Sazon Seasoning Recipe

Those little packs of a famous brand sazon mix are great for adding flavor to your Latin recipes. This Sazon seasoning recipe is MSG-free, gluten-free, filler ingredient-free, and salt and sugar-free.

Let’s learn all you need to know about this popular seasoning that makes our Arroz con Gandules pop and so many Puerto Rican recipe as well.

How do you use Sazon seasoning?

Sazon is a popular season found in many Hispanic recipes, and it is used to bring flavor to a dish. 

It is typically sold in small packets and in seasoning bottles. Sazon is a mixture of spices that includes:

• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Cilantro
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Saffron
• Achiote

It is used as a dry rub for meats and veggies as well. Sazon is also used in soups and rice and bean dishes.

Sazon seasoning is an everyday seasoning in some cases as it is used as a substitute for salt and pepper in many Hispanic homes.

Is Sazon seasoning bad for you?

The sad truth is that some Sazon seasoning bought in stores may contain fillers and anti-caking agents that are not good for you. Ingredients in many store-bought sazon contain:

• Tricalcium phosphate
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Way too much salt
• Dehydrated garlic
• Yellow 5
• Red 40

To name some ingredients. The good news is that this recipe does not contain many of these ingredients, and you can even use organic seasoning ingredients to make it.

What can I use instead of Sazon?

If you don’t have sazon add these spices instead:

• 1 Tablespoons garlic powder 
• 1 Tablespoons ground cumin seed 
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder 
• 1 Tablespoons ground coriander 
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground annatto seed or sweet Spanish paprika 
• 1/2 Tablespoon ground oregano

Use 1.5 teaspoons for each Goya packet you are going to use. Meaning if you need 1 Goya Sazon packet for your recipe, you will scoop out 1.5 teaspoons from the mixture and add to the recipe.

Is annatto the same as paprika?

No, annatto and paprika are not the same. Annatto is a seed that is boiled to make its yellowish-red color that is used to add color to many Hispanic dishes such as rice and strew. It is basically a natural food coloring.

Paprika is made from different bell peppers or sweet peppers. There are 3 different types of paprika:

• Sweet paprika
• Smoked paprika
• Hot paprika

You can learn more about each particular kind of paprika in this article found on cookinglite.com.

What does Sazon taste like?

Sazon is not spicy at all, and it has a pleasant taste depending on the ingredients.

What are the ingredients in Sazon seasoning?

To make this non-MSG, gluten-free, filler-free, and salt and sugar-free sazon seasoning recipe you are going to need:

• garlic powder
• ground cumin seed
• turmeric powder
• ground coriander
• ground annatto seed or sweet Spanish paprika
• ground oregano

This recipe makes about 3.10oz (or 88g or nearly 1 cup), and Goya Sazon packets are 1.5 teaspoons per packet.

How to make Sazon Seasoning

Now that you have all the ingredients to make the sazon, it is time to make it.

Mix all the ingredients on a plate or bowl or even a jar, whichever makes it easier for you to blend the seasonings.

We found this set of seasoning jars on Amazon that we love, and you can find them when you click this link.

If you use a jar, you can add all the seasonings and shake them to mix them.

How long does homemade Sazon last?

When store homemade sazon seasoning properly, it can stay fresh for weeks, and it won’t go bad. Note that since it’s a mix of spices, they will lose their aroma.

How to store homemade sazon

Store your homemade sazon seasoning in an airtight container in a cool dark place.