Five Spice Powder Recipe (with and without a spice grinder)
Chinese five spice powder is one of the most important spices in Chinese cuisine. It has a variety of applications but is most notably used to season meats and vegetables. Think five spice chicken or five spice roasted duck! Learn how to make this classic ingredient from scratch with and without a spice grinder.
Personally, I don’t know where I’d be without my spices. I have a large spice drawer in my kitchen with spice jars, neatly labeled and lined up ready for my use. There are a few I can’t live without like Vietnamese cinnamon, garlic powder, and this one five spice powder. I grew up loving five spice everything from five spice chicken to five spice roasted duck. It was the perfect seasoning for meats and vegetables alike, so today, I want to show you how I make this incredible ingredient from scratch. Learn how to make it with and without a spice grinder, how to cook with it, and everything in between!
How I developed my five spice powder recipe
As mentioned, five spice powder is made of 5 spices: Sichuan peppercorn, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and fennel seeds. The amount of each depends on your preference, but for my recipe, I decided to go lighter on the star anise because it is quite a strong flavor. I made a version of each with 1 tbsp of each spice (grounded) and then tested with my five spice salmon and five spice chicken recipes to make sure I got the balance right. I found the star anise and clove flavors a bit too strong, so I reduced the amount in my final recipes.
Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments
- Sichuan peppercorns – Sichuan peppercorns are spicy and a little fruity. I bought the whole peppercorns and then ran them through a spice grinder, but you can also find Sichuan peppercorn powder. Make sure to get the red peppercorns.
- Fennel seeds – You can buy whole fennel seeds and break them down with a spice grinder or buy fennel seed powder.
- Star anise – You can buy whole star anise and break them down with a spice grinder or buy star anise powder.
- Ground cinnamon – Use any kind of ground cinnamon you can find. I personally like Vietnamese cinnamon, but traditionally, this spice mixture is made with Chinese cinnamon. You can also buy cinnamon sticks and run them through the spice grinder. I would use 2 cinnamon sticks if you go this route.
- Cloves – You can also buy the whole cloves or use ground cloves. Personally, I prefer the ground cloves.
How to make homemade five spice powder
How to make five spice powder without a spice grinder
You can also make this recipe without a spice grinder. Instead of whole Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds and star anise, use 2 tsp of each in powder form. That means 2 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn powder, 2 tsp of fennel seed powder, and 2 tsp of star anise powder. Add them to a bowl with the ground cinnamon and cloves and mix.
How do you use five spice powder?
Five spice powder is traditionally used to season meat and vegetables. Some great dishes with this ingredient include char siu (my favorite!), mushroom stir fry (this is vegetarian!), bo kho (a classic!), and Vietnamese pate (so addicting!).
Did you make this dish?
If you made this dish, I would love to see!
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Get the Recipe:
Five Spice Powder Recipe (with and without a spice grinder)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, 2 tsp peppercorn powder
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp fennel seed powder
- 3 star anise, 2 tsp ground star anise
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Equipment
Instructions
- Put 1 tbsp of Sichuan peppercorns, 1 tbsp of fennel seeds, and 3 star anise into a spice grinder. Grind until they break down into powder.
- Pour into a small bowl. Add 1 tbsp of ground cinnamon and ½ tsp of ground cloves and mix well.
Notes
- Adjustments for powder form included in the notes next to each ingredient. Below are links to where you can purchase each ingredient.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of each ingredient to your liking. If it’s too spicy, reduce Sichuan peppercorns. If there is too much licorice flavor, reduce star anise.
- For those who choose to not make five spice powder from scratch after reading the recipe, here is a link to purchase it.
- Storage Instructions. Five spice powder can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 years.