the ingredients.

The Spruce Eats
Place 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cardamom, 2 teaspoons ground mace, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground anise seed, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves into a bowl and stir to combine evenly.

The Spruce Eats
Transfer the spice mix to a glass jar and store it in a dry, cool place away from heat and sunlight for up to six months. Enjoy it in your favorite meat, tagine, and stew recipes.

The Spruce Eats

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Here are some ideas on how to use ras el hanout:

Use it on proteins - Use the spice mix as desired to season tagines that contain lamb or fish. Rub it on the outside of your favorite meats—it's ideal for seasoning roast beef, pork, chicken, or to mix in ground meat to make delicious bison, turkey, or lamb patties or meatballs.
Use it for grilled meats - Use it on steaks, chicken breast, ribs, and vegetables that are meant to go on the grill.
Add it to veggies or soups - Sprinkle the mix on roasted vegetables, or add it into stews or soups.
Add it to dip - Mix it in with full-fat Greek Yogurt, labneh, or sour cream to make a dip for crudités, kebabs, or fried foods.

Tasty Recipes Using Ras el Hanout, a Moroccan Spice Blend

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
2	Calories
0g	Fat
0g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 48
Amount per serving
Calories	2
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 0mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 2mg	0%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 6mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.