Mexican cuisine is known for its bold and vibrant flavors that come from the use of fresh ingredients and unique spice blends. The signature spice mixes used in Mexican cooking include flavors like cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, chili peppers, garlic, onion, citrus, and chocolate. When these spices are combined in different ways, they create distinctive seasoning blends and pastes that give Mexican food its characteristic tastes. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common spices used in Mexican cooking.
Chili Peppers
The chili pepper is essential to Mexican cuisine. Chili peppers impart a spicy heat and robust, earthy flavor to dishes. There are many varieties of chili peppers used in Mexican cooking, ranging from mild to very hot on the Scoville scale. Some of the most popular types include:
- Jalapeño – A medium hot chili with a bright, grassy flavor. Jalapeños are used both fresh and dried in salsas, stews, and sauces.
- Poblano – A mild chili pepper that is often stuffed and baked. Poblanos have a rich, almost fruity taste.
- Ancho – A dried poblano with a sweet, smoky, and only mildly spicy flavor. Ground ancho is a key ingredient in mole and chili Colorado sauces.
- Chipotle – Smoked and dried jalapeños with a very hot, smoky bite. They are used in adobos, salsas, and moles.
- Guajillo – A dried mirasol chili with berry-like notes and medium heat. Guajillos are combined with other chilies to make complex sauces.
- Habanero – An extremely hot variety used fresh or dried to give intense spice to salsas and vinegars.
In addition to fresh and dried chilies, Mexican cooks also use chili powders like ancho, New Mexico, and cascabel to season meats, stews, and vegetables. Pure chili pastes like chipotle in adobo bring both heat and flavor to dishes.
Cumin
Cumin is a savory, earthy spice that provides a distinctive backdrop to many Mexican dishes. The small, brown cumin seeds have a aroma reminiscent of thyme or oregano and a warm, slightly bitter taste. Cumin pairs especially well with beans, vegetables, meats, rice, and chili peppers. The spice is used in classic Mexican seasoning blends like fajita seasoning, taco seasoning, mole, and adobo. Cumin imparts a distinctively Mexican flavor to dishes ranging from crispy pork carnitas tacos to slow-simmered chicken mole.
Oregano
Mexican oregano has a bolder, more pungent flavor compared to Mediterranean oregano. It has citrusy, almost floral notes that complement the other robust seasonings used in Mexican cooking. Oregano grows abundantly in Mexico and is used dried or fresh to flavor meats, beans, salsas, soups, and even drinks like atole. The herb’s bright green leaves and purple flowers are also used for decoration and garnish. Oregano adds an aromatic, fresh herbal quality to staple dishes like tacos al pastor, chili con carne, and tamales.
Cilantro
Known as cilantro in the Americas and coriander leaves in the rest of the world, these fresh green leaves are fundamental to Mexican cooking. The herb has a distinct soapy, citrusy taste that balances the spicy heat in many dishes. Cilantro adds brightness to salsas, tacos, soups, stews, and sauces. When blended with chilies, lime, and onions, cilantro creates flavorful table salsas and fresh tortilla chip dips. Chopped cilantro leaves are also a popular taco topping. The fragrant, grassy taste of cilantro is a classic complement to Mexican spices.
Mexican Oregano
Mexican oregano, also called yerba buena, is a different plant from Mediterranean oregano but imparts a similar zesty, earthy flavor. With bold notes of citrus and licorice, Mexican oregano packs more punch than the Mediterranean variety. It grows wild in Mexico and is used fresh or dried in dishes like fajitas, moles, salsas, marinades, beans, soups, and meats. You’ll often find Mexican oregano paired with cumin, chili powder, garlic, and onion for intensely flavored Mexican spice rubs and sauces.
Annatto
Annatto, called achiote in Mexico, comes from the seed of the Bixa orellana plant. It imparts a bright reddish-orange color and a flavor reminiscent of pepper, nutmeg, and smoke. Annatto is essential for dishes like cochinita pibil and arroz rojo, lending them a signature crimson hue. The seeds are ground to a paste or powder and rubbed directly onto meat before cooking. Annatto oil is also used for frying and adds earthy, sweet notes to foods. The vibrant color and flavor of annatto make it an important aesthetic and taste component of Mexican cuisine.
Mexican Chocolate
Chocolate, originating from Mexico and Central America, flavors many savory and sweet dishes in Mexican cooking. Mexican chocolate contains cinnamon and almonds, giving it a warm, spicy taste compared to European chocolate. The rich, fruity chocolate is used in the complex sauce mole poblano. Ground Mexican chocolate also flavors chicken and pork dishes, frosted cakes, and hot chocolate drinks like champurrado. The cinnamon in Mexican chocolate bridges the gap between sweet and savory.
Cloves
The sweet, aromatic bite of cloves seasons classic Mexican sauces like mole verde and pipian rojo. Whole cloves add a peppery spike to Mexican hot chocolate. Ground cloves pair well with other warm spices like cinnamon and chili peppers. The quintessential pumpkin spice mix used in Mexican hot drinks features cinnamon, clove, and anise. Cloves may be used sparingly, but provide a sweet, lingering heat that complements the caramelized flavors of moles and pipians.
Epazote
This herb, known as epazote, has long serrated leaves and an assertive flavor reminiscent of oregano, mint, and camphor. In ancient Mesoamerican cooking, epazote was prized for its digestive and carminative properties. Today it is still used in dishes like beans, quesadillas, moles, and soups. Epazote provides a pungent, herbal background note. The raw leaves release more flavor when toasted. A little epazote goes a long way in seasoning without overpowering other ingredients.
Allspice
The dried berry of Pimenta dioica, also known as pimento or Jamaican pepper, is known as allspice because its flavor represents a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Allspice has warm, sweet-spicy notes that enhance mole sauces, marinades, stews, potato dishes, and beverages. The berries are traditionally toasted to bring out their full flavor before grinding. Ground allspice works well when blended with cumin, cloves, and Mexican oregano. Just a pinch is needed to add comforting spice and depth.
Onion & Garlic
Onions and garlic form the aromatic backbone of many Mexican spice blends and sauces. Red, white, or yellow onions are cooked to mellow sweetness and blended with other herbs and spices. They add a caramelized depth to moles, adobos, sofritos, and salsas. Garlic is often roasted or fried whole before mixing into marinades, Pastes, and rubs. Chopped raw garlic and onion feature in fresh table salsas. The pungent, mouthwatering combination enhances the other Mexican spices.
Vanilla
Vanilla is an essential ingredient in Mexican desserts and hot chocolate. The bean pods come from an orchid native to Mexico’s eastern forests. Vanilla provides a perfumey sweetness and complexity to sugar-based treats. It frequently flavors flan custard, tres leches cake, buñuelos fritters, and rice pudding. A touch of vanilla smoothed out by cinnamon brings comfort to classic Mexican hot chocolate. The rich yet delicate flavor of vanilla is a perfect complement to chili heat in both savory and sweet dishes.
Lime
Key lime and Persian lime juice and zest are integral components in Mexican salsas, marinades, and dipping sauces. Lime adds brightness that cuts through the heat of chili peppers and deepens the flavors of cilantro, garlic, and onion. A squeeze of lime finishes off dishes like ceviche, tacos, and tostadas. The acidity balances the oil and provides a burst of freshness. Lime works in harmony with tomatoes, herbs, spices, and salt to create the classic Mexican table salsa experience.
Mexican Sage
With soft, velvety leaves, Mexican sage has an aroma of citrus, lavender, and camphor. In Mexico, it is used fresh or dried for teas, sauces, soups, stews, and beans. Also called rosemary mint, Mexican sage tastes like a cross between its namesakes. The herb’s lemony, floral notes add a bright pop of flavor when combined with tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Mexican sage pairs well with chicken, seafood, and pork to lend a subtle sophistication.
Thyme
Fresh or dried thyme contributes grassy, herbal notes to Mexican spice mixes. This aromatic Mediterranean herb seasons everything from mole verde to salsa roja to beans and rice. Thyme adds layers of flavor when blended with oregano, cumin, and chili peppers. The herb’s gentle floral aroma and minty taste balance sharper spices. Thyme infuses a subtle background complexity to marinades, meats, stews, and sautés.
Bay Leaf
Both fresh and dried bay laurel leaves season soups, stews, rice dishes, and moles with their woodsy, slightly menthol taste. Bay leaves grow abundantly in Mexico and were used in cooking by the Aztecs. The pointed leaves lend a perfumed forest note that deepens over long cooking times. Mexican chicken soup with rice is flavored by a bay leaf tucked into the broth. Whole bay leaves are wrapped inside tamales or removed after simmering beans. When used sparingly, bay leaves provide subtle earthy interest.
Sesame Seeds
Though not exclusive to Mexican cuisine, toasted sesame seeds are an important finishing touch to add crunch and nutty flavor. They’re sprinkled over everything from fish tacos to tamales to roasted veggies. Chia seeds from the salvia hispanica plant are another Mexican staple. When soaked in water, the tiny seeds plump up and lend thickness to drinks, sauces, desserts, and vegan substitutes. Sesame and chia provide texture contrast and toasty, nutritious taste.
Coriander Seeds
The dried seeds of the cilantro plant have a sweet, citrusy, and slightly spicy flavor different from the leaves. Ground coriander provides warmth that enhances chili pepper spice blends. Toasted coriander seeds impart aroma and crunch when used as a finishing touch over dishes like tacos. Coriander is combined with cumin and cinnamon to make classic Mexican hot chocolate. The lemony flavor of coriander brightens up hearty stews and brothy soups.
Mint
Both spearmint and peppermint grow abundantly in Mexico. Their refreshing quality balances seasoning from chili peppers and warm spices. Chopped mint leaves add vibrant flavor to fresh salsas, tortas, tostadas, and fruit desserts. Whole sprigs or torn leaves can garnish drinks like aguas frescas and cocktails. Mint soothes heat and brings a bright, grassy component to Mexican dishes.
Mexican Oregano
With more intense citrus and licorice notes than Mediterranean oregano, Mexican oregano makes a flavorful addition to sauces, meats, beans and soups. The herb has a slight peppery bite and pairs well with garlic, onion and lime. It adds vibrancy and depth to dishes like tacos al pastor, pozole, and chilaquiles. Whether used fresh or dried, Mexican oregano adds earthy, aromatic character to spice blends.
Conclusion
Mexican spices reflect the culture’s indigenous ingredients and culinary history. Complex seasoning blends like moles and adobos combine dried chili peppers with herbs, seeds, nuts and chocolate. Fresh herbs like cilantro, epazote and Mexican oregano lend vibrant, grassy flavors. Spices like cumin, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves add layers of warmth and sweetness. Bright squirts of lime and pops of toasted sesame balance the heat. Together these spices create the sensory experience and soulful, comforting tastes that define authentic Mexican cuisine.