There are nights when only takeaway-style food will do.
Burgers. Kebabs. Loaded fries. Wings. Tacos. Dips.
The good news is you can recreate a lot of those flavours at home – and you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen doing it.
A few world-inspired seasonings can turn fairly ordinary ingredients into a full fakeaway-style spread.
Chicken is probably one of the easiest places to begin.
Cut chicken into strips or chunks, add a little oil and season generously before cooking in the oven, air fryer or pan.
Depending on the seasoning you choose, that chicken could become kebab meat, Cajun chicken, taco filling, spicy wings or the topping for loaded fries.
It’s exactly why we like seasonings that aren’t tied to one cooking method or one recipe.
Chicken or lamb seasoned with Turkish Kebab or Greek Gyros-style flavours is a great starting point.
Cook the meat, warm some flatbreads and add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and your favourite extras.
Then make a simple sauce by stirring seasoning into Greek yoghurt with a squeeze of lemon.
Add fries on the side and you’ve got a brilliant homemade kebab night.
Loaded fries are one of the easiest fakeaway meals because there really aren’t many rules.
Start with crispy seasoned fries and add cooked chicken, pulled meat or vegetables.
Top with cheese, jalapeños, spring onions or whatever you’ve got in the fridge.
Finish with a drizzle of seasoned mayo or sour cream.
You can even put several sauces on the table and let everyone build their own.
For a wing night, season chicken wings before cooking until crisp.
Buffalo Dust is made for this kind of food and works brilliantly alongside a creamy dip.
Mix some seasoning through mayonnaise or sour cream and you’ve got a dip in seconds.
Add fries, corn and slaw and dinner is sorted.
Tacos are another great way to use world-inspired seasonings.
Season chicken, beef, pork or vegetables before frying, then pile everything into warm tortillas.
Add shredded lettuce, salsa, cheese, avocado and sour cream.
It’s also ideal for feeding several people because everyone can build their own.
You don’t need much to make a burger feel like a proper treat.
Season minced beef before forming patties, or season smash burgers while they’re cooking.
Toast the buns and add cheese, gherkins, onions and a homemade seasoned mayo.
Serve with fries and you’ve got a restaurant-style burger night without leaving the house.
Fakeaway food is often all about the extras.
Seasoned wedges, onion rings, corn, slaw, fries and dips can turn one main dish into a full spread.
And because you control the flavours, you can mix and match.
One bowl of fries might get Cajun seasoning while another gets Buffalo Dust. Make two different mayo dips and suddenly a very simple meal feels like something much bigger.
That’s the whole point.
Good food doesn’t always need a huge ingredient list.
A handful of fresh ingredients, a good seasoning and the right cooking method can get you surprisingly close to those takeaway flavours at home.
So next time you’re tempted to open the takeaway app, have a look in the cupboard first.
Your next fakeaway might already be sitting in a seasoning shaker.
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