Homemade Sazón Recipe
This homemade sazón recipe uses a unique blend of ground toasted spices and herbs to enhance Latin American dishes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons annatto seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon garlic granules
- 1 tablespoon onion granules
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
- Add the annatto seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds to a medium-sized frying pan.
- Cook the spices over low to medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes while frequently stirring.
- Once they become slightly toasted, you’ll be able to notice that the annatto seeds start to bleed their color into the pan and the coriander and cumin will get light brown around the edges. In addition, they’ll become very aromatic.
- Next, transfer the mixture of toasted spices to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, and grind until finely ground.
- Transfer to a bowl, or add in the garlic granules, onion granules, oregano, turmeric, salt, and pepper, and pulse the spice grinder just to mix it.
- Taste the mixture and see if it needs more salt or pepper.
- Store or try the sazón spice blend in my Colombian chicken stew recipe.
Notes
Make-Ahead: You can make this homemade sazón several weeks before you are ready to use it.
How to Store: Place it in an airtight container and store it in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.
Annatto seeds, also called achiote, are the seeds of the achiote tree. They are often used as natural food coloring and spice in Latin cuisine. They are sweet and peppery with an earthy finish.
When you toast whole spices, they become more flavorful and aromatic to whatever you use them in, like in my garam masala.
You can make the spice blend entirely out of pre-ground spices. Just mix it.
This is harder to make in a mortar and pestle due to the annatto seeds, but it can be done.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 9gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 27953mgPotassium: 854mgFiber: 14gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 323IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 435mgIron: 16mg