This isn’t a full recipe so much as a plan for your store cupboard or pantry. If you’re anything like me, you probably have a spice rack full of interesting powders and seeds purchased to add flavor to your cooking experiments. I suggest adding to that repertoire, not by buying a new spice blend, but by making one yourself. Southwest Seasoning is a great trick to have up your sleeve, adding a quick and easy punch of excitement to your dishes.
What is Southwest Seasoning?
Southwest seasoning is a versatile spice blend that is very common in dishes from the Southwest of the USA. It’s used in many Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican recipes, to provide chili heat, aromatics, earthy and sharp flavors to a variety of dishes. You can use it to season meats, vegetables, soups, stews, and all sorts of things. Pretty much anything savory that benefits from a bit of spice!
Southwest seasoning can be bought as a ready-made spice blend, but it’s easy to make it yourself. And when you do, you’ll be able to make it just the way you like it.
What Spices to Use?
There are some non-negotiables. Chili powder, coriander, and cumin are the main ones. If you can find ancho chili powder, that is the best one to use. It has a relatively mild and fruity flavor with a slight smokiness. I think you need that smoky hit for southwest seasoning, and if you want to boost it even more, chipotle chili powder does the job.
Chipotle can lead to a fiery spice blend, though, and I prefer the softer kick of smoked paprika. Additionally, you’ll want some pungent aromatics – I use both dried onion and garlic – and some fragrant herbs. Thyme or oregano are both good, and I also add my personal secret flavor weapon for many dishes – citrus zest. In this case, lime zest, which makes everything just taste brighter.
Toasting the Spices
I chose to use whole spices for this reason: toasting them. When you heat spices up, they release all sorts of wonderful fragrant compounds, making them taste more intense. This is why a lot of Indian food uses tadka (tempering) – to spark the flavor of the main dish and really make it sing.
This is the only part of the recipe where you can go wrong. Toasting spices is not difficult, but like toasting nuts, it feels as if nothing happens for ages. Then you turn your back for an instant and BOOM! They’ve burned. Complicating matters further, some spices will scorch much quicker than others.
So we’re only adding the whole spices at the beginning. Once fragrant, we add in the other ones that can benefit from a little heat, just to relax in the residual heat of the pan. The powdered spices don’t get toasted at all, because they will burn almost every time.
Grinding Southwest Seasoning
Before you add the powdered spices, you need to grind the whole spices. You can use a spice grinder if you like, but I take any opportunity I have to get out my pestle and mortar. When I have a good kitchen tool it’s such a pleasure to use it. Simply add the whole spices and grind away. Once they’re crushed to your liking, add the powdered spices. I prefer to leave a little bit of texture, but it’s up to you.
Some people add salt to their southwest seasoning. I prefer not to, because I’m going to use this in a variety of different dishes. Some will need more salt than others, so I’d like to keep control, dish by dish.
Storing and Using Southwest Seasoning
Southwest seasoning can be stored in the same way as all your other spices – in an airtight container in a dark place. It’s best used within three months of making it. It won’t go bad, but the spices will lose potency and have increasingly less flavor to them.
As for using it – well, that’s up to you! I like it in Tex-Mex dishes, or any savory dishes that I just want to give a bit of zing and spice to. You can add it to BBQ beef, as a dry rub for any grilled meats, scattered over roasted vegetables, etc. The possibilities are endless.
And More…
Looking for more spices, sauces, and scatters to add a powerful flavor kick to your dishes? Check out one of these:
Conclusion
You can buy it from the store, but honestly, making it yourself is so quick and easy and gives you complete control over the spice level, the salt level, and exactly what else you want to have in there. Whip up a batch of your own Southwest Seasoning and add it to your spice rack to revolutionise your Tex-Mex cooking! What’s your favorite dish to use it in?
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp black pepper corns
- 2 tsp granulated onion
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 limes zested
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns in a small dry frying pan. Toast over medium heat for about 3-4 until fragrant and lightly colored.
- Add the granulated onion, oregano, and lime zest, and immediately turn off the heat. Leave to cool in the pan.
- Transfer to a mortar and grind with the pestle until crushed. Add the remaining spices and mix thoroughly. (Or use a spice grinder.)
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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