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Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning
Our Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning is an ideal time-saving addition to any kitchen -- simply sprinkle to your dish early in the cooking process and you’ll have a delicious meal in no time. We’ve hand-mixed this seasoning blend for those that prefer their seasonings loaded with flavor and aren’t afraid of a little bit of heat (but this is certainly not burn your face off hot). Inspired by the beautiful resort city of Manzanillo, pronounced "mahn-sah-nee-yaw", on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, this region is considered by many to be Mexican Riviera.And maybe best of all this seasoning is also a salt-free.
The Story Behind Our Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning
This was our first seasoning blend that we developed when we launched Spices Inc back in 2008. When we started our company we used a handful of pre-packaged seasoning blends but quickly decided to blend our own as we gained more knowledge and because I’ve long been a fan of Mexican flavors this was the first one I wanted to tackle.This blend went through extensive tweaking in our home test kitchen until we got it just right. Because it was our first blend testing took significantly longer than it does today (close to three months). I even had to walk away from the blend several times to give my taste buds a rest and then tackle it again after a week or two off. In the early days most of the preliminary testing was done on scrambled eggs as they have essentially no flavor and it allowed us to better identify the flavor adjustments we were making. Next it was on to chicken tacos and bean burritos.
What Makes a Great Mexican Seasoning?
The key to an authentic Mexican seasoning always begins with the proper use of Mexican chiles. A typically "American" taco type seasoning is more likely to have New Mexico or California chiles as their dominant chiles forming the base. These blends tend to be much milder and the flavor profile, in my opinion, isn't near as rich and deep.On the other hand a top grade authentic Mexican seasoning is going to have some combination (usually three) of ancho, pasilla, guajillo, mulato and chipotle chiles. These chiles are best known for their complex layers of flavor more than for their heat levels (with the exception being the chipotle chile which does pack some heat). You'll also find many Americanized Mexican seasonings use a bit too much cumin which tends to overpower the flavor profile as well. We use our freshly ground cumin in much smaller amounts as a way to enhance and not dominate the other flavors.
Where to Use It
We like to add this to everything – simply sprinkle it on your tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas and tostados and you’ll have a quick and tasty exotic dinner for friends and family. Now don’t think that our Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning can only be used for Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes, we also use it when we’re in search of some extra spicy flavor and add a dash or two (or sometimes three) to our scrambled eggs, chili, fajitas (beef or chicken), burgers, mac and cheese, omelets, rice, shrimp, soups and stews as well.Our Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning also makes an excellent Mexican dry rub for chicken, just add 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of meat and be sure to spread evenly on both sides, then pat the mixture into the meat. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly when done. Put the chicken in a large resealable bag and place in the refrigerator for 2-12 hours to marry with the seasoning. We’ve had excellent results with leaving in the fridge for 2 hours with no noticeable flavor improvements with more than 12 hours. Remove the meat from the fridge and allow it to warm to room temperature before cooking on the hot grill or roasting in the oven.
Some of our favorite recipes using Manzanillo Seasoning are Vegetarian Bean Chili, Manzanillo Scrambled Eggs in Crispy Wonton Shells, Mexican Cornbread, Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash, Vegetarian Refried Bean Pizza and Spicy Grilled Mexican Shrimp.
We always recommend that if you're using this seasoning for the first time that you start off with a bit less than you think that you need. Because we're using freshly ground spices, and blend in small batches weekly, our seasonings can be very potent. You can always add more seasoning if you'd like
Flavor Profile
The flavor profile of our Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning is earthy with a complex chile base that is savory and spicy, you'll also pick up a slight garlicky undertone with hints of onion.What's In It
Hand blended with ancho, pasilla, black pepper, garlic, chipotle, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano and cumin.Related Blog Posts
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