Mexican Seasoning is an all-purpose spice. You just need a small amount to get the characteristic “right” flavor and aroma for fajitas, tacos, quesadillas and more.
The recipe described here gets its major burst of color and somewhat smoky flavor from Guajillo peppers. The Guajillo (pronounced “Gwa-hee-yo”) pepper is among the larger, somewhat milder varieties of peppers, and lends a lovely rich color and flavor to a range of foods. You decide what you want to put it on – vegetables, rice, beans, salsa, meat, seafood, etc.
On a different note, perhaps you have wondered what it is that makes red chillies red? They contain certain red pigments of the carotenoid family (primarily capsanthin, capsorubin and cryptoxanthin). These substances are unique to the peppers of the Capsicum species. Chemically, they resemble their somewhat more famous cousins, beta-carotene (in carrots) and lycopene (in tomatoes and water melon). These red pigments are powerful antioxidants too, supporting your health and well-being in many ways.
What makes them hot, though, has nothing to do with these brightly colored pigments! It is an entirely different substance, Capsaicin, which is responsible for that. The greater the concentration of capsaicin, the hotter the pepper; and guess what color capsaicin is? It is not colored at all: in pure form, it is actually white! So, if someone tells you that the color of a pepper indicates how hot it is, …. well, you certainly know better!
I add this all-purpose seasoning spice to many foods that are not strictly even “Mexican”. I rub it on skewered vegetables before grilling, add it to this super-easy TVP chili, Navy Bean Chili, soups and salad dressings, patties for burgers, Mexican rice, sprinkle on grilled-cheese sandwiches, etc. It never fails to delight!
Special Diets
This Mexican Seasoning spice mixture is vegetarian, vegan, soy-free, gluten-free and nut-free.
If you love Mexican flavors, like me…. pick up some of those large dried chiles on you next grocery store visit…. Bring them home and make yourself this lovely spice mix…. you’ll find yourself reaching for it pretty often!
Make it, use it… share it… Please leave a review and star rating… much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Mexican Seasoning and Spice
Equipment
- Blender, spice mill or coffee grinder – to grind the Guajillo peppers. A glass jar for the blender is preferred, because the Guajillo peppers can leave stubborn dark stains on plastic jars. (The stains can be mostly removed with bleach.)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Guajillo peppers (Cascabel) coarsely ground, without seeds
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Dried parsley
- 1 tbsp Cumin powder
- 2 tsp Dried Mexican Oregano crushed just before adding
- 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Garlic powder (optional)
Instructions
- The whole Guajillo (Gwa-Hee-yo) peppers need to be crisped a little before they can be ground.
- Break the peppers into smaller pieces – shake the seeds out – discard the seeds. Do not grind the seeds – they will ruin the brilliant color of the Guajillo peppers.
- Roast lightly on very low heat in a frying pan, or by placing in a moderately hot oven, 250F, for about 15-20 min, or in the microwave on 40% power for 2-3 min. When the peppers have cooled a bit, they will be crisp and ready to be ground easily
- Transfer to a blender , spice mill or coffee grinder. Blend the peppers to a coarse powder
- Place all the ingredients except the dried Mexican Oregano in a dry mixing bowl.
- Place a portion of the dried herb in the palm of one hand and use your other palm to gently crush the oregano leaves, by rubbing your hands together in opposite directions, using a circular motion. This releases the flavors from the oregano leaves.
- Add the crushed leaves to the bowl and repeat, crushing all the measured oregano.
- Mix thoroughly with a dry spoon to blend all the ingredients together.
- Storage: Transfer to a dry glass or plastic jar. It can be stored for up to 3 months at room temperature. If you don't use it frequently, or if you plan to makie a larger batch, store in the freezer to preserve the flavors better, for up to 6-7 months.
Sushama,
Is there any substitute for Guajillo peppers that I can get in Pune (India)? Looks so amazing. Would love to try this out.
Hi Meghana
Maybe you can use Byadgi/Bedgi chillies . They don’t have the same flavor, but the color will be fabulous. They are also not as spicy as regular red chillies. I would recommend getting the whole chillies, removing the seeds, then grinding to a coarse powder. Use this powder in the recipe to replace the ground Guajillo. Another option would be to use Kashmiri whole chillies the same way. In both cases, the color will be lovely , and the taste, although a bit different, will still be excellent.
Love the colors Of this spice mix and the flavor of the guajillo peppers.
Me too! it has such a unique flavor and the color that it imparts, especially to curries and sauces, is simply stunning.
This seasoning is great for Pomfret and other delicate fish and great substitute for commercial ones
Glad you like it Shri! Thanks for your thoughtful review.
Love love love this recipe!! I will never buy ready made Mexican spice mix again! Keep these recipes coming!
I haven’t bought it in years and years ! ?
Can I use any other pepper to make the spice spicier?
Replace the paprika with Ground cayenne pepper (red chilli powder ) – you might also find an
‘Extra-Hot’ chilli powder in an Indian grocery store.
Don’t replace the Guajillo -it has a special flavor , even if it is not extra spicy!
Wow, I definitely need to stock up on this one!
Do that! It is so handy for putting on everything!
I’ve used this mix to make chili and it has never been tastier! Can’t wait to try it on some of my other regular recipes! I’ve tried other Mexican seasonings for pasta sauces, would this one go well with similar recipes?
Sure, you can put it in your pasta sauce, except it will taste like a Mexican pasta sauce, rather than Italian! 🙂 But hey, why not?! It is the cumin in the mix that makes it taste Mexican. If you make the same mix without the cumin, it will taste more like an Italian sauce. You could also just add some basil and Rosemary to you sauce and use the Mexican Seasoning the way it is. See… so many options!
YES I need to know how to mix spices like this, because even though I’m “Mexican” my family never really showed me how to cook. There are so many ways to mix ingredients that it can seem daunting. Its also probably why many people eat out so OFTEN!! (They don’t know what to mix.) I love how you are incorporating different cultures <3 and MUCH LOVE on the chemistry aspect! (Always my favorite part!)
Make it! Be sure to buy Guajillo Chile – thay are sometimes also labeled as Cascabel/Cascavel, although I believe these two are not actually the same pepper!
After I made this seasoning I mixed it with ground turkey and made it into a bowl with carrots, sweet potatoes, jalapeño, and topped it with avocado and it was delicious. The meat had a nice spice to it without being too much. I was hesitant about Cumin because it is not my favorite spice but I couldn’t taste or smell it at all!!! 🙂 I will try other recipes on here.
Oh good! I’m so glad you liked this seasoning, Debbie…. it is so versatile! Thanks for sharing how you used it too – Having it as a bowl sounds like fun… did you add some crunchy tortilla chips on top as well?
And Yes… Please do try other recipes I’ve posted and let me know how you like them!
Thanks for your thoughtful and kind review and the 5-stars as well! 🙂
This recipe was so good! I used this seasoning rub for my chicken accompanied with white rice and sautéed vegetables and it tasted phenomenal. I loved how fragrant the chile powder came out to be and I will certainly make this again. It was also very helpful to have measurements beyond a small portion. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this seasoning mix, Miguel. I use it on just about everything under the “Mexican food” umbrella!