Commonly Used Mexican Spices

One of the things that Mexican food is well-known for is its flavors. When you sit down to have an authentic Mexican meal, you should be fully prepared for it to be filled with flavor! What many often don’t realize is that not all these seasonings correlate to spice in the heat sense. In fact, authentic Mexican food is rarely spicy, only flavorful. So what exactly are the Mexican spices most commonly used in Mexican cooking?

We have listed the most used Mexican spices. Some of these Mexican spices may surprise you.

Garlic: One of the most common Mexican spices. Commonly used in salsa and taco seasoning, often used in conjunction with onion powder.

Oregano: Another commonly used Mexican spice. There are many different variations of oregano, Mexican oregano and Mediterranean oregano to name two. Adding oregano to your Mexican dishes will create a fresh, earthy taste.

Cumin: Discovered somewhere in the Mediterranean, but a huge part of Mexican dishes. It has a bitter, somewhat toasted taste that can’t be replaced by many other spices; this makes cumin a quintessential Mexican spice. Cumin is found in taco seasonings.

Chile Powder: A combination of the previously listed spices and chiles. Chile powder mainly consists of oregano and cumin with chiles and is often used to season meats and vegetables. There are many different varieties of chile powder, including ancho and chipotle, which each have their own unique recipe.