By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 2
30 cal · 15 min
Chinese Five Spice Powder
Recipe GLPR4240771bfa7c5d
A fragrant, warm spice blend featuring star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cumin, and white pepper. Toast whole spices to release their essential oils, then grind into a fine powder. This versatile blend adds depth and complexity to marinades, rubs, and braised dishes.
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Ingredients
3 whole star anise pods
20 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, crumbled
1 tablespoon Sichuan pepper husks (remove black seeds)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns
Directions
Combine the star anise, cloves, crumbled cinnamon stick, Sichuan pepper husks, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring frequently for 3 to 5 minutes, until the spices become fragrant and darken slightly. Be careful not to scorch them, as burnt spices will taste bitter. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder, coffee grinder, blender, or food processor. Pulse or blend until the mixture is ground into a fine powder, scraping down the sides as needed.
Pour the ground powder through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to break up any clumps. Discard any large pieces that remain in the sieve. Transfer the sieved powder to a clean, airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
Comments
This spice blend requires a specialty stop: star anise, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds are not reliably stocked at Charlotte's mainstream chains (Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, Kroger), meaning a trip to an Asian market like H-Mart or May Supermarket. The stated 15 minutes assumes you already own a spice grinder or food processor, which most home cooks do not have as standard equipment, and toasting and grinding whole spices realistically adds 20–25 minutes total. The cost per serving is modest once you buy the spices—perhaps $1–2 per batch—but the initial outlay for specialty ingredients means this suits experienced home cooks restocking a pantry rather than a weeknight improvisation. It keeps indefinitely in an airtight jar, making it a one-time investment for months of use in stir-fries, braises, and rubs.
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