14 Spices Emeril Lagasse Swears By And How To Use Them

To know Emeril Lagasse is to know "Bam!" The charismatic chef is famous for his signature catchphrase which punctuates his enthusiastic seasoning of dishes. And the man clearly knows his seasonings: He's won impressive accolades in his 30-year-long career, from winning GQ magazine's "Chef of the Year" in 1998 to being named "Humanitarian of the Year" by the James Beard Foundation in 2013 for his efforts to further the culinary arts in America.

Most people probably know Lagasse from his numerous TV appearances, where viewers have tuned in over the years to watch him whip up culinary delights on their screens. He'd liberally sprinkle spices into his cooking to make deeper, more exciting flavors. But what are those flavor profiles the chef swears by that have made him such a success in the food business? From the tastes of Creole cooking to Chinese spices and even some sweet notes, too, here's what Emeril swears by in his kitchen — and how you can use it all to create a bit of "Bam!" in your own kitchen.

Cayenne pepper has to be one of Emeril Lagasse's most used spices. It pops up all over New Orleans, where Creole flavors dominate and where Emeril opened his debut restaurant (the simply named Emeril's Restaurant) in 1990. Of course, the spice has been used in gumbos and jambalayas all over the deep South, but how should you use it?

Make like Lagasse and get inventive! His praline cayenne bacon is the salty-sweet-spicy addition your brunch table is crying out for. So take inspiration from the chef and mix up your salty and sweet, too. A dash of cayenne pepper is the unusual ingredient you should add to chocolate chip cookies for a touch of sophistication in a classic treat. The added bonus? The spice might mean that the kids don't make them vanish before you get a chance to do the washing up. Adults-only cookies is something we can get behind. If you want to keep it savory, then this spicy baked salmon is a great, healthy recipe to try. A touch of honey in the glaze and a squeeze of lime are delicious sweet and sour ingredients to pair with your spicy cayenne pepper.

Paprika features in Emeril Lagasse's signature Creole seasoning, Emeril's Essence, which is key in many of his Southern recipes. Amongst others, he uses it in his smokey blackened red fish recipe, which sounds like a deliciously cheffy meal — but let's take a reality check. Not everyone has the time (or skills) to fry up six filets of red fish, then serve them with a cabbage slaw and a lemon butter sauce.

However, those things shouldn't stop you from cracking open your jar of paprika. Instead, keep it simple. Adding paprika to your fried eggs is a great way of adding a depth of flavor to your usual weekday breakfast, and it takes no more skill than simply sprinkling some spice into the oil before adding the egg. 

If you're looking for flavors outside the Southern states, then paprika can take you all the way to Europe. This Hungarian chicken paprikash is a real celebration of the spice (it calls for 3 tablespoons of the stuff), and even though it does pack a bit of a punch, the addition of some cooling sour cream will make for a balanced chicken dish you'll return to again and again.

Black pepper often gets overlooked in the spice department. It's the yin to salt's yang, but that doesn't mean it can't shine in its own right. Of course Emeril Lagasse knows that. He uses it to add some subtle warmth to his fried shrimp po-boy, and a healthy dash of pepper in his porcini mushroom fettucini is a clever way of cutting through a rich and creamy sauce.

If you love the taste of black pepper, we'd recommend finding a recipe that makes the most out of those earthy, punchy flavors. A garlic and black pepper tri-tip roast is simple, but bold. It's a perfect dish to make ahead, too. Marinate your steak the day before and spend more time wowing your guests with your effortless hosting.

And if you really love the taste of black pepper, why limit yourself to savory dishes? Follow up your steak main with a cake with, yep, you guessed it, a black pepper frosting. If you don't trust us about adding black pepper to cake frosting, then trust the New York Times, which has featured black pepper-spiked frosting. Try it, we dare you.

Though oregano has its (literal) roots in the Mediterranean, it's been used in cuisines all over the world. Emeril Lagasse uses it in both versions of his Creole seasoning: the original Emeril's Essence, and the slightly less spicy (but slightly more iconically named) Baby Bam. Both are used throughout many an Emeril recipe, making oregano a Legasse-approved spice.

When lunchtime rolls around, there's only one way to use your oregano: in a sandwich. Though Southern states are known for po-boys, you shouldn't forget about New Orlean's favorite sandwich: the muffuletta. To make the best muffuletta sandwich, you're going to need oregano. It gets mixed into a finely chopped olive salad that acts as a spreadable flavor bomb which you can then layer up with all the cold cuts and cheeses your lunchtime deserves.

Don't put your oregano away yet! Because when 5:00 p.m. hits, you might be after something a little more liquid, and there's another fantastic way to use this little spice. It's one of the best herbs to add to your cocktails. Infuse vermouth with it, or add a fragrant flare to your dirty martini. Oregano is the ingredient you didn't know your afterwork tipple needed.

Another big player in Emeril Lagasse's Creole seasoning is thyme. Like oregano, this is a Mediterranean-native herb, but what to do with it if you're not whizzing up your own Creole seasoning? 

This Mediterranean spice is a great way of adding a layer of freshness to a dish. Using it in something like this garlic and herb roasted turkey breast is a clever way of dressing up classically fall-winter fare into a spring-summer dish. Garlic, herbs, and a bit of butter is all you really need to make this easy meal, and it's the perfect way of making turkey appropriate for the hotter months. Serve it up with a summer vegetable pasta salad and you'll never restrict your turkey consumption to November again. While you're feeling summery, make like you did with oregano and chuck it in something cooling to wash down the turkey with. A thyme-infused wine punch will pair wonderfully with your herby turkey.

If you've not discovered the joys of garlic powder yet, this is your sign to head to the store and pick up a jar. This spice is a game changer in many recipes, and Emeril Lagasse relies on it a lot. It's another one that makes up his Creole seasoning, a key ingredient that appears in his take on the meatloaf. Lagasse's simple turkey meatloaf is packed with flavor from vegetables, ketchup, hot sauce, and, of course, that garlic powder-infused Creole seasoning. But maybe you don't have the 75 minutes it would take to make this one. Maybe you've rushed in through the door after a long day's work and all you want is something quick and comforting. That's where these scrambled eggs with an unexpected spice step in. All they call for is eggs, butter, milk, and a dash of garlic powder — and suddenly having eggs for dinner becomes a real treat. It's a simple way of adding heaps of flavor to your lazy weekday dinner.

If your love for garlic is as pungent as the spice itself, then we'd recommend whipping up a batch of these five-ingredient garlic cheddar biscuits. Garlic and cheese are an umami match made in heaven, especially when they are made into freshly baked, warm, biscuits. They're deceptively simple and, because they use garlic powder over the fresh stuff, they require no fiddly chopping.

Our issue with onions? The inevitable tears that'll come with the prep process. So a spice that emulates the delicious taste of onions without having to wear goggles is a serious win in our book. And, as it turns out, for Emeril Lagasse, too. He uses this hack of a spice (in the form of his Baby Bam seasoning) in his Shake It Up a Notch chicken. You know what's good with breaded chicken? Carbs. So if you're making the Shake It Up chicken, keep the jar of onion powder out and make some sides to go with the protein.

It turns out onion powder is the secret ingredient you should be adding to your bread. A side of homemade, onion-spiked bread with a healthy schmear of butter on your plate next to Emeril's chicken is tempting enough to make the chef himself jealous. Or keep your side classic and make your own Wingstop-style fries, which calls for a load of seasonings to get experimental with. Just don't skip the onion powder.

Emeril Lagasse describes his Worcestershire sauce as "a great go-to item to keep in the fridge," plus a staple at his restaurants. If it's a staple in a Lagasse restaurant, then we want in. Amongst the 14 other elements that go into this sauce, a key spice in his Worcestershire sauce recipe is horseradish. But, beyond using it in your own Worcestershire sauce, what should you be doing with this punchy spice?

We can't talk about horseradish without talking about Bloody Marys. A classic Bloody Mary is the perfect way to scare away a lingering hangover. It'll blast the sinuses with its nose-clearing levels of horseradish and any morning-after-the-night-before headaches will soon be a thing of the past. If you'd rather eat your horseradish than drink it, then a creamy horseradish sauce is the way to go. It's a pungent addition to top a healthy bit of steak or slather into a charcuterie-filled sandwich.

While we are on the theme of pungent flavors, let's get into mustard. Emeril Lagasse is constantly using it in his recipes. It pops up in his crawfish bread, makes an appearance in his spaghetti and meatballs, and is a core component of his classic New Orleans remoulade sauce. Yep, it seems that chef Emeril will sneak mustard into as many recipes as he can.

It's for good reason, too. We should all be eating more mustard, because it turns out that there's more to this yellow spice than meets the eye. It's incredibly good for you! It's packed with nutrients that could help with cancer prevention and can reduce the symptoms of ailments like asthma and migraines. Add some zing to your meals with these mustard recipes. From deviled eggs to honey mustard popcorn chicken, everything deserves a dash of the stuff. Tastes good, does good. Pass the mustard.

With such strong roots in Creole cuisine, it's no wonder that chili powder is a spice that Emeril Lagasse swears by. He dulls down the heat in his spinach enchiladas with chunks of creamy queso fresco and cooling heavy cream. If the thought of enchiladas has got you craving some Mexican food but you're after a bit more meat, then this savory no-bean chili recipe is what you should be making. It's warming from the chili powder and other seasonings and full of protein from beef. Dollop some sour cream on the side if you are worried about the levels of spice.

And if you want something fresh to serve with your bowl of chili, then here's your answer: Keep it light and fresh with a canned fruit salsa. All you need is some canned fruit, salt, sugar, and chili powder to make a tangy, sweet-spicy condiment to eat your hearty chili with.

Though Emeril Lagasse is best known for his American cooking, that doesn't stop him from branching out to other cuisines. His Asian spice blend is something that he uses in lots of different recipes, like his favorite Chinese chicken with green beans, and his braised spareribs would be a welcome addition to any Chinease fakeaway night. What do all of those recipes have in common? Five spice.

The five spices that make up the blend are star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. It's a heady mix of fragrant, tingly spices that have the ability to elevate your cooking if you know how to use them right. A great starter recipe for using the spice is this five-spice pork stir fry. The mix of fresh vegetables, noodles, and pork infused with generous amounts of tingly five spice will have even the most takeaway loyalists shunning the takeout menu.

The spices Emeril Lagasse swears by defy borders, but they go beyond savory realms, too. When it comes to sweet recipes, cinnamon has got to be one of the most used spices. A little goes a long way with this one, demonstrated in Legasse's bananas foster which uses ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Things are taken up a notch in his New Orleans bread pudding which calls for ½ teaspoon in the pudding itself, and ½ teaspoon extra in the spiked cream.

Of course, one of the best ways of using cinnamon is to make some homemade, easy cinnamon rolls. This recipe will yield 10 rolls, and the cinnamon-infused butter which is rolled between each bun will mean that those 10 don't stick around too long. But don't reserve your cinnamon purely for the sweet treats: Give burgers a boost with a hint of cinnamon next time you are making your own patties. The naturally warming, smoky flavors of the spice will seriously upgrade your meat more than a simple sprinkling of salt and pepper.

With cinnamon comes its buddy, nutmeg. Nutmeg appears adjacent to cinnamon in that bananas foster recipe, as well as Emeril Lagasse's bread pudding. So don't overlook this one the next time you're rummaging through your spice drawer. It's great in an old fashioned cake donut – its naturally nutty profile gives a little hint of savory to cut through the sweetness from the sugar in the recipe, meaning you're left with a moreish mouthful.

In the same way, those slightly savory notes are great to break up rich dishes. It's why you should be adding a dash of nutmeg to your mac and cheese. Add it to the bechamel sauce, sprinkle it into the grated cheese, or shave a pinch of some fresh nutmeg directly on top when your mac and cheese has left the oven. Again, a little goes a long way, but use the right amount and it'll make your meal a cheesy delight.

Vanilla has a bit of a bad reputation for being, well, a bit vanilla. Plain, boring, old vanilla, right? Think again. This spice is good in lots of things, you've just got to get creative with it, which is exactly what Emeril Lagasse does when he uses it in these buttermilk pralines. The recipe results in a chewy, crunchy, and delicious way to enjoy the spice.

Of course, vanilla lends itself to sweet recipes, and you don't need us to be telling you that you should be adding adding vanilla bean paste to your cookies when you're next baking a batch. But what else can this spice do? Well, it turns out that vanilla is an unexpected ingredient you should add to your tomato sauce as a great way of adding an extra layer of flavor. It will bring out the natural sweetness in the tomatoes and reduce their acidity, too. Sweet or savory, don't overlook vanilla.