Homemade Bouillon Powder

This homemade bouillon powder recipe is so easy to make, super flavorful and much healthier than the store bought version. It’s naturally vegetarian but tastes just like chicken bouillon powder and can also be used as a chicken broth substitute. It’s so good! You are going to want to add this amazing spice blend to EVERYTHING!

Reasons To Love This Recipe

This is definitely one of my most used seasoning blends. I love this stuff! Here are a few reasons why…

• Easy to make: Only takes a couple minutes to mix together a few ingredients!
• Tastes like chicken bouillon: The flavor is similar to chicken bouillon powder so it makes a great substitute.
• Made from real ingredients: There are lots of junky ingredients in store bought bouillon powder. This is a much healthier version made from real ingredients. Making your own allows you to control the quality!
• Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten free: Although it tastes like chicken bouillon, there is no actual chicken in it! So technically it is a vegetable bouillon powder but the flavor profile really resembles a chicken bouillon powder.
• Versatile: This is one of my favorite spice blends to keep on hand. It adds incredible flavor to so many dishes. See the “Ways To Use It” section for some ideas. Can also be used as a chicken bouillon substitute or chicken broth substitute.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this bouillon powder…

• Nutritional yeast: The nutritional yeast is the magic ingredient that provides the chicken bouillon type flavor and texture.
• Salt: I use either Himalayan pink salt or sea salt.
• Herbs and spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, oregano, basil, thyme and ground turmeric are added for flavor.

Detailed ingredient list and directions located in the recipe card below.

What is nutritional yeast?

Nutritional yeast (nicknamed “nooch”) is a deactivated form of the yeast strain known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This is the same strain as baker’s or brewer’s yeast. However, the key difference is that nutritional yeast is an inactive form and they are not interchangeable!

Don’t let the name turn you off! Nutritional yeast has a unique savory flavor which is sometimes described as a nutty, cheesy, umami flavor. I don’t find it that great straight out of the package but it is magical once mixed with salt and other spices.

How To Make Bouillon Powder

It couldn’t be easier! Simply measure out the ingredients and blend them up into a powder. Or just stir them together if you prefer. Done in a few minutes!

Blend Together: Pop all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse a few times until combined and powdery.

Or Stir It Together: When I’m feeling too lazy to pull out the blender, I just stir everything together or shake it up in a jar. It doesn’t get powdery and the flavor isn’t as concentrated so you need to use more but it is still super delicious. You can see the difference in texture in the image below. It all comes down to personal preference and how you will use it.

Store In Jar: Pour into a jar or airtight container and store in a dry, cool area away from direct light. This helps to keep it fresh longer.

If blended, this recipe produces about 1 cup of bouillon powder. I like to store it in these cool Ball 8-oz wide mouth jars or a normal half-pint wide mouth jar. Chalk labels are my favorite! They are reusable and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit your jars. I use a chalk marker with them so that it doesn’t easily rub off but can still be washed off if I need to relabel.

Make a larger batch! You can easily double or triple this recipe which I highly recommend doing since you are going to want to use this stuff on everything!

Ways To Use It

This is a super versatile seasoning. It can be used in a number of ways to add amazing flavor to your food. Here are a few ways to use this bouillon powder…

• Chicken Broth Substitute: Just mix 1 teaspoon of the blended bouillon powder per 1 cup hot water (or to taste). For the stirred together version, you will need to use 1 tablespoon since the flavor isn’t as concentrated as the blended powder. I still prefer using homemade chicken bone broth in recipes that call for large quantities of broth like soups but this is a great substitute for all those recipes that just call for a small amount.
• Chicken Bouillon Substitute: Use it in any recipe that you would use chicken bouillon in for flavor. For example, use it to season homemade soups and stews or to flavor rice with. I also use it in the dressing for this Chicken Macaroni Salad.
• Use It As A Seasoning Salt: This delicious seasoning also makes a fantastic seasoning salt. Use it to add incredible flavor to your food. Season everything from veggie dishes and potatoes to pasta and stir fry dishes. Also makes a great popcorn seasoning!
• Make A Dip: Stir some into sour cream for a quick dip.

Possible Variations

The great thing about this homemade bouillon powder is that it can be customized to suit your tastes. Here are a few ideas:

• Switch up the herbs: Choose a different combo of dried herbs. You could also use dried rosemary or sage in the mix.
• Adjust spices: For example you could add black pepper or celery seed or adjust the salt to taste.
• Herbamare variation: Have you ever heard of Herbamare? It’s a herbed sea salt and a staple in my spice drawer. Sometimes I make a variation of this bouillon powder using Herbamare instead of the dried herbs and some of the salt. The recipe variation is: 1 cup nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons Herbamare, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon ground turmeric.

FAQ

Did you make this recipe? I would love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram.

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