What Is Adobo Seasoning and Is It Spicy?

I’m not afraid to say it: I am a frequent participant in “White People Taco Night.” Those Old El Paso Taco Kits were a staple of my childhood and a frequent request for my yearly birthday dinner. But now that I live in Los Angeles, a place that is overflowing with incredible Mexican and Latin food, I am compelled to expand my horizons beyond the crunchy taco. One of my absolute favorite foods to order is adobo anything. If it says adobo on it, I’m trying it. So when I saw adobo seasoning in my grocery store, I had to give it a shot and find out if it’s the same as the real thing?

What is adobo seasoning?

Before we even get to adobo seasoning, we need to know what the heck adobo means. The word comes from the Spanish adobar, meaning to dress or to marinate. The first adobo type foods were created out of a need to preserve meat beyond its short shelf life. Storing meat in a mix of vinegar and paprika—a spice that can help kill bacteria—kept it edible through long, lean seasons. The added bonus of adobo is that it infuses the meat with tremendous flavor. 

While adobo got its start in Spain and Portugal, the technique eventually made its way into their respective colonies—Mexico, Central and South America, and the Philippines—and, quite literally, was infused into local cuisines. 

What is in adobo seasoning?

Since the term “adobo” has come to include both a type of cooking/marinating and a type of flavor, it’s common to see commercially available adobo seasoning at the grocery store. This seasoning is meant to replicate the flavors you would find in traditional adobo marinade.

A traditional adobo marinade includes paprika, garlic, salt, oregano, and vinegar. Often, the paprika is replaced with re-hydrated guajillo or ancho peppers and blended with the other ingredients into a sauce.

Goya’s adobo seasoning has the following ingredients: salt, granulated garlic, oregano, black pepper, turmeric. It seems as though the pepper and turmeric are meant to replicate the kind of flavor you’d get from straight-up paprika. However, my instinct would be to use both adobo seasoning and paprika to get that extra kick.

What is adobo seasoning used for?

Since the seasoning is meant to replicate traditional adobo, it can be used as a dry rub on chicken, pork, beef, and even fish. If you’re inclined to go the marinade route, adobo seasoning can be added to a tomato-based sauce to approximate the adobo experience. The meat is then cooked in the sauce and takes on all that flavor.

What does adobo seasoning taste like?

Adobo seasoning from the container is very salty and garlic forward with some heat on the back end. It’s comparable to a lot of other pepper-based rubs and spice mixes you can find on the shelves. 

Is adobo seasoning spicy?

Adobo seasoning itself is not particularly spicy, but if you’ve ever had a true adobo you know it can pack a punch. In general though, dried seasonings require a lot more added in when compared to their fresh counterparts. So use adobo seasoning carefully or else it may just sneak up on you.