The Story of Our Adobo Seasoning

There are many varieties of Adobo. In fact, the word can refer to a seasoning, a sauce, or a whole dish depending on who and where you are asking. For the sake of clarity, our Adobo is a seasoning blend made up of herbs and spices! Based on the region of origin, Adobo Seasonings can vary from area to area or even family to family. Of course, there are the ubiquitous and commonplace grocery store versions of Adobo, but those are typically loaded with salt, sugar, MSG, and other cheap additives that add bulk, so the quality of the other spices doesn’t necessarily have to be up to par. These fillers are inexpensive, so the manufacturer gets more profit. Our Adobo Seasoning is an authentic recipe, leaning heavily on the flavors of all the spices to create this incredible umami bomb of tastes, yet eliminating all the unnecessary salt that many commercial blends feel the need to add. We wanted to have a product that would taste incredible and authentic to Adobo Seasonings around the world but wouldn’t cut any corners when it came to quality. Thus, our Adobo Seasoning was made!

What’s in it?

Our top-quality Adobo Seasoning is a salt free blended in small batches and made up of cumin, paprika, coriander, fennel, yellow mustard, garlic, onion, ancho, pasilla, and Mexican oregano.

Flavor Profile

Our Adobo Seasoning has a balanced flavor with an earthy complexity, moderate chile heat, and hints of fruitiness.

Where to Use

While we like to use this as a dry rub, adobo seasoning can also be used to make an adobo sauce. Make some fresh or frozen green beans in a pan with butter. After they’re cooked, remove from the heat and sprinkle some Adobo Seasoning on and stir. This is the perfect side for dinner or even just a delicious snack. Try it on other vegetables as well. Use it on pork, chicken, beef, or seafood for a burst of incredible flavor with every bite. We like to use it on omelets, or anywhere you would use salt as a flavor enhancer. This blend will give you that flavor you are looking for without all the added sodium you would get with tossing on a pinch of salt. It’s excellent on enchiladas, in taco meat, or on pizza. It’s good on pasta dishes, and cheese-based dishes. Try it in soups and stews, particularly if there are a lot of earthy flavors or beans in the soups and stews.

Traditional Adobo Seasoning can be used on anything, but we also offer an Adobo Lime Rub for those who like a little bit of citrus flavor in their food! This version of Adobo is even more delicious with seafoods and salads!

What’s the Difference Between Mexican and Filipino Adobo?

Before refrigeration was a widespread convenience, vinegar and spices were used as preservatives. This lead to many different tasty sauces being developed to not only preserve the food, but enhance the flavor of the meat as well. Mexican Adobo is a vinegar based sauce made using crushed chiles and spices. These ingredients are combined to make a thick sauce that can be used on meats and vegetables alike. Mexican Adobo is a sauce made from ingredients that are both indigenous and brought to Mexico by colonists, but the roots of the sauce come from Mexican innovation in a time without refrigeration to preserve food.

Filipino Adobo is not just a sauce but is instead an entire dish. It is widely thought of as the national dish of the Philippines, and it is made up of meat, seafood, vegetables, or a combination of the three that have been marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. The food is browned in a pan with oil and then simmered in the sauce. Technically the two are more alike than different, and the difference really lies in the semantics of what “adobo” is referring to. In Mexican cuisine it is referring to the sauce, in Filipino cuisine it is the dish!

Helpful Hints

Our Adobo Seasoning is quite strong. Use small amounts at first and add more if you like, because once you’ve added it to the dish you can’t remove it!

Read More

Mexican Spices, Seasonings, and Chiles
What is Adobo Seasoning?