Our customers at El Chubby’s Fresh Mexican Grill in Aurora ask us all the time, what spices go into Mexican food? Our spices are what make our flavors so fantastic. Come try our hot green chili. It’s one of the things we’re known for. Let’s take a look at even more of the most familiar Mexican spices that we use to make our tasty and authentic Mexican dishes.

Onions and Garlic

Garlic is one of the most common flavors in Mexican food. It comes fresh, in a jar or powdered and is used in many foods, including salsa, taco seasoning, and Spanish rice. Garlic is often used along with onions or onion powder. While widely used, garlic is typically not as prominent a flavor as it is in other cuisines, but it helps to add richness and layers to the overall dish.

Oregano

Adding Mexican oregano to the food will give it a fresh, rich and earthy taste. Unlike Italian oregano, it also has citrus notes to it and a subtle lime taste, making it the ideal spice to add to Mexican tomato-based dishes like salsas and enchiladas, even beans and much more.

Cumin

Cumin is used in a lot of wonderful Mexican dishes alongside oregano, dried chiles, and other taco seasonings. It has a little bit of a unique taste that’s somewhat bitter but smoky. Cumin adds great depth to any dish.

Chile Powder

Chile powder is a rich blend of garlic, onion, oregano, cumin and dried, powdered chiles mixed together. It is often used to season Mexican meats and vegetables. There are different types of chile powder, for example ancho and chipotle chile powder. Ancho chile powder tastes sweet with a rich dried fruit flavor. Chipotle chile powder is made with jalapenos that are dried and smoked, and are used in Mexican sauces and salsas. Chipotle chile powder is also used in Adobo, which is a delicious marinade.

Green chile powder is made by picking green chiles early in the ripening process to keep the green color. It gives a low to medium heat with a fresh, sort of sweet flavor. It’s used for salsa verde and dishes with green chili, sauces, marinades, burritos, tamales, flautas, and tostadas.

Epazote

Epazote is used to flavor Mexican bean dishes and can counteract the intestinal discomfort you sometimes feel from eating beans. It is often called Mexican tea. But a warning, use only a little bit of epazote. It is poisonous in large quantities.

Miscellaneous Spices

Cinnamon, cloves, and anise also add flavor to Mexican dishes. Cocoa is sometimes used to add a rich warm flavor to food. Mole, a thick sauce for chicken, is cocoa and peanut butter mixed with spices.

Determining what spices go into Mexican food is what makes the flavor pop. At El Chubby’s Fresh Mexican Grill in Aurora, our authentic fresh Mexican food is made to order and tastes like it came out of your own kitchen! At El Chubby’s our food is grilled just the way you like it, and you can have almost anything prepared to your preferences. Our passion is serving each and every customer great Mexican and Mexican-inspired items with fast, friendly service. Come hungry and experience the El Chubby’s difference today. We’re sure you’ll feel right at home enjoy the spices that go into creating our delicious Mexican food.