Cooking pork the same way all the time can get pretty boring. You’ll want to check out this list of spices and seasonings that go well with pork and experiment in your own kitchen!
You can season pork with a brine or a marinade. If you’re ready to cook now, you can sprinkle your favourite flavours on the uncooked pork and give it a little rub so the seasonings really stick to the meat. If you’ve already cooked your pork, just sprinkle a small amount of your seasonings over the cooked pork before you serve it. (Dried herbs can have a pretty powerful flavour when they are sprinkled on cooked food, so just use a little bit if you’re going this way!)
Basil
We love basil here. Use basil by itself or with any of the spices that are in Italian seasoning for even more flavour.
Rosemary
Rosemary can have an overpowering flavour, so use it sparingly. It tends to have a hint of citrus flavour, so try it with marjoram.
Sage
Sage is a good flavour to use with pork, but a little goes a long way. Pair sage with garlic, paprika, parsley, or thyme.
Thyme
Thyme has a similar flavour to marjoram, but without the lemony undertone. Try thyme with garlic, parsley, or sage.
Ranch
You can never go wrong with Ranch flavours! Whether you’re topping a grilled pork chop with ranch dressing or using dry ranch mix as a seasoning rub, ranch always goes great with pork.
Italian Seasoning
Pre-packaged Italian Seasoning mixes usually include a combination of basil, oregano, and thyme. Many of the pre-made spice mixes also contain salt. You can easily make your own “Italian seasoning” by combining these three herbs.
Lemon Pepper
We love using Lemon Pepper seasoning on pork. It gives it a light, fresh flavour, without too much effort. Sprinkle it on before grilling, or top cooked pork with a dash of Lemon Pepper.
Cloves
Use ground cloves with a little bit of allspice to kick up the flavour a bit more.
Garlic
Garlic goes with everything! Use garlic powder, minced garlic, or roasted garlic to give pork dishes more flavour. Garlic works well with Italian seasoning; or with any combination of basil, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Ginger
Raw, fresh ginger can have a very “sharp” taste. The flavour will mellow with more cooking. Ground ginger is not as pungent as fresh ginger. Use it in a stir-fry (cook fresh ginger for a minute before adding the pork), or on an oven-roasted or slow cooker pork roast.
Oregano
Oregano is one of the classic Italian seasonings. Add it to basil, or use it with Italian seasoning for more flavour.
Paprika
Paprika will give pork recipes a subtle, smoky flavour. Use a bit of paprika in pork recipes with Italian seasoning, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, or thyme for a little extra flavour.
Parsley
Parsley is great for a fresh flavour. Parsley works well with Italian seasoning, marjoram, rosemary, sage, and thyme.
