Southwest Rub. One has not lived until one has entered into a simple shop at Pike Place Market in Seattle and asked an old Mexican woman which spices to buy if one were to want to cook authentic Mexican food.

How she sold me a basket full of spices without speaking a single word of English I will never know but I’m glad she did.

Southwest Rub

Will coat about 4 chicken thighs or 2 butterflied chicken breasts.

• 1 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika (high-quality so it’s not too spicy or bitter)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon jalapeno powder (optional)

Place all ingredients together in a large bowl and stir together. Store in an airtight container in the cupboard.

How to Use

Coat chicken well with the rub. Allow to sit in the fridge overnight or at least about 20-30 minutes. Grill or cook as usual. For added zing, drizzle fresh lime juice over chicken.

Make sure to use a meat thermometer to read the temperature at the thickest part of the chicken. It must read 165°F. Less than 165°F will make your family sick. Too far over 165°F, will make chicken dry. For these reasons, it’s good to watch it very closely. If using a different kind of meat than poultry, just look up the safe temperature for that meat.

Use as Taco Seasoning

To use the fajita mix as taco seasoning, cook about 1 pound of ground hamburger or 20 ounces of ground chicken over medium heat. Stir meat while cooking. When the meat is finished cooking, add 3/4 cup water and this Southwest Rub mix. Stir and continue to cook until water has mostly dissolved.

Thank you, lovely Mexican lady. Your smile and your wordless sales abilities have changed my world.