Barrier Reef Caribbean Mix (Salt-Free)

Use to season chicken, duck, and pork, or on seafood like orange roughy and halibut, finished with a fresh squeeze of lime right before the first bite. The blend is coarse rather than finely ground, which means the dried lemon and orange peel actually rehydrate as it cooks, softening and releasing more flavor the longer it's on the heat.

For something closer to how it's used in the islands, sprinkle it on fish or chicken with lime, or stir it into a splash of rum for a quick glaze to brush onto shrimp before grilling.

Sugar cane might not be the first thing you think of in a seasoning. These days, most of us look for ways to cut it from our diets, but in the Caribbean, it’s always been part of the flavor story. Cane transformed into brown sugar, molasses, or rum appears alongside nutmeg, ginger, and chiles, with a splash of citrus tying it all together. That mix of sugar cane, spice, heat, and citrus is what I think of as the tropical trio. It captures the flavor and spirit of the islands.

When we were creating Barrier Reef Caribbean Mix, I leaned into that "tropical trio." Sugar cane comes first, adding natural sweetness that balances the chile heat and citrus brightness. Making a seasoning without salt is tricky since salt usually acts as the great balancer, but here I let those other flavors do the work.

Using Barrier Reef at home: Try it sprinkled on fish or chicken with a squeeze of lime, or stir it into a splash of rum for a quick island-inspired glaze to brush on shrimp.

Barrier Reef is named for the reef in Belize, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and it's built around what our founder calls the tropical trio: sugar cane, warm spice and heat, and citrus, the three flavors that define Caribbean cooking. Brown sugar carries the sweetness, chiles and ginger bring the heat, and orange, lemon, and makrut lime leaves tie it together with brightness.

Salt-free seasonings are hard to get right because salt usually does the balancing work. Here, the sugar and citrus do that job instead, keeping the chile heat in check without needing sodium to hold it all together.

Barrier Reef Caribbean Mix FAQ

What is in Caribbean seasoning?

Most Caribbean seasoning includes citrus flavors like lemon, lime, or orange, along with warm spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cloves, or mace, and a touch of heat from dried chile peppers.

What pairs well with citrus chile seasoning?

Fish and chicken are the classics, but it also works well on vegetables that pair naturally with citrus. A squeeze of fresh lime juice brings out even more brightness in most citrus and chile blends.

How spicy is citrus chile seasoning?

It depends on how much chile is used and which peppers go into it. This one sits at medium-low heat, present but not overwhelming, since the brown sugar and citrus help balance it out.

Why doesn't this seasoning have salt?

Salt-free blends need something else to do the balancing salt usually provides. Here, that's brown sugar and citrus, working against the chile heat to keep the whole blend balanced without needing sodium at all.