Complete Seasoning (Badia Sazon Completa Copycat)

Name: Complete Seasoning (Badia Sazon Completa Copycat)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: South American
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic; 2 teaspoons dried minced onion; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon MSG OR 1 teaspoon salt

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Inspired by the South American/Caribbean sazon completa, this Complete Seasoning recipe features a unique mixture of garlic, onion, herbs and spices and is the perfect “tastes good on everything” spice blend.

One of my top tips to new home cooks: invest in a good seasoning blend. Yes, salt and pepper are important, but a seasoning blend with a variety of herbs and spices in a single jar is an easy way to make a simple meal, extraordinary.

I believe so much in the power of a good seasoning blend, everytime I’m in the spice aisle I need to restrain myself from purchasing yet another one that catches my eye. Tomato-Basil-Garlic Blend? Sounds delicious. Orange-Cilantro-Pepper Seasoning? That looks interesting. Needless to say, I have a soft spot (and a large space in my pantry) for a good seasoning blend.

I also like to keep an eye out for unique seasoning blends in grocery stores when I’m on vacation. When traveling, my family often opts to stay in a home over a hotel so we can cook our own meals.

While the kitchen in these homes will usually have salt and pepper, it’s rare that they will have a large assortment of spices for me to cook with (at least compared to my spice cabinet at home). So when picking up groceries, I like to seek out a seasoning blend to use in my meals, as it’s more economical than buying a large variety of spices.

a hand holding a jar of Badia Sazon Completa

Sazon Completa / Complete Seasoning

A few years ago, on a trip to Costa Rica I came across a seasoning blend I had never seen before: Badia’s Sazon Completa. Now we have Badia spices where I live in the United States, but I had never heard of sazon completa before so I decided to give it a try.

Oh my goodness, was it amazing! It tasted great on chicken, vegetables, potatoes . . . I couldn’t believe it. I took the little jar of sazon completa home with me and continued to use it on everything possible until it ran out. *Cue the tears*.

But don’t worry! Turns out, Badia’s Sazon Completa is also available in the United States where it’s more likely to be labeled Complete Seasoning. Even though I know now that I can purchase more whenever I like at my local grocery store, this brief period of going without got me thinking: what exactly is sazon completa and how can I recreate it at home so I never run out again?

Four small plates with spices and granlated garlic and onion, with a spoon sitting next to them

What is Sazon Completa / Complete Seasoning?

Complete Seasoning – or Sazon Completa in Spanish – is a common seasoning in South American and Caribbean cooking. It’s called “complete” because of its versatility and ability to add great flavor to a variety of dishes. It’s not spicy, but instead adds an amazing savory flavor. Recipes for Complete Seasoning contain a blend of garlic, herbs, spices and salt and it’s most often used to season meats, vegetables, and sauces. In the United States, you can often find pre-made versions of Complete Seasoning in the Spanish or Latin food aisle.

While it’s not a flavor profile that I personally grew up on, after one taste it’s easy to say I am hooked. I understand why it’s so popular in so many countries. I encourage you to give this recipe a try, but be warned, you might become addicted to it like I have!

How To Make Complete Seasoning

To make your own version of Complete Seasoning at home you will need the following:

Dried minced garlic
Dried minced onion
Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Ground black pepper
Dried Oregano
Salt
(optional) MSG

Two photos on one on top of each other showing the before and after of grinding granulated garlic and onion and a spice grinder

Spice/Coffee Grinder: While not entirely necessary (see FAQ section below for alternatives), if you are interested in getting a final result that is as close to the original Badia Complete Seasoning blend as possible, you’ll need a spice or coffee grinder. I personally use a coffee grinder that I clean well before using to grind spices. You’ll want to grind the dried minced garlic and onion ever so slightly. They don’t need to be completely powdered, but the original Badia Complete Seasoning has garlic and onion granules that are somewhere in between – not as big as the dried minced garlic and onion as they come out of the jar, but not completely powdered like jarred garlic or onion powder.

A plate covered in complete seasoning spice mix with a spoon sitting on it.

Recipe FAQs

Do I really need to use a spice grinder?

If you want to get a result that mimics the original Badia Complete Seasoning blend, yes. If that’s not important to you, you can replace the dried minced garlic and onion with an equivalent amount of garlic powder and onion powder and skip the spice grinder step in the recipe altogether.

Do I need to use MSG in this recipe? Isn’t MSG bad for you?

The original Badia Complete Seasoning includes MSG in its ingredients. I tested my recipe with both MSG and salt, and just salt. In my opinion, they are both tasty, but the MSG version definitely has a little extra delicious umami flavor (which is exactly what MSG provides to food). Many of the other recipes I’ve seen online for complete seasoning boast that they are “MSG free.” This reflects the longstanding reputation that MSG has had for being “bad” for you. But based on my own research, it seems like that might be misguided (see: Is MSG Really Harmful? and Is MSG Bad for You?). I think whether or not to use MSG in this recipe is really up to personal preference. If you prefer to avoid cooking with MSG, feel free to leave it out and use the 100% salt version, which is equally good.

Why do you call this a Badia Complete Seasoning copycat and not just Complete Seasoning?

I call this recipe a Badia Complete Seasoning copycat because that’s what it is, and it’s the version of Complete Seasoning that I fell in love with. I spent time analyzing the flavor profile of the Badia version and tried to get my recipe as close to the original as possible. It will never be exact or perfect (Badia’s blend is proprietary and its ingredient label is pretty cryptic as to exactly what spices and flavors it contains), but to my palate it’s pretty close.

A jar of complete seasoning with a spoon in it.

What can I use Complete Seasoning on?

I love to use my Complete Seasoning recipe on meats (think chicken, fish, pork), vegetables, roast potatoes or french fries. I’ll even sprinkle it on eggs – scrambled, fried, hard boiled – all delicious with a dash of Complete Seasoning!

Two chicken breasts on parchment paper seasoning with complete seasoning. A small dish with complete seasoning sits next to it with a spoon on top.

If you are looking for some recipe inspiration where you can use Complete Seasoning, check out my Perfect Pan Seared Chicken Breast, or try substituting it for the garlic powder in my Simple Sautéed Green Beans.