This bold little blend leans warm, citrusy, and just spicy enough to wake up a bland dinner. Stir it together in minutes, stash it in a jar, and use it on chicken, pork, beans, rice, roasted vegetables, or anywhere your supper needs a firm nudge in the right direction.
The flavor profile is a bit different from a taco-style seasoning because the dried orange peel brings brightness while allspice, nutmeg, and ginger add warmth. That makes it especially handy for rubs, marinades, and simple skillet meals when you want something savory with a touch of depth instead of the usual one-note heat.
Stored in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cabinet, this dry spice blend keeps its best flavor for about 6 months as a conservative estimate. Ground spices often hold quality for 2 to 3 years and dried herbs for 1 to 3 years, but mixed seasoning blends fade faster, so shorter is smarter if you want full flavor. Keep it away from heat, light, and steam, and give it a sniff before using if it’s been sitting around awhile, per Virginia Cooperative Extension spice storage guidance.
Latin Spice Blend
You’ll Need:
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons dried grated orange peel
- 1 1/2 tablespoons allspice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cayenne
Measure everything into a zip-top bag, seal it, and shake until the spices are evenly combined. Pour the finished blend into a spice jar, small bottle, or vacuum-sealed bag and label it so you don’t wind up playing mystery seasoning roulette next month.
Expert Tip: If your orange peel feels coarse, pulse the finished blend for a few seconds in a clean spice grinder before bottling it. You’ll get a more even texture, and the blend will stick better to meat and vegetables.
To Use:
Use this blend as a dry rub, seasoning mix, or marinade starter. A good place to start is 1 to 2 tablespoons per pound of meat, or about 1 tablespoon for 2 to 3 cups of beans, rice, or roasted vegetables, then adjust to taste.
Try it on grilled chicken, pork chops, black beans, taco meat, roasted sweet potatoes, or corn. If you like building a DIY seasoning shelf, pair it with Homemade Baja Seasoning Blend, Greek Seasoning Blend, or browse more ideas in Seasoning and Spice Mixes.
Storage: Store the blend in an airtight jar or vacuum-sealed bag in a cool, dry cabinet away from the stove and direct light. For best flavor, use within 6 months as an estimate. If you mix it into a wet marinade or sauce, refrigerate the prepared mixture promptly and use it within 3 to 4 days, following FoodSafety.gov cold storage guidance for leftovers.
Notes: This recipe makes about 10 1/2 tablespoons, or roughly 31 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning, which is about 31 one-teaspoon servings as an estimate. It also makes a practical gift when packed into a labeled spice jar.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Latin Spice Blend
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dry mustard |
$3.98 |
2 T. |
$1.20 |
|
Dried grated orange peel |
$0.78 |
2 T. |
$1.56 |
|
Allspice |
$2.48 |
1 1/2 T. |
$0.45 |
|
Nutmeg |
$2.48 |
1 1/2 T. |
$0.51 |
|
Ginger |
$1.24 |
1 1/2 T. |
$0.24 |
|
Salt |
$0.62 |
2 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Black pepper |
$2.48 |
2 t. |
$0.13 |
|
Cayenne |
$1.24 |
2 t. |
$0.09 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$4.19 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$4.19 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
Frequently Asked Questions about Latin Spice Blend
Start with 1 to 2 tablespoons per pound of meat. Use the smaller amount for thinner cuts or milder flavor, and the larger amount for roasts, chicken pieces, or anything headed for the grill where a little seasoning gets lost to the fire and fat.
Absolutely. Mix 1 tablespoon of the blend with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil and 1 to 2 tablespoons citrus juice or vinegar to make a quick marinade. The dry spices carry the flavor, and the liquid helps it coat the food instead of falling off into the pan where it does you no good at all.
Not especially, but it does have a noticeable kick from the cayenne and black pepper. The orange peel, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger soften the heat, so it tastes warm and balanced rather than flat-out hot. If you want it milder, cut the cayenne in half and keep everything else the same.
The best swap is another dried citrus peel, especially dried lemon peel, though the flavor will be a little sharper. If you only have fresh zest, use it right away in a wet marinade instead of storing it in the dry mix, because fresh zest adds moisture and shortens shelf life. McCormick notes dried orange peel can stand in for fresh peel as a convenient pantry substitute in cooking and baking using dried orange peel as a fresh-peel substitute.
Count on about 6 months for best flavor if you keep it tightly sealed in a cool, dark cabinet. Ground spices often stay good for 2 to 3 years, but seasoning blends lose their punch sooner, and Virginia Cooperative Extension lists herb and spice blends at about 6 months for pantry quality, which is a sensible line in the sand for a homemade mix too. See Virginia Cooperative Extension storage guidance.
You can, and it works just fine. Leave the salt out of the jar, then salt the food separately when you cook so you’ve got better control, especially if you’re using the blend on canned beans, broth-based rice, or meat that’s already been brined.
It shines on pork, chicken, black beans, rice, roasted sweet potatoes, and grilled vegetables. The warm spices make it especially good on foods that like a little sweetness or caramelization, so it also works well in a rub for oven-roasted tenderloin or mixed into oil for sheet-pan vegetables.
Yes, just scale every ingredient by the same amount and mix it in a bowl first so the smaller spices don’t settle in one corner of the bag. If you’re making a big batch, funnel it into several small jars instead of one large one so you only expose part of it to air each time you cook.
Old spices are usually the culprit. Iowa State University Extension notes that herbs and spices lose flavor and potency over time, so if your paprika, ginger, or pepper smell dusty instead of fragrant, the finished blend will taste tired before dinner even starts. Check Iowa State University Extension’s spice freshness guidance.
Use it within 3 to 4 days once you’ve mixed it with oil, juice, broth, or any other perishable ingredient and refrigerated it promptly. That’s the safe general window FoodSafety.gov gives for leftovers kept at 40°F or below, which is a lot more reliable than sniff-testing a mystery jar on day six. See FoodSafety.gov cold storage charts.
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🖨️ Print-Friendly Latin Spice Blend
Latin Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons dried grated orange peel
- 1 ½ tablespoons allspice
- 1 ½ tablespoons nutmeg
- 1 ½ tablespoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons cayenne
Equipment
Instructions
- Measure everything into a zip-top bag, seal it, and shake until the spices are evenly combined. Pour the finished blend into a spice jar, small bottle, or vacuum-sealed bag and label it so you don't wind up playing mystery seasoning roulette next month.
- Use this blend as a dry rub, seasoning mix, or marinade starter. A good place to start is 1 to 2 tablespoons per pound of meat, or about 1 tablespoon for 2 to 3 cups of beans, rice, or roasted vegetables, then adjust to taste.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
