What Is Poultry Seasoning Made Of?

Poultry seasoning is a blend of dried herbs, mostly sage and thyme, with marjoram, rosemary and black pepper. Many blends add a pinch of nutmeg, and some add ginger, oregano or celery seed. The classic kind has no salt and, despite the name, no chicken or turkey in it. It is the smell of Thanksgiving stuffing: woodsy, warm and a little peppery.

That is the short version. Below is what each herb does, what to use it on, how much to add, and what to do when the recipe calls for it and your cabinet says no.

What herbs are in poultry seasoning?

There is no official recipe, so every brand is a little different. Most are built from the same short list:

• Sage. The one you smell first. It is earthy and a little piney, and it is what makes stuffing taste like stuffing.
• Thyme. Softer and a bit lemony. It rounds off the sage.
• Marjoram. A sweeter, milder cousin of oregano.
• Rosemary. Strong and woodsy, so blends use only a little.
• Black pepper. For a small bite at the end.
• Nutmeg. Just a pinch. You should not be able to pick it out.

Some blends also carry ginger, oregano, celery seed or parsley. Everything is dried and ground fine, so it disappears into stuffing and gravy instead of leaving twigs behind.

Does poultry seasoning have salt in it?

The classic kind does not. It is herbs and spices only, which is why stuffing and gravy recipes ask for it and for salt as two separate things.

Some newer blends do add salt, and a few add fillers to keep the powder loose. Turn the jar around and read the back. If salt is the first thing listed, cut the salt in your recipe, or you will find out at the table.

What do you use poultry seasoning for?

Chicken and turkey, of course. But most of it ends up in the dishes around the bird:

• Stuffing and dressing. This is its main job.
• Gravy. A pinch makes it taste like it cooked all day.
• Chicken soup, chicken and dumplings, and pot pie.
• Roast chicken and turkey. Mix it into soft butter and rub it under the skin.
• Pork chops, meatloaf and breakfast sausage. Sage and pork are old friends.
• Roasted potatoes, squash and mushrooms.

How much poultry seasoning should you use?

Less than you think. Ground sage is strong, and too much turns bitter. Start here:

• Stuffing: 1 to 2 teaspoons for a 9 by 13 inch pan, about 12 cups of bread cubes.
• Soup and gravy: 1/2 teaspoon per quart. Taste, then add more.
• Chicken or turkey: about 1 teaspoon per pound, plus salt.

Those amounts are for the classic herbs-only kind. A blend with salt already in it is measured differently. Our guide to how much seasoning to use per pound of meat has a chart for that.

What can you use instead of poultry seasoning?

If you have sage and thyme, you are most of the way there. Stir together:

• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
• A pinch each of black pepper and nutmeg

That makes about 2 tablespoons, which is plenty for Thanksgiving dinner and a pot of soup the week after.

No sage in the house? Italian seasoning is the closest thing most people already own, because it shares the thyme, rosemary and marjoram. It will taste more like pizza night than Thanksgiving, but dinner will be fine. Here is what Italian seasoning is made of if you want to compare the two.

Is Flavor Seed's poultry seasoning the same thing?

No, and we would rather tell you now than have you find out in the stuffing.

Anything With Wings is our organic poultry seasoning, but it is a rub for the bird, not the sage-and-thyme blend for the bread. It is made of sea salt, organic garlic, organic coriander, organic onion, organic black pepper, organic cumin, organic basil, organic cayenne, organic oregano and organic ginger. There is no sage in it, and the salt is already there. It is USDA Certified Organic, with no MSG, no fillers and no anti-caking agents.

So here is how we would split the work. Use Anything With Wings on the chicken or the turkey itself. Use classic poultry seasoning, or the five-herb mix above, in the stuffing and the gravy. If you are cooking a whole bird, how to season a turkey walks through how much to use and when to put it on.

If you want the herbs without the salt, Zilch. Nada. None. is our salt-free all-purpose blend. It has organic thyme, basil, oregano and parsley in it, along with onion, garlic and turmeric. It is good in chicken soup and on roasted vegetables, and you add salt yourself, to your own taste.

Quick answers

Is there chicken or turkey in poultry seasoning?

No. It is named for what it goes on, not what is in it. Classic poultry seasoning is dried herbs and spices only.

Is poultry seasoning the same as sage?

No. Sage is one herb. Poultry seasoning is a blend where sage leads and thyme, marjoram, rosemary and pepper fill in behind it. If a recipe calls for poultry seasoning and you only have sage, use about half as much.

How long does poultry seasoning last?

It does not spoil, but it fades. Ground herbs are at their best for about six months once opened. Rub a pinch between your fingers. If you can barely smell it, it will not do much for your stuffing. Many of us find a jar from three Thanksgivings ago in the back of the cabinet. It is allowed to retire.

That is all poultry seasoning is: sage, thyme and a few friends. Anything With Wings comes in a 5 oz resealable pouch or a 2.6 oz glass jar, and free shipping kicks in at $25.