America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Five-Spice Powder

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on January 6, 2020

Time

10 minutes

Yield

Makes about ¼ cup

Five-Spice Powder

Ingredients

5 teaspoons fennel seeds 4 teaspoons white peppercorns or 8 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns1 tablespoon whole cloves 8 star anise pods 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

Before You Begin

Cloves and star anise can melt or dissolve plastic, so store this blend in a glass container.

Instructions

  1. Process fennel seeds, peppercorns, and cloves in spice grinder until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to small bowl. Process star anise and cinnamon stick in now-empty grinder until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl with fennel mixture and stir to combine.
  2. how to use

  3. Rub on chicken breasts before searing; shake into whiskey sour; sauté with kale; use in mulled cider
Five-Spice Powder
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Ashley Moore.

Five-Spice Powder

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

10 minutes

Yield

Makes about ¼ cup

Ingredients

5 teaspoons fennel seeds
4 teaspoons white peppercorns or 8 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole cloves
8 star anise pods
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

Ingredients

5 teaspoons fennel seeds
4 teaspoons white peppercorns or 8 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole cloves
8 star anise pods
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

Ingredients

5 teaspoons fennel seeds
4 teaspoons white peppercorns or 8 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon whole cloves
8 star anise pods
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

Why This Recipe Works

In traditional Chinese cooking, the five elements of the cosmos—earth, fire, metal, water, and wood—are represented by five-spice powder. Five-spice powder has a kick that offsets richness in both sweet and savory recipes. To make our version, we ground woodsy fennel seeds and earthy star anise with sweet cinnamon and cloves. Peppercorns (either white or Sichuan) gave the mix an understated spicy finish.

Before You Begin

Cloves and star anise can melt or dissolve plastic, so store this blend in a glass container.

Instructions

  1. Process fennel seeds, peppercorns, and cloves in spice grinder until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to small bowl. Process star anise and cinnamon stick in now-empty grinder until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl with fennel mixture and stir to combine.
  2. how to use

  3. Rub on chicken breasts before searing; shake into whiskey sour; sauté with kale; use in mulled cider

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

Keep Exploring

This is a members' feature.