Annatto Seeds, Bixa orellana, are the brick red seeds of the achiote tree. They are also called annatto, achiote, achiote seeds, or whole annatto seeds.

The bright red pigment found in Annatto Seeds is soluble in both oil and water, which makes this seed desirable for a vast array of applications, both in the culinary world and beyond. Americans are most familiar with Annatto Seed as the natural colorant used to produce orange cheddar cheese.

Annatto Seeds are often purchased by: 

• American, Latin American, and health food restaurants;
• seasoning companies;
• independent spice shops;
• honey, subscription, food processing, snack, sauce, and condiment manufacturers; and
• bakeries

Annatto Seeds are extremely hard and can be very difficult to grind without a commercial grinder. If you need it in powdered form, we recommend that you skip the whole seeds and select Ground Annatto. 

Flavor Profile

Annatto Seeds are earthy, nutty, and mildly sweet, with a hint of pepper. It does not have a pronounced smell.

How To Use

Soak Annatto Seed in oil to create Achiote Oil, which you can use to flavor chicken, fish, meats, rice, tofu, tamales, and vegetables. Toss potatoes, onions, and peppers with it in these Tex Mex Hash Browns. Ground Annatto is used in pork marinades and in sofritos; add to Chicken Sofrito Stew for extra color and earthy flavor. But be careful! Because Annatto Seeds have a mild flavor, it’s easy to add too much, and the earthiness of the seeds can overwhelm a dish.

Annatto Seeds go well with beef, chicken, egg dishes, legumes, okra, onions, pork, rice, cheese, squash, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.