Ras el Hanout — The Moroccan Spice Blend for BBQ

Ingredient · North Africa · The Rub Kitchen

Ras el hanout literally means “head of the shop” — the best the spice merchant has to offer. It's not a fixed recipe but a philosophy: a blend of the most aromatic spices, composed by each merchant according to their own insight. From 10 to 30 ingredients, from warm cinnamon to floral rose petals to earthy cumin.

While harissa represents the firepower of North Africa, ras el hanout is the complexity — warm, fragrant, deep, and multilayered. Both are North African, but they operate on completely different taste dimensions.

More about ras el hanout — Wikipedia
01

What's in ras el hanout?

There is no standard recipe — every spice merchant and every household has its own ratio. These are the most common ingredients:

CinnamonCuminCoriander seedCardamomTurmericGingerPaprikaBlack pepperNutmegAllspiceCayenne pepperFenugreekRose petalsLavender leafGalangal

The typical flavor profile: warm (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom), earthy (cumin, coriander, turmeric), floral (rose petals, lavender in more expensive blends) and slightly spicy (black pepper, cayenne). No single note dominates — it's about balance.

02

Ras el hanout vs. harissa — the difference

These two are the best-known North African flavorings but operate completely differently:

  • Harissa: Paste — moist, spicy, direct, roasty from the roasted peppers. Dominant. See harissa for BBQ.
  • Ras el hanout: Dry spice blend — complex, warm, fragrant, multilayered. Subtle but deep.
  • Together: Ras el hanout as a dry rub + harissa as a finishing sauce — the perfect North African BBQ combination.
North African BBQ combination

Rub lamb shoulder with ras el hanout (as a dry rub), cook low & slow, and serve with a harissa-yogurt sauce. The warm spice complexity of the rub plus the spicy acidity of the harissa — two layers of North African flavor.

03

How to use ras el hanout for BBQ?

  • As a dry rub: Rub directly on lamb, chicken, or camel — the spices form an aromatic crust when heated
  • In a marinade: Mix with olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic — marinate lamb or chicken for 4–24 hours
  • As a finishing spice: Sprinkle over meat or roasted vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, carrots) after grilling
  • In a glaze: Mix with honey and butter — baste chicken for the last 10 minutes for a fragrant caramel layer

Best combinations: Lamb shoulder, chicken, carrots, pumpkin, couscous, sweet potato. Ras el hanout pairs well with anything sweet or warm.

04

Basic recipe — homemade ras el hanout

Recipe · approx. 4 tablespoons

Homemade ras el hanout

  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cumin, ground
  • 1 tsp coriander seed, ground
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ginger, ground
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp allspice

Mix everything together. Store in an airtight jar in a dark place — keeps for 3 months. For a more floral version: add ½ tsp dried rose petals.

Also read

More North African BBQ

→ Harissa for BBQ → All about the Moroccan BBQ Rub → Lamb Shoulder from Around the World BBQ → BBQ Ingredients from Around the World

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