Salt and Pepper Seasoning

It’s a fantastic spice mix that brings a whole load of flavor to your favorite takeaway dishes. Popular across the whole of England, most notably Liverpool where salt and pepper chips came into fame, as well as Scotland, it has been used in takeaway dishes since the 1960s.

You’d be mistaken for thinking it was just some salt and pepper thrown together. I mean, what’s so special about that?

Trust me though, this stuff is amazing! It’s made up of salt, chilli flakes, pepper and a selection of other spices and the result is delicious. Use it once and you’ll cook with it all the time.

No more unhealthy takeaways! Make your own homemade dishes that taste delicious and are much healthier.

There are a few variations to salt and pepper seasoning, but at its most traditional it contains sea salt, ground white pepper, Chinese five spice, crushed chilli flakes, garlic powder, ground ginger and caster sugar.

These simple ingredients are an enticing blend of sweet, spicy and savory. The flavour combination is absolutely amazing when paired with traditional Chinese takeaway dishes like crispy chicken, prawns or spring rolls. 

Another thing – my tasty homemade recipe doesn’t contain MSG, unlike the stuff you’ll find in the shops.

It’s a wonderful spice blend that contains cinnamon, star anise, cloves, Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds. 

Earthy, warm, toasty and slightly sweet with a mild spiciness, Chinese five spice works wonders when used in small amounts to bring big flavours. 

Chinese five spice was originally used as a medicine. The Chinese believed that it could be used to balance yin and yang, with each of the five spices playing a key role in balancing the cool yin with the heat of the yang.

It was soon integrated into Chinese cuisine and also spread to Taiwanese and Vietnamese cuisines.

It’s so simple. You just gather the ingredients, mix them together and place them in an airtight container. That’s it!

It’s suitable for most diets, including gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and keto.

You can store it in a spice storage container. You can also make a larger batch (just double or triple the measurements below) and store it in a larger air tight container.

As long as your spice ingredients are relatively fresh and you store your spice mix in an airtight container, it will last for up to a year.

If you want a little extra heat, try adding a teaspoon of chilli powder into the mix. You can also use one of these chilli powder substitutes.

If you want to bring an extra earthiness to the mix, swap the white pepper for Aleppo pepper. Again, you can also use one of these Aleppo pepper substitutes.

There are so many ways to use this wonderful seasoning. Fry some crispy chicken, prawns, onions, peppers or any fresh fish with a sprinkle of this spicy mix and you’ll have a wonderful dish.
You can oven bake chicken wings marinated in this chilli spiced mix for an excellent party snack food.

This spice mix recipe can also be used to season soups, sauces and stews. For me, when it comes to the best recipe, two stand out way above the rest.

Salt and pepper chips

A hugely popular takeaway dish in the UK, particularly Liverpool, where it was first served. The spicy seasoning powder is added to onions, peppers and cooked chips for a tasty takeaway dish. 

Check out my homemade salt and pepper chips recipe!  

Salt and pepper chicken

A Chinese takeaway favourite with some incredible flavour, this is comfort food at its best. Tasty strips of chicken sauteed with onions, peppers and this spicy flavour mix. Absolutely divine!

Want to make your own? Don’t miss my salt and pepper chicken recipe.