Southwest Seasoning
This post may contain affiliate links.
Spice up your meals with this simple homemade Southwest Seasoning recipe! It’s perfect for adding smoky and spicy flavors to tons of dishes. Mix up this homemade spice blend in just 5 minutes and store it in the pantry for up to 6 months to elevate the flavor of any dish!
If you’re wondering what is southwest seasoning? It’s a combination of smoky, earthy and spicy flavors. And it will give you a taste of New Mexico and Arizona when you add it to a recipe.
I’m excited to share this amazing spice blend because it adds so much flavor to every dish you add it to! Whether it’s salad dressings, soups, dips, marinades or as a seasoning for grilled meats, you’re going to fall in love with this Southwest spice blend.
It’s easy to mix up with 10 dried herbs and spices, most of which you probably already have in your pantry. This spice mix will stay good for up to 6 months, so you can store it in the pantry, and continue to use it week after week to make flavorful meals!
This southwest seasoning mix is so much better than anything store-bought. It contains no sugar, preservatives, or other ingredients you can’t pronounce, and it’s easy to make in just 5 minutes at home!
Ingredients
- Chipotle powder – this is the key ingredient in this southwest seasoning. The smoky, spicy flavor gives you that southwest feel. While you could use traditional chili powder in it’s place, I highly recommend using chipotle pepper powder to give the seasoning mix that true southwest flavor. You can find chipotle pepper on the spice aisle of major grocery stores.
- Smoked paprika – this adds more of that southwest smoky flavor to the seasoning mix.
- 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.
- Onion powder (or granulated onion) – the only difference between granulated onion and onion powder is that the powder has been ground finer, than the granulated onion. I prefer to use granulated onion because it’s less likely to clump over time, than onion powder.
- Sea salt (or kosher salt) – both sea salt and kosher salt can be used interchangeably when cooking. I prefer either kosher or sea salt, over table salt, in this seasoning mix because of their coarse texture and superior flavor.
- Ground cumin – cumin pairs perfectly with the chipotle powder and cayenne pepper in this seasoning mix. It boosts the natural spicy flavor of these dried chili powders. And it adds a rich, earthy, and nutty element to the spice blend.
- Cayenne pepper – this adds most of the spice to the seasoning mix. Feel free to add more or less, depending on your spice preference.
- Dried oregano – this earthy, aromatic herb adds a delicious peppery bite to this spice blend.
- Dried parsley – even in it’s dried form, parsley adds a bright, fresh flavor to this seasoning mix that pairs well with the other spices.
- Mustard powder – you may also see mustard powder labeled as dry mustard or ground mustard at the grocery store. They’re all the same and can be used interchangeably. This ingredient is used to balance out the smoky, spicy flavors in this 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 or less, you have a flavorful southwest seasoning, ready to spice up all your favorite recipes!
Recipe tips
- This recipe makes 10 tablespoons of southwest seasoning. If you’d like to make a double batch of the seasoning, simply click on 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 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of meat that you’d like to season. Use this measurement when seasoning meat, like chicken, shrimp, or pork chops, before grilling.
- The southwest seasoning will stay good, stored in an airtight container 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.
- I recommend storing the seasoning mix in an 8 ounce mason jar with a lid. If doubling the recipe, use a pint size or 16 ounce mason jar. I recommend labeling the southwest seasoning with a date and using the seasoning mix within 6 months of storage.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free and sugar free, making it whole30 compliant.
- To make this seasoning blend less spicy, remove or reduce the amount of cayenne pepper added to the spice mix. You can also replace the chipotle pepper powder with ancho chili powder, which will still give you a nice smoky flavor, with less spice.
Ways to use it
The possibilities really are endless when it comes to this southwest seasoning recipe. Use it to season chicken breasts or wings, pork chops, or shrimp for grilling. Use it to season salad dressing, soups, chili or dips. You can also use it to make marinades, season burger patties or make southwest-style fajitas.
See what I mean, there really are so many ways to use this southwest seasoning! Try it with any of the recipes listed below, or in your favorite dishes.
- Black Bean Soup (pictured above) – add a ton of flavor to this black bean soup recipe by using this southwest seasoning blend. The soup turns out smoky, spicy and full of flavor!
- Southwest salad dressing – combine sour cream, lime juice, cilantro and southwest seasoning to make an incredibly flavorful, creamy salad dressing. This dressing is perfect for making a southwest salad. Top it with diced red onions, bell peppers, black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado and tortilla strips.
- Grilled chicken wings (breasts or thighs) – lightly coat one pound of chicken wings, breasts, or thighs with olive oil. Toss with 1 tablespoon spice mix. Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken on all sides until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for wings or breasts and 170°F for chicken thighs.
- Instant Pot chicken -the easiest way to make shredded chicken for salads, tacos, dips and wraps, is to make it in the Instant Pot, or an electric pressure cooker. Replace the traditional chicken seasoning in this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe with this southwest spice mix. It will add tons of flavor, spice and smokiness to basic shredded chicken breasts. Use the seasoned, shredded southwest chicken in this Buffalo Chicken Wrap or this BBQ Chicken Salad recipe.
- Grilled or roasted veggies – toss 1 pound of sliced or diced vegetables, like zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli or cauliflower, with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Coat with 1 tablespoon southwest seasoning. Place on a veggie grill tray, or large piece of grill-safe foil. Grill for 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through the cook time. If roasting the veggies, place them in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Fajitas – use the southwest seasoning, in place of fajita seasoning in these recipes for chicken fajitas or veggie fajitas.
- Refried beans – heat up a can of refried beans on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of southwest seasoning to make a delicious side dish for a Mexican meal.
- Chili – replace the chili seasoning, in your favorite chili recipe, with Southwest seasoning for a smoky, spicy flavor addition.
- Burgers – add 1 tablespoon southwest seasoning to a pound of ground beef to make flavorful burger patties.
- Southwest Dip – grab this easy dip recipe made in 5 minutes, with 7 ingredients!
- Southwestern Egg Rolls – replace the taco seasoning in this recipe with the southwest spice mix.
- Southwest Chicken Soup – this flavorful soup is easy to make on the stovetop or in a Crock Pot with this delicious seasoning mix!
More homemade seasonings
Stock your pantry with all of my homemade seasoning recipes to add flavor to every meal!
Southwest Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground chipotle pepper, or chili powder
- 1 tablespoon sea salt, or kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months.
Notes
- This recipe makes 10 tablespoons of southwest seasoning. If you’d like to make a double batch of the seasoning, simply click on the 2X button above. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update to accommodate the new serving size.
- I recommend using 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of meat that you’d like to season. Use this measurement when seasoning meat, like chicken, shrimp, or pork chops, before grilling.
- The southwest seasoning will stay good, stored in an airtight container 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.
- I recommend storing the seasoning mix in an 8 ounce mason jar with a lid. If doubling the recipe, use a pint size or 16 ounce mason jar. I recommend labeling the southwest seasoning with a date and using the seasoning mix within 6 months of storage.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free and sugar free, making it whole30 compliant.
- To make this seasoning blend less spicy, remove or reduce the amount of cayenne pepper added to the spice mix. You can also replace the chipotle pepper powder with ancho chili powder, which will still give you a nice smoky flavor, with less spice.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
