Homemade Adobo Seasoning is easy to whip up at home using ingredients you likely already have in your cupboard! The seasoning can also be endlessly customized to suit your tastes.
Adobo seasoning is one of those all-purpose seasonings that you can easily make from seasoning staples like garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. My homemade version strays from traditional recipes because I wanted to bring a little heat with cayenne pepper and chili powder.
There are wet and dry adobo applications, but here I'm focusing on dry Adobo Seasoning made from various herbs and spices.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Homemade Seasoning
- What is Dry Adobo Seasoning?
- What Does Adobo Seasoning Taste Like?
- Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Make Dry Adobo Seasoning
- How to Use Abobo Seasoning
- Expert Tips
- Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- More Homemade Spices and Condiments on Midwexican
- Homemade Dry Adobo Seasoning
Why You Will Love This Homemade Seasoning
- Great Way to Use Up Seasonings. Spices don't last forever and making homemade seasonings is a great way to use up your spices before they lose their potency.
- Budget-friendly. If you're looking for a simple way to reduce your grocery budget, making homemade seasoning blends using spices you already have in your cabinet is a great way to do so.
- So Many Ways to Use It. From seasoning meat to vegetables, the possibilities for adobo seasonings are endless!
What is Dry Adobo Seasoning?
Adobo seasoning is an all-purpose seasoning like seasoned salt. It typically contains salt, garlic powder, oregano, turmeric, black pepper, and other Latin spices. It’s great for flavoring everything from meat proteins to seafood to vegetables.
You’ve likely seen premade versions from brands like GOYA in the spice aisle at the grocery store. But you can easily make your own at home. And tweak it in fun and interesting ways, as I did in this recipe to make it spicy by adding chili powder, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
What Does Adobo Seasoning Taste Like?
Adobo seasoning is first and foremost salty and savory since it’s a seasoning salt. But it’s also herbaceous, warm, earthy, bold, and robust without being overpowering. Make it spicy by adding chili powder and cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
This Dry Adobo Seasoning recipe isn't authentic; it is more like authentic-adjacent and calls for cayenne and chili powder to add a bit of heat. You can leave the cayenne out if you wish.
- Aromatics - Garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin are some of my all time favorite aromatics to use in seasoning blends - they bring umami and earthiness.
- Spicy little numbers - Chili powder and cayenne add some heat to this homemade seasoning blend.
- Herbs - Well, one herb specifically, Mexican oregano. Compared to regular oregano, Mexican oregano is more grassy and earthy, with hints of licorice kind of like rosemary. You can certainly use regular oregano as well here.
- Turmeric - Turmeric is pretty traditional and brings a warm pepperiness.
- Sugar - A little sugar goes a long way here. I like to add it when I know I'm going to grill because it adds nice caramelization.
Variations
You could also try mixing this recipe up with the following herbs and spices. Add some dried citrus zest to the mix for seafood applications, or accentuate smoky flavors with paprika when grilling.
When adding (or substituting) to this Dry Adobo seasoning recipe, add similar amounts for similar seasonings. Suggested amounts are provided below.
- Thyme (½ - 1 teaspoon)
- Bay leaf (ground) (1-2 leaves)
- Chipotle chili powder (¼ -½ teaspoon)
- Paprika (including smoked or hot Hungarian) (½ teaspoon)
- Dried citrus zest (lemon or lime) (¼ teaspoon)
How to Make Dry Adobo Seasoning
- Add all ingredients to a spice grinder and grind for 10-15 seconds. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle to grind the spices by hand. Makes 6 tablespoons.
- Store it in a jar or airtight container.
Hint: I have this KitchenAid spice/coffee grinder and it's fantastic for quickly grinding up spices. I've owned it since 2017 and it still works fabulously. You could also use a mortar and pestle to grind the spices. Really great outlet for channeling daily frustrations as well!
How to Use Abobo Seasoning
This blend is great to season chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, fish, potatoes, corn, well you get the idea. Adobo seasoning is fantastic on pretty much every type of protein or vegetable. It’s a good all-purpose seasoning that you can simply sprinkle on, use as a rub, or as a base for a marinade.
Chicken is my go-to protein for seasoning. Try it on grilled chicken thighs and air fryer adobo chicken. And you should definitely make these adobo chicken tacos.
It's also great with pork and beef as well as non-meat things with delicious results. Try sprinkling some on roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, pinto beans, and more!
Expert Tips
- Watch the Salt When Using. Keep in mind that this seasoning is salt-forward so use conservatively and taste before adding more salt to dishes when using it.
- Keep in a Cool Dark Place. A pantry or cabinet works great. This will preserve the life of your seasoning.
- Use silica gel packets to prevent clumping. The hardest part about making homemade seasoning blends is preventing clumping from happening. I've recently turned to silica gel packets to prevent this from happening; they absorb excess moisture, keeping your homemade seasoning blends clump-free!
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
No, I wouldn't describe Adobo Seasoning as spicy; think of it as a delicious type of all-purpose seasoning. You might find that my recipe is a little spicier than others, because it does include cayenne pepper and chili powder.
If you're looking for side dish inspiration to serve with a main seasoned with Adobo Seasoning, try this homemade refried beans, Spanish rice, air fryer roasted sweet potatoes, and jalapeno popper creamed kale.
For best results, use it within 6 months to a year. Spices lose their potency over time. Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark place like a cupboard to help preserve it for the maximum amount of time. Use silica gel packets to prevent clumping.
More Homemade Spices and Condiments on Midwexican
If you tried this Adobo Seasoning recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Homemade Dry Adobo Seasoning
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano*
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch of granulated sugar (or Splenda)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a spice grinder and grind for 10-15 seconds. Makes 6 tablespoons.
- For best results, store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark place like a cupboard. Use within 6 months up to 1 year.
Kristi
What to substitute for Tumeric?
Christina Koncker
You could leave it out or you could use ground cumin, ginger, or mustard - All Recipes has a good turmeric substitute guide.