Southwest flavors in an easy seasoning blend.
We call this Southwest Seasoning because it really picks up the flavors of the southwestern US. It can be used for so much more than tacos, so we didn’t want to call it taco seasoning! The smoked paprika kicks it up a notch for a lovely smoky flavor with little effort.
A versatile seasoning to add a spicy kick to your whole meal.
You can add this to tacos, enchiladas, and burritos just like you would taco seasoning. You can make a quick appetizer by adding it to sautéed shrimp, an easy snack mix with pretzels and cereal, or a refreshing salad dressing. Basically, adding this medium-spicy seasoning blend a large variety of recipes will make them flavorful and unique.
What is southwestern food, anyway?
Really, the flavors here are an accent. True southwestern food has fresh, not dried, chiles – on almost everything. I usually add fresh chiles – jalapeño or serrano are popular with us – along with this blend in anything from omelets at breakfast to chicken and veggie soup at dinner.
Blue corn (which I adore) is really popular in southwestern cooking. It’s a food that’s been around for centuries and is historically a staple for the Navajo people, who are indigenous to the southwest. For an authentic recipe to use blue corn, head over to The Fancy Navajo and make her blue corn mush. Also, we often serve blue corn chips with our southwestern dishes, which you can find at any grocery store these days.
Southwestern meals often include prickly pear cactus (yep, you can eat those), chimichangas (fried burritos), and fresh vegetables. Combining a variety of foods into one dish, like rice dishes and enchiladas, is a great way to celebrate southwestern food.
FYI, this recipe is also featured in our cookbook. (Shameless plug) We wrote our cookbook to answer the question, “What on Earth do I do with these seasoning blends?” We start each chapter with a recipe for a seasoning blend, then give you at least ten recipes to use it up. Clever, right?
Southwest Seasoning
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Category: seasoning
- Method: cold prep
- Cuisine: southwestern
Description
We call this Southwest Seasoning because it really picks up the flavors of the southwestern US and it can be used for so much more than tacos (even in salad dressings)! The smoked paprika kicks it up a notch for a smoky flavor with little effort.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder, plus 1 teaspoon
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 3/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Combine all ingredients and sift through a fine mesh strainer, because the cornstarch and onion powder tend to clump.
Keywords: spicy, seasoning, southwestern
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