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Adobo seasoning is an all-purpose dry spice seasoning blend primarily used in Caribbean and Latin America cuisines. Making this at home brings big flavor to your dishes and no additives!
If you cook a lot, I’m willing to bet your spice drawer or cabinet is filled with a variety of spice blends. Add adobo seasoning to your spice inventory if you don’t already have it. It’s a great base for meats, poultry, fish, soups and stews. It’s also great for vegetables and beans.
I recently used this on grilled pork tenderloin and oh my gosh, it was so good! I loved how garlicky and oniony the seasoning was on the pork.
What’s In Adobo Seasoning?
The flavor of adobo seasoning is more garlicky and salty and lends for a great replacement to poultry seasoning if you are out of it. With that said, the versatility of making adobo seasoning at home is you can customize it to your liking. It typically contains both onion and garlic powders, cumin, oregano, paprika, and turmeric. Adobo seasoning can vary in color depending on how much of each ingredient you add to the blend. More turmeric, onion, and garlic powder will give a more yellow-base while more paprika and chili powder will lend to a more red base.
How to Use It and How Much to Use
Most people tend to think that in order to flavor meats, poultry, and fish, you need to marinade it. Sure, you 100% can do that, and would definitely encourage you to try a dry rub as well, such as this adobo seasoning! I would use 2 tablespoons or more for every pound of meat.
You can create a paste with it too by combining adobo seasoning with a little bit of olive oil and citrus juice and rubbing it all over your meat. It’s great on grilled steak skewers or in arroz con pollo to give the chicken a boost in flavor.
Storage Instructions
Adobo seasoning will be good for 1 year. It doesn’t go “bad,” but spices do lose their flavor intensity if being stored for an extended period of time. Make sure to store this seasoning blend in a cool, dry place.
Adobo Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.
- Store adobo seasoning in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
