Name: Mexican spice blend
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika; 2 tablespoons of chilli powder (I use medium); 2 teaspoons of cumin; 1 teaspoon of oregano; 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon of salt and dried chipotle peppers

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Making my own seasoning mixes and spice blends is something that I love. In just a few seconds you can combine one or two cupboard ingredients, some herbs and spices, and you’ve suddenly got a lovely base for a variety of meals. This Mexican spice blend is super fast, and pretty cheap too!

It takes just seconds to prepare and is jam packed full of flavour!

In next to no time you’ll be able to cook your own fajitas, easily flavour chicken, steak, Quorn or fish burger, and it is so simple you’ll be wanting to make it time and time again.

I love this homemade spice Mexican seasoning recipe, the flavours are fantastic to use for air fryer chicken fajitas, Ninja Foodi chicken fajitas, chicken fajita pasta and anything else I fancy!

Just about any food is going to be improved by adding a sprinkle of your favourite seasoning blend, or homemade sauces, and this blend is simple to prepare while being packed full of flavour.

Paprika, onion powder, cumin, oregano, chilli powder, dried chipotle and garlic powder all in a bowl

Ingredients for Mexican spice blend / seasoning recipe:

1 tablespoon of smoked paprika

2 tablespoons of chilli powder (I use medium)

2 teaspoons of cumin

1 teaspoon of oregano

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt and dried chipotle peppers

cooked cajun chicken on baking paper in an enamel baking tray

Knowing how to make your own spice blends, using herbs and spices from your pantry or cupboard, is a brilliant way to save a few pennies while cooking from scratch.

You can be preparing a fresh tasty dinner in just minutes and best of all it is really straight forward, just combine your ingredients and you’re good to go!

I like to keep around 20 herbs and spices on rotation in my pantry, as then I can make 10s of different spice and seasoning blends in next to no time.

Dry rubs are really easy to use, but you can also add a splash of olive oil, or add to some natural yoghurt, if you want to make a wonderful marinade that will help to boost the flavour of your favourite meals even further.

Method for Mexican spice seasoning:

Measure out the ingredients.

Mix together and place in a jar, or an airtight container / storage pot. Shake very well and then that is your Mexican spice blend ready to use!

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Is this Mexican seasoning gluten free?

Obviously you’ll want to check the individual herbs and spices here, but typically these ones featured should be gluten free. This is a really basic seasoning that is simple to make gluten free.

When you’re buying ready made or preprepared seasonings they often have caking agents added, to keep them fresher for longer, and these can have gluten, so that is why it is a great idea to just make your own seasoning blend from scratch.

Do you need a pestle & mortar to make Mexican seasoning?

No, definitely not! As long as you are using dried ingredients, instead of fresh, you’ll be able to just combine together, give a shake in a pot if you want to save time mixing, and you’ll be good to go!

When using fresh herbs and oil you will find it much easier to use a pestle and mortar, to grind it all well together, and make a nice smooth dressing, however, you can make do without it!

Cooked chicken fajitas with red, yellow and orange peppers and red onion wedges on baking paper in an enamel baking dish

What to use this Mexican seasoning blend for?

Any dish where you think you can add a little extra kick in is perfect for cooking with this Mexican spice blend.

I love to use it on air fryer potato wedges, air fryer chicken fajitas, chicken fajita pasta, on the top of steak, to spice up ground beef, slow cooker beef enchilada mix, in a bacon mac and cheese pasta bake, on the top of air fryer frozen salmon, to season popcorn, corn on the cob, rice, prawns or even to make fajita triangles.

How much Mexican seasoning should you use on chicken?

I use this spice blend on around 640g of chicken breasts or chicken mini breast fillets. This is a sufficient amount to serve 4 people, and I love to serve this for myself and my husband and then keep the leftover chicken for lunches for a couple of days.

Exercise a little common sense. If you’re not a fan of spice then you’ll want to tone it down a little, and perhaps use a mild chilli powder and skip the dried chipotle peppers when making up this mix. If you are a lover of the spice then you can add a couple of extra teaspoons!

Roasted chicken fajita triangles and a finished fried chicken fajita triangle with text overlay that says chicken fajita triangles crispy and delicious

Can you buy Mexican seasoning in the UK?

If you don’t want to make your own Mexican spice blend then you can buy it ready made in multiple supermarkets. I love the blend from Tesco.

I do find that sometimes this solidifies a little in the pot, and has to be given a bit of a bang, so I prefer to just make it fresh and use it on the same day where possible!

Can you make Mexican spice mix without cumin?

Yes, definitely, if you don’t like it then you can take it out, but it’s not really noticeable. If you want to you can use a little ground coriander instead.

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How to make Mexican spice blend: