National Chicken Month 2026: Custom Chicken Seasonings, Marinades & Rubs

September Is National Chicken Month

National Chicken Month is celebrated every September, and it has been since the National Chicken Council established it in 1990. For food manufacturers, September is less a celebration than a deadline — it is when chicken-forward SKUs, LTOs and retail promotions hit shelves.

At Carolina Ingredients, we build the flavor behind those launches. As a custom seasoning manufacturer and functional ingredient blend supplier, we develop chicken seasonings, marinades and rubs to your exact specification, then produce them in the volumes your line actually runs.

This National Chicken Month, here is a look at the chicken seasoning blends and marinades our flavor team develops most, and how each one gets customized for a specific product.

Custom Marinades & Rubs That Will Set Your Recipe Apart:

Mediterranean Chicken Marinade 

A well-balanced mix of garlic, onion, and the richness of olive oil, all harmoniously infused with the aromatic essence of oregano. The garlic and onion provide a savory base, while the olive oil imparts a luxurious richness. The oregano brings an earthy, herbal note that elevates your chicken to a new level of flavor.

Fajita Chicken Marinade

Begin with a classic combination of lime, peppers, and garlic, but the real excitement begins when we elevate it with a selection of diverse peppers and citrus flavors, all tailored to your unique taste.

Rotisserie Chicken Marinade

Of course, we can make a standard rotisserie marinade if that’s what you desire. However, we have plenty of options to add smoke notes, sweet notes, or savory herb notes to enhance your marinade and meet your exact desired flavor.

Sweet Onion Chicken Marinade

Picture the sweetness of onions, gently caramelized to unlock their pure, robust essence—a clean, meaty flavor that tantalizes the senses and ignites the appetite with its mouth watering aroma.

Buffalo and Blue Cheese Chicken Seasoning

The fiery kick of buffalo flavor harmoniously coexists with the creamy richness of blue cheese, creating a bold and complex taste experience. What truly sets this seasoning apart is the subtle hint of tartness that the blue cheese imparts, rounding out the flavor profile with a delightful touch of acidity.

Margarita Lime Chicken Seasoning

This seasoning boasts a fresh margarita flavor, infused with a subtle hint of zesty lime, creating a harmonious and bright taste profile that's perfect for chicken. For those who crave a touch of heat, we've added jalapeno chilis to the mix, providing just the right amount of spice to elevate your meal.

Some of Our Other Offerings:

• Functional Blends for yield enhancement and increased performance

• Sachets: Portioned out Seasoning for Meal Kits / Creations

• Low Sodium Natural Sea Salt Merisal

Ready to Build Your Chicken Seasoning?

Curious about one of the marinades, rubs or blends above? Reach out to our team today to see how we can meet your custom seasoning manufacturing needs — for National Chicken Month and every month after.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is National Chicken Month? National Chicken Month is observed every September, and has been recognized annually since 1990.

What are the best seasonings for chicken? The most common chicken seasoning bases are garlic, onion, paprika, black pepper and salt. From there, direction is set by the profile: oregano and olive oil for Mediterranean, lime and chili for fajita or margarita-lime, smoke and herbs for rotisserie, and cayenne with cultured dairy notes for buffalo.

Can you develop a custom chicken seasoning to match an existing product? Yes. Our flavor team develops custom seasoning blends to match a target profile, hit a cost target, or meet clean-label, non-GMO and sodium-reduction requirements — then scales the blend to production volume.

Do you manufacture in bulk? Yes. Carolina Ingredients is a custom seasoning and spice blend manufacturer producing to commercial volumes, including bulk, private label and portioned sachet formats.