Homemade Achiote Paste Recipe

One could argue that spices make the meal — they can level up an average recipe by enhancing it with flavors that knock your socks off. The Caribbean, Central American, and Mexican cultures are known for maximizing flavors with an array of spices, so it's no wonder that achiote paste is a common addition to many Latin and Caribbean dishes. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for homemade achiote paste and says, "I first tried achiote paste that was used as a rub on grilled cauliflower at a Caribbean restaurant. I knew I had to try and recreate that flavor at home. I typically buy all of my spices in bulk so I can make spice blends and I love how this paste incorporates several of my favorites, along with garlic and fresh citrus juice. The paste can be used on a variety of vegetables, tofu, and meats. If you want to use it as more of a marinade, you can simply add some water or more orange juice to thin it out." Read on to learn how to make this flavorful paste.

To make this recipe you'll need a collection of spices, as you might imagine. The main ingredient is annatto seeds which give this paste a nutty, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor while also providing a vibrant red color. "Annatto seeds may be tricky to find in stores," Hahn says, "but they can easily be found online." The other spices you'll need are oregano, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, whole cloves, salt, and coriander. From the produce department, pick up some fresh garlic, an orange, and a lime. To finish things off, grab some white vinegar.

The first step is to break down all of the spices that aren't finely ground. You can use a small food processor or a spice grinder for this. Go ahead and put the annatto seeds, oregano, cumin seeds, peppercorns, and cloves in the spice grinder or the food processor. Grind them until they're completely ground. If you are using a spice grinder, this should only take about 10 seconds, but if you are using a small food processor it may take a few minutes to do the job.

To prep the citrus, grab a small bowl. Squeeze the lime and orange to extract the juice. If you aren't using an orange squeezer to capture the seeds, just fish them out with a spoon. "We definitely want to make sure there aren't any stray seeds in our mixture as that can add bitterness and ruin the batch," Hahn remarks.

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Blend the mixture until a thick paste forms. The achiote paste is now ready to serve. Hahn says, "I like to store this in a small jar with a lid. The paste will last for up to a month in the fridge. Use it generously, as the deep red color of the annatto seeds is an indication of the high antioxidant count," Hahn says. Who knew that such delicious flavor could be so healthy?