What Is SPG Seasoning? A Beginner's Guide to Salt, Pepper & Garlic Blends

SPG seasoning is one of those things that seems too simple to matter — salt, pepper and garlic, three things already sitting in your kitchen. And yet it's the blend that professional cooks reach for before almost anything else, because those three ingredients do most of the work of making food taste like food.

Here's what SPG actually is, why the combination works, how to use it properly, and how to tell it apart from the seasoned salts and all-purpose blends that crowd the same shelf.

What does SPG stand for?

SPG is simply Salt, Pepper, Garlic. It isn't a brand or a proprietary formula — it's a formula in the same way that "vinaigrette" is a formula: a ratio that cooks agree on because it works.

That's worth knowing, because it means SPG is a base rather than a finished idea. It seasons a dish without deciding what the dish is going to taste like. You can add smoke, citrus, chilli or herbs on top of it and nothing fights. That neutrality is exactly why it shows up as the first layer in dry rubs, on roasted vegetables, and under almost any piece of protein.

Why salt, pepper and garlic work together

Each of the three does a different job, and together they cover the base notes that most savoury cooking needs.

• Salt doesn't just taste salty — it makes other flavours read more clearly. Under-salt a dish and everything in it gets quieter, including the ingredients you were trying to show off.
• Black pepper brings heat and aroma. Most of the aromatic punch is in the volatile oils, which fade with long cooking, which is why a second pinch at the end is often worth it.
• Garlic adds the savoury, rounded depth that makes a dish feel finished rather than flat.

Stack those three and you have the foundation. Everything else — paprika, cumin, herbs, citrus zest — is decoration on top of a base that has to be right first.

The ratio: what "equal parts" really means

Most SPG recipes start from equal parts by volume. It's a reliable, forgiving starting point. From there, real cooks adjust:

• Salt-heavier (around 2:2:1) suits dry brining and roasting, where you want the salt to carry into the meat.
• Garlic-heavier suits vegetables, potatoes, and anything where you want the savoury note to lead.
• Pepper-heavier is for people who want the bite — good on steak, less good on delicate fish.

Two practical notes that trip people up:

1. Weigh rather than scoop where you can. Peppercorns and garlic granules don't pack the same way, so "one spoon of each" can drift a long way from equal parts.
2. Garlic powder and garlic salt are not interchangeable. Garlic salt is garlic plus salt, so swapping one for the other quietly doubles your salt. If you're building SPG from garlic salt, cut the added salt right back.

Because salt is the biggest single component of any SPG blend, the salt itself is the ingredient worth being fussy about. In ours it's Spanish sea salt — a clean, mineral salt rather than a generic industrial one — which is why our seasoning tastes of the dish rather than of salt alone.

How to use SPG seasoning

Meat and poultry

Season 30 to 60 minutes ahead where you have time — the salt has a chance to move into the meat instead of sitting on the surface. For chicken, work it under the skin as well as on it. For steak, a heavier hand and a final pinch after resting.

Fish and seafood

Go lighter. Fish takes salt quickly and the garlic can overpower a delicate fillet. Season just before cooking, and finish with a squeeze of lemon rather than more blend.

Vegetables

This is where SPG earns its place in daily cooking. Toss chopped vegetables with a little oil and a generous pinch before roasting — the garlic browns and sweetens, and the pepper holds up against the caramelisation.

Rice, pasta, potatoes and grains

Add to cooking water and to the finished dish. A pinch in the water seasons from the inside out; a pinch at the end fixes whatever got lost.

Eggs, soups and stews

Treat SPG as the first seasoning in the pan rather than the last. Build the base with it, then taste at the end and correct with salt alone if needed.

SPG vs seasoned salt vs all-purpose seasoning

These three get used interchangeably, and they shouldn't be:

The rule of thumb: if you're adding other seasonings anyway, start with SPG. If you want one scoop and nothing else, use the broader blend.

Variations worth knowing

Once the ratio is settled, small additions take SPG in different directions:

• Lemon. Citrus zest lifts the blend and makes it a natural fit for fish, seafood, chicken and roasted vegetables, where the acidity keeps the garlic from feeling heavy.
• Paprika. Adds colour and warmth, and a smoky edge when it's smoked paprika. Spanish paprika is a particularly good match — it has real depth rather than just redness, which is why our SPG Spanish Paprika is built on Spanish smoked paprika.
• Chilli and brown sugar. Turns the blend into a rub for wings and ribs, where sweet, heat and savoury need to be balanced in one pass.

This is essentially how our own blends are put together: a base of Spanish sea salt, pepper and garlic, then one clear idea on top. SPG Classic keeps the three ingredients clean, SPG Lemon adds citrus, and SPG Spanish Paprika leans on Spanish smoked paprika for warmth and colour.

Spanish paprika isn't limited to the blend that carries its name, either. It's also in our Seasoned Salt, where it rounds out the base, and in Hot Wings Rub No 7, where it works alongside the heat. The other blends — SPG Classic, SPG Lemon and Gravlax Blend — contain no paprika at all, and that's deliberate: they're built to stay neutral, so you decide what goes on top.

Common mistakes

• Layering salt without counting it. Soy sauce, stock, cheese and cured meat all bring salt. If a dish tastes too salty, it's usually the total, not the SPG.
• Using garlic salt in place of granulated garlic. Covered above, and it's the single most common one.
• Seasoning a wet surface. Pat protein dry first, or the blend slides off and burns instead of seasoning.
• Only seasoning at the start. Long cooking flattens pepper and garlic aromatics. A pinch at the end brings the blend back.
• Skipping the taste. A ratio that works for a roast chicken isn't automatically right for a delicate fish.

Frequently asked questions

Is SPG the same as seasoned salt? No. Seasoned salt is built on salt with spices added, and it's usually salt-dominant. SPG is three ingredients in balance, so it's more neutral and more flexible.

Can I make SPG at home? Yes — equal parts salt, cracked black pepper and granulated garlic is the standard starting point. Adjust from there and write down what you did.

Should I use SPG before or during cooking? Both. Before for seasoning that penetrates, and a small pinch at the end to restore the aromatics that cooking drives off.

Is SPG only for grilling? Not at all. It's an everyday seasoning for vegetables, rice, pasta, eggs and fish. The barbecue association comes from its role as the base layer in dry rubs, not from any limit on where it works.

How long does it keep? Whole spices and granules hold their aroma far longer than pre-ground pepper, which fades within months. Store any blend sealed, away from heat and light, and replace it when the pepper stops smelling like pepper. Always check the pack label for the exact ingredient list and allergen information.

The bottom line

SPG is the least glamorous blend in the cupboard and the one you'll use most. Get the ratio right, season earlier than you think you should, and taste before you serve — that's most of what separates a good home-cooked meal from a flat one.

At ByArtos every blend is built on Spanish sea salt, and the blends that call for paprika use Spanish paprika — including the smoked Spanish paprika in SPG Spanish Paprika. Browse the range at byartos.com — made in Spain, developed by a Master Chef, and built to season everything on the table.