Berberé is an Ethiopian spice blend, and this homemade berberé spice blend recipe is considerably more interesting than its single-word name suggests. It's built around cayenne and paprika for heat and colour, along with a supporting cast of warm spices that give it real depth. Ground fresh, it transforms a chicken crown into something worth making on a Saturday night.
When I first wrote this recipe in 2015, two of the traditional ingredients were impossible to source in rural Spain. Korarima – Ethiopian cardamom – still is, and I substitute regular cardamom pod seeds. Long pepper was equally elusive then, but it's now straightforward to find online. I've updated the recipe accordingly.
Everything gets toasted, cooled and ground. A Wahl coffee grinder — endorsed by James Martin and dedicated exclusively to spices in this kitchen since 2012 — handles the grinding. It gets cleaned periodically by running basmati rice through it. The James Martin endorsement is purely coincidental to its usefulness.
Homemade berberé spice blend — the Wahl grinder that's been doing this job since 2012 – The Flexible Chef
The Berberé Spice Blend Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ½ tbsp ground fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp ground cardamom pod seeds (substitute for korarima)
- ½ tsp ground coriander seeds
- ½ tsp ground cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground black peppercorns (or long pepper if available)
- ½ tsp dried ginger
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon or cassia bark
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tbsp salt
Method
- Toast the whole spices – fenugreek, cardamom, coriander, cumin, and peppercorns – individually in a dry pan over a medium heat until they begin to release their oils. Don't rush this and don't burn them. Leave to cool completely.
- Grind the toasted spices to a fine powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.
- Combine with all the remaining ground spices and mix thoroughly.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Use within three months for best results.
What to do with it
The most obvious starting point is Chicken Crown with Ethiopian Berberé Spice — bone-in, skin-on, marinated in a paste made from this blend and olive oil, then either braised on the hob with chickpeas or roasted in the oven. It also works well as a dry rub for lamb, a seasoning for roasted vegetables, or stirred into yoghurt as a marinade base.
Footnote This homemade berberé spice blend recipe is part of my Curry Recipes collection — the complete guide to curries, spice blends, bases, chutneys and sides from The Flexible Chef. Explore the full Curry Recipes hub.
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