Sazon Seasoning
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This Sazon Seasoning recipe is a bold, flavorful blend of spices that adds a delicious Latin flair to chicken, rice, beans, and more! Made in just 5 minutes with pantry staple ingredients like coriander, cumin, garlic powder, and achiote powder, it’s the perfect homemade spice mix to keep on hand for easy, tasty meals any night of the week.
Why you’ll love this seasoning mix
As someone who loves cooking with big, bold flavors, I’m constantly inspired by the spice aisle at the grocery store. A while back, I picked up a packet of Goya sazon seasoning and started using it in the kitchen. While it added a salty, garlic kick to recipes, I knew that I could make something even better at home!
After creating over 30 homemade seasoning blends, I’d say I know a thing or two about making spice mixes that add bold flavors to recipes!
If you’ve never cooked with sazon seasoning, let me tell you a little about it. Sazon seasoning is an all-purpose spice blend that’s common in Latin American, Caribbean, Mexican, and Puerto Rican recipes. The main ingredients are garlic and annatto, but other ingredients like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and oregano are added to give the blend a vibrant color and rich, savory flavor.
This truly is an all-purpose seasoning blend that you can use to boost the flavor in everyday meals, from meat and veggies, to soups and stews. Here’s why I know you’ll love it!
- It’s flavorful. It’s warm and garlicky, with earthy, peppery flavors. The combination of spices will add flavor to anything you use it in. And it doesn’t contain msg, preservatives, or any other ingredients you can’t pronounce!
- It’s versatile. Use it to season grilled chicken, smoked pork, yellow rice, or roasted veggies. It’s delicious on just about everything!
- It’s easy to make. You only need 5 minutes and 8 spices to mix up this homemade sazon seasoning. It will stay good in the pantry for up to 6 months, so you can double the recipe and add flavor to so many meals!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this sazon seasoning recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Garlic powder (or granulated garlic) – the only difference between granulated garlic and garlic powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated garlic. I prefer to use granulated garlic because it’s less likely to clump over time, than garlic powder.
- Ground annatto (achiote powder) – this bright red-orange spice is made from the seeds of the achiote tree. It has a mild, earthy flavor with slightly peppery and nutty notes, and it’s popular for its vibrant color. It pairs well with garlic and cumin, and it’s a key ingredient in sazon seasoning. I ordered this spice on Amazon, but you might also be able to find it in Hispanic markets. If you can’t get your hands on any ground annatto, you can use paprika instead.
- Ground coriander – made from the dried seeds of the coriander plant, this spice has a warm, citrusy and slightly sweet flavor, with subtle hints of nuttiness.
- Salt – I prefer either kosher salt or sea salt, over table salt, because of their coarse texture and superior flavor.
- Black pepper
- Mexican oregano – while there is a difference between Mexican oregano and traditional oregano, you can use them interchangeably in this recipe if you don’t have Mexican oregano on hand. Mexican oregano is a bit stronger in flavor, but their shared peppery flavor, means that you can use either one and end up with similar flavors.
- Ground cumin – adds a rich, earthy, and nutty element to the spice blend.
- Ground turmeric – this vibrant yellow spice adds another layer of earthy flavors to the spice blend.
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Easy as that, in 5 minutes you have a flavorful sazon seasoning, ready to season all your favorite recipes!
Ways to use it
Make Grilled Sazon Chicken Thighs (pictured above). Use this seasoning blend to marinate chicken thighs before tossing them on the grill for an easy, flavorful meal.
Use it to season chicken, beef or pork for tacos.
Add it to soups or stews for more flavor.
Sprinkle it over vegetables before roasting. It’s a great replacement for seasoned salt.
Add it to white rice, brown rice, or quinoa for a boost of flavor. Add it to Arroz Amarillo (Latin yellow rice) for a flavorful side dish.
Use it as a dry rub on steak, chicken, fish, or pork before grilling. Or use it to make a wet marinade with liquids like orange or lime juice, vinegar or broth.
Recipe notes
- This recipe makes 6 tablespoons of seasoning mix. If you’d like to make a double batch of the seasoning, simply click the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update to accommodate the new serving size.
- I recommend using 1 ½ tablespoons of seasoning per pound of meat or veggies that you want to season.
- The sazon seasoning will stay good, stored in an airtight container like an 8 ounce mason jar, in the pantry for up to 6 months. After that the spice blend will not “go bad” but as spices sit longer, they begin to lose their flavor.
- This recipe is gluten free, and contains no added sugar, making it perfect for a whole30 or keto diet.
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Sazon Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground annatto, achiote powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon sea salt, or kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Store in the pantry for up to 6 months in an airtight container.
Notes
- If you can’t find ground annatto, use paprika as a substitute.
Nutrition Facts
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