Seasoning BY:Mireille PUBLISHED: 01/18/2019 UPDATED: 01/11/2024

Mexican Seasoning

Mexican seasoning is the best hand-mixed seasoning that you can use in a lot of your Mexican recipes!

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This Mexican seasoning is also a real-time saver because all you need in your recipes is this seasoning. Want some heat then this spice mix is all you need. So, are you ready to learn how to make the best hand-mixed Mexican spice mix? Let’s get started!

What You Need For This Recipe

To make this homemade Mexican seasoning recipe you need several great spices. So put the following ingredients on your grocery shopping list:

Homemade chili powder
Ancho powder or sweet smokey paprika powder
Cumin
Dried oregano
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dried chipotle chile pepper
Salt
Coriander (optional)

Note that the full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Mexican Seasoning

This recipe contains a lot of spices so it is necessary to measure every single one correctly.
When you compare this recipe to e.g. taco seasoning spice mix you will see that this recipe contains less cumin.
Cumin can be an overpowering spice and as this is an all-around spice mix you want all the ingredients to complement each other instead of overpowering the flavor.
Measure the spices and put them in a big mixing bowl.
Be sure to stir the spices for at least a minute to make sure that all the ingredients are evenly distributed in your Mexican seasoning.
You can test the flavor of your spice blend and adjust it to your taste. Is the seasoning to hot reduce the chipotle powder?
Want more smokey flavor then add more ancho or sweet smokey paprika powder.
When using it in your recipe start with a small amount and add more until you have the right combination.

A Versatile Spice Mix

You may think that Mexican seasoning is the same as taco seasoning but that is not the case. It is all about the composition of the spices.

Further, a couple of key ingredients differ in this recipe. Taco seasoning is usually milder than this recipe which contains a little more heat due to the ancho powder and chipotle chile pepper.

Ancho powder is made from poblano peppers, mild heat with a bit of smokey flavor. The real heat in this recipe comes from the dried chile flakes.

But what if you do not have ancho powder available? What is your best substitute? The best choice is to use sweet smokey paprika powder instead.

Mexican seasoning requires some form of chiles. Whether it is a hot one like chipotle chiles or milder like the ancho chile. Chiles that you can use in your spice mix, are:

Pasilla powder – stands for little black raisin but when turned into a powder has a deep red color. The dried version is called Chilaca chile because it looks old and wrinkled. It can be called pungent and tangy but also mild
Chipotle powder – has a medium to high heat, smokey flavor with some chocolatey undertone. This chipotle powder has more heat than the other chiles
Ancho powder – mildly hot spice made from poblano peppers
Mulato – is like ancho powder made from dried poblanos chiles and Capsicum annum plant
Guajillo powder – mildly hot with a bright red color and also with a smokey taste

See How To Make A Mexican Seasoning Mix

Want to see how easy it is to make your own Mexican Seasoning Mix? Then watch the instructional video in the recipe card below.

How Much Mexican Seasoning Do You Use?

The serving size for this seasoning is 1 to 2 tablespoons in my recipes. But if you are not certain how much heat you can take start with half a tablespoon.

Then increase the serving size by half a tablespoon and taste if the flavor is to your liking.

How To Store Mexican Spice Blend

The best way to store this Mexican spice blend is to put it in a glass spice jar or small plastic food containers.

Store the spice mix in a dry and dark place like a kitchen cabinet or pantry. Do not store this spice blend near a heat source like a stove, a sunny window, or heating.

This affects the shelf life and taste of your spice mix. When you store spice blend in sunlight it will turn hard and change color.

Recipes To Use Mexican Seasoning

You can use this Mexican spice blend in a lot of different recipes. So, take a look at the following recipes:

More Seasoning Spice Blends

We have a lot of delicious spice blends so take a look at some of these seasoning recipes below that you can make from scratch as well:

I hope you love this Mexican spice blend as much as I do. Have fun hand-blending this Mexican seasoning!

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