Best seasoning for chicken breast

Chicken breast is one of the most versatile ingredients to add a protein and flavour kick to your dish. You can make it spicy, sweet, savoury or anything in between. You can pair it with any carbohydrate and any vegetable. You can fry chicken in olive oil, roast in the oven, stew in a pot or smoke over an open fire, any way you like.

With so many options at your fingertips, it can be hard to know what to do when it comes to cooking chicken. So, today we're going to run through a few of the best seasoning blends for chicken recipes.

When do I apply the seasonings?

First things first - we need to know how to season our cut of chicken before we go any further.

The best way to season your chicken breast is to put dry seasonings on before you cook it, but the same principle applies for all cuts, like chicken thighs, wings and breasts.

You want to ensure the seasoning coats all of the meat, so you don't end up with flavourless portions of cooked chicken breast when it comes off of the grill or out of the pan. You can do this with your boneless skinless chicken breasts and cook them whole or dice them first and add the seasoning mix after.

Best all-purpose chicken breast seasoning mix

If you want a super easy all-purpose spice blend, you can mix any of these herbs and spices together and it will work with just about any chicken recipe you'd like.

HERBS: basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano

SPICES: onion powder, garlic powder and salt

HEAT: paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, chilli flakes or powder

Combining a few of these herbs and spices from the three categories will give you a well-rounded flavour that you can work into any meal you could think of.

What's more - you can really make it your own by using things like smoked paprika instead of regular, adding different herbs in different quantities and upping the heat with more spice. Just try to tailor the amount of each seasoning to the flavour profile you're aiming for.

For example: if you're cooking a mild pasta dish, and want to add chicken, try more herbs with a little hint of spice. Or, if you're cooking fajitas and want to add a kick of heat along with the protein, try more spices and a dash of paprika, chilli and pepper.

On the other hand, if you want to make life easy, simply add all of the above in equal amounts into one mix and keep it stored in a tupperware pot. This way you'll have a quick and easy way to add some flavour to your chicken regardless of what you're making.

These herbs and spices are so versatile and reliable, the only way you can really go wrong is if you add far too much of one thing.

Best seasoning for roast chicken breasts

If you just want to keep things basic, you can simply add salt and pepper to your chicken before roasting. But my personal favourite roast chicken seasoning recipe - from allrecipes - takes a few different herbs and spices to add a little bit more flavour to your Sunday roast. Using this mix is perfect for a great roast or oven baked chicken breast recipe.

For a standard sized whole chicken, these seasoning amounts should work well - just make sure to coat the entirety of the breasts, as this is where the majority of meat will be found when serving.

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 1 tablespoon ground thyme

• 2 teaspoons dried sage

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Best seasoning for stir fry chicken

We want to make sure you have all bases covered, so in this recipe we're going to marinade the chicken breasts in a Chinese-style mix of herbs and spices. This is a great go to when making a stir fry with noodles, for various rice dishes and even if you want a twist on the classic fajita - why not try this mix and some teriyaki sauce next time!

For this allrecipe's stir fry chicken seasoning mix you need:

• 2/3 cup of soy sauce

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

The Method:

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a ceramic bowl; stir until smooth. Now, add ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes; add chicken breasts into the mix and stir to coat. Cover will cling film and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

This seasoning mix should provide the perfect marinade to add a tasty kick to your stir fry and many more Asian-inspired dishes you fancy adding chicken to. Don't hesitate to experiment with the quantities of each herb and spice to flavour the chicken to your liking.