- Prep5 min
Seven spices, one jar, five minutes. That’s the whole job. This Chinese spice blend is what I shake over chicken thighs, pork or a tray of veg when dinner needs a lift and I’m not up for a project.
If grinding sounds like too much, buy everything ground and stir it together in the jar. No heat, no knife, nothing raw. Make it once and it’s sitting in the cupboard for every plain dinner after that.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low Spoons
- Hands-on time: about 5 minutes (nothing hands-off)
- Main effort: measuring seven teaspoons into a jar, then 20 seconds in the spice blender
- Chopping: none. Drying your own orange peel means grating an orange, so buy it dried if you’d rather skip that
- Standing and attention: none. You can do this sitting at the table
- Washing up: one jar or bowl and a teaspoon, plus the spice blender if you use it
Quick spoon check
- No-spoons version: buy everything ground, tip it into a jar and shake.
- Low-spoon version (how it’s rated): grind whole Sichuan pepper and dried orange peel in a spice blender for 20 seconds, then add the rest.
- More-spoons version: dry your own orange peel in a 100°C oven for 2 hours, then grind everything together.
Kerry’s notes
I make a jar of this every couple of months and use it more than I expected. A good shake over chicken thighs before they go in the oven is about as much effort as I’ve got on a Tuesday. It’s just as good on pork belly, lamb or a tray of roast veg.
Start small and taste as you go. The Sichuan pepper has a tingle that surprises people the first time. That’s not a mistake, that’s the point.
It’s sugar-free, so it sits happily in low-carb and keto cooking.
What’s that ingredient?
Sichuan pepper. It isn’t related to black pepper. It’s the dried husk of the berries from the prickly ash tree. It tastes citrusy and floral, and it leaves a light tingle on your tongue. You’ll find it in some Coles and Woolies stores, and it’s cheaper at your local Asian grocer. Keep it in an airtight jar away from light. Easiest swap: black pepper. You lose the tingle, but it still tastes good.
Dried orange peel. It’s orange peel that’s been dried, and it gives the blend its bright citrus top note. You can buy it online through major spice retailers and marketplaces like Amazon. To make your own, finely grate an orange, spread the peel on a lined tray and dry it in a 100°C oven for 2 hours. Keep it in an airtight jar. Easiest swap: a little fresh orange peel added to the pan when you cook.
Why this recipe works
- Every spice is 1 teaspoon, so there’s no ratio to memorise.
- The warm spices (ginger, five spice) and the savoury ones (cumin, coriander, fennel) sit under a citrus lift, so it suits chicken, pork, lamb and veg.
- There’s no salt in it, so you decide how much to add to the dish.
- It’s sugar-free and has no fillers, which makes it easy to fit into low-carb cooking.
- It’s all pantry spices, so for most people there’s very little to buy.
Ingredients at a glance
- Sichuan pepper: the citrusy, tingly one.
- Ground cumin: the earthy, savoury base.
- Ground fennel: a gentle aniseed note.
- Ground ginger: warm, with a little bite.
- Chinese five spice: sweet-warm and spiced. Most blends already carry a little Sichuan pepper.
- Ground coriander: mild and slightly lemony, and it rounds everything out.
- Dried orange peel: the bright citrus note.
No Spoon Swaps
- Buy everything ground: skips the spice blender completely. Trade-off: ground spices lose some punch faster than whole, so make a smaller batch.
- Buy dried orange peel: saves the grating and the 2 hours of oven time. Trade-off: you have to find it.
- Skip drying your own peel: add a little fresh orange peel to the pan when you cook. Trade-off: it doesn’t keep in the jar, so you add it each time.
- Black pepper for Sichuan pepper: saves the hunt. Trade-off: no tingle.
Substitutions and allergens
- Sichuan pepper: use black pepper.
- Dried orange peel: use a little fresh orange peel when you cook.
Allergen notes
- Five spice: check the label for added fillers or anti-caking agents, because blends vary.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- Spice blender: quickest way to grind whole Sichuan pepper and dried orange peel. It’s one more thing to wash.
- Neither: if everything is already ground, a jar with a lid and a good shake is enough.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: not needed. Keep it in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. Best flavour for about 3 months.
- Freezer: not needed.
- Reheating: not applicable. It’s a dry blend.
Serving ideas
- Rub it into chicken, pork or lamb before roasting.
- Add it to a stir-fry or cauli rice. Another shake-and-go jar for dinner is our Zing Dynasty Asian-inspired blend, and for something sweeter and smokier there’s the BBQ spice blend.
- Stir it into soups, marinades and sauces.
- Got five spice out already? It also turns up in our lemongrass and five-spice beef brisket.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use black pepper in this Chinese spice blend?
Yes. You lose the tingle and some of the floral flavour, but it still tastes good.
Is it hot?
Not in the chilli sense. There’s no chilli in it. The Sichuan pepper tingles rather than burns.
Do I have to grind anything?
No. If every spice is already ground, stir it together in a jar. Grinding is only for whole Sichuan pepper or dried orange peel.
Can I make my own dried orange peel?
Yes. Finely grate an orange, spread the peel on a lined baking tray and dry it in a 100°C oven for 2 hours.
How long does it keep?
Store it in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. Best flavour for about 3 months.
The Great Spice of China – Chinese-Inspired Spice Blend
Equipment
- Spice blender (optional if everything is ground)
- Small bowl
- Teaspoon
- Airtight glass jar with lid
Ingredients
- 1 tsp ground Sichuan pepper or black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp dried orange peel ground fine
Instructions
Make the blend
- Tip the Sichuan pepper, cumin, fennel, ginger, five spice, coriander and orange peel into a spice blender. If everything is already ground, use a small bowl instead.
- Grind for 20 seconds until the powder looks even and fine, with no whole husks or flecks of peel left. If you're using a bowl, stir until the colour is even.
- Spoon the blend into an airtight jar and screw the lid on.
Dry your own orange peel (optional)
- Finely grate the zest of 1 orange onto a lined baking tray.
- Dry it in a 100°C oven for 2 hours, until completely dry.
- Let it cool, then grind it with the other spices.
Notes
- No Sichuan pepper? Use black pepper. There's less punch and no tingle, but it still tastes good.
- Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard. Best flavour for about 3 months.
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Make the jar once and let it do the work. If a plain dinner needs a lift, you’re one shake away. Save it for a low-spoon day, and tell me what you put it on first.
