5 Minute DIY Sazon Seasoning
Learn how to make this 5 minute DIY Sazon Seasoning with a mix of achiote, garlic, coriander, cumin, and oregano. It’s perfect for using with red meat, rice, beans and many of my favorite Puerto Rican recipes.
If you’ve had any traditional Puerto Rican recipes, you’ve probably tried sazon. It’s the most popular spice blend on the island, and for good reason.
The blend of achiote powder with garlic, oregano, cumin, and coriander works well in a variety of savory recipes and cuisines.
While it’s pretty easy to find at the grocery store, making it yourself results in a much better blend and takes only 5 minutes to do. Plus, when you make it at home with only 5 ingredients, you get to skip the list of weird ingredients we can barely pronounce, much less understand.
While this seasoning has origins in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, you’ll find it used in recipes across Latin America.
We use it weekly in my kitchen whether it’s as a simple dry rub on chicken skewers, as a seasoning for arroz con gandules, or in the picadillo for my empanadillas.
This spice is a pantry staple in many households because of the warm color and smoky savory flavor it provides.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make your own sazon:
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Some homemade recipes will call for turmeric to enhance that bright red color, but I find that using fresh achiote powder (or ground annatto seeds) does a great job at this.
Instructions
Tip: If you can’t find annatto seeds or achiote powder at your grocery store or online, the best substitute is ½ tbsp of ground turmeric.
Variations
I recommend sticking to the ingredient list when possible. That said, achiote powder can be hard to find, depending on where you live.
Here are some easy variations:
- Turmeric: Turmeric is a decent substitute for ground achiote powder if you can’t find it.
- Add salt: Feel free to add a teaspoon or two of salt to your blend if you want. I leave it out so that I can control and adjust how much I use while cooking.
- Turn up the heat: Add a half teaspoon of cayenne or a full teaspoon of black pepper to add some spice to the mix.
Traditional Ways to Use Sazon Seasoning
Here are some of my favorite Puerto Rican recipes that use sazon:
Other Ideas
Here are my favorite unconventional ways to use this spice blend:
- In rice dishes: Sprinkle this into the broth while your rice cooks and enjoy the depth of flavor and color it adds.
- On meat: I’ve used this as a marinade for chicken, pork, steak, and even grilled vegetables with great success. It’s a wonderfully savory blend that pairs really well with meat and veggies.
- In just about anything savory: I’m serious, once you get started, you’ll find yourself using this stuff on everything from eggs to lamb.
More ideas:
Storing Homemade Seasonings
Store your homemade seasonings in your spice cabinet for up to 6 months.
This timeline does depend on the freshness of your spices so make sure to check their expiration dates for freshness before using.
More Puerto Rican Staples
Buen Provecho!
5 Minute DIY Sazon Seasoning Spice Blend
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
- Category: Spice Blend
- Method: Toasted
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Learn how to make this 5 minute DIY Sazon Seasoning with a mix of achiote, garlic, coriander, cumin, and oregano. It’s perfect for using with red meat, rice, beans and many of my favorite Puerto Rican recipes.
Ingredients
- 6 tsp achiote powder
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Grind any whole spices. Start by grinding any whole spices you have. I recommend using achiote powder but if you have whole annatto seeds and need to grind them up, using a coffee grinder is the best method I’ve found.
- Combine & mix. Combine all ground spices and mix until evenly combined. Store in an airtight container in your spice cabinet for up to 6 months (depending on the freshness of your spices).
Notes
You can also add a teaspoon of salt and pepper to the blend, if you’d like. I prefer leaving these out so that I have control over how much I use in the dish I’m making.
Gracias por todo, con cariño
I am so psyched to try this recipe! I surely do not want a list of ingredients I can’t pronounce. I love Turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties. Can I use both? If I do how should I measure it?
Hi Cher, I’m so happy you’re going to make your own sazon! You can definitely use both; I’d try adding two to three teaspoons of the turmeric in addition to the 6 teaspoons of achiote powder. Happy cooking 🙂
Thank You so much!