Homemade Taco Seasoning from Scratch

Homemade taco seasoning is such a delicious alternative to anything you could get from a packaged mix.  This recipe is super easy – you probably have everything you need in your cupboards already!   Plus, you can guarantee that it’s free from artificial chemicals and preservatives and you can keep the salt content down.

 If you want, you can double, triple, or even more times this recipe and store it in a small mason jar in your spice cupboard so you can easily grab it when you need it.  No need to waste a $1 at the store for a mix ever again!

Recipe: Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon chili powder


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin


• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder


• 1/2 teaspoon paprika


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano


• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)


• black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix together all ingredients.


2. Brown your ground meat and drain the fat.  (As a side note, I also like to include fresh onions and green pepper in my meat to get some more veggies in the meal.  You might want to cook the veggies first and add the meat after they have softened a bit).


3. Mix together about 2 Tablespoons of the seasoning with 1/3 cup of water.  You can use more or less seasoning as you like.  It will depend entirely on how much spice and flavour you like in your tacos.


4. Add the mixture to the ground beef and cook until the water is absorbed.


5. Store any leftover seasoning in an airtight container.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

 Did I mention it’s also amazingly delicious?  The first time I made tacos from this seasoning, my husband said they were the best tacos he’s ever had!  I’m not sure I could ever go back to store bought seasoning packages again after this!  It even beats the homemade tacos my mom used to make and that’s a tough challenge!

For years I used the Old El Paso taco seasoning packages from the  supermarket, but I always cringed when I saw the salt content – in fact, I would throw away half of the mix and double the water just to keep the salt down.  And have you noticed that the ingredients of the packaged mix include MSG and several preserving chemicals that are hard to pronounce?

You can make this seasoning exactly to your tastes.  Want it spicier?  Go for it!  Want it loaded with flavour?  Add more seasoning!   I’m so much happier with the spices that are fresh from my cupboard… Well, as fresh as spices in the cupboard ever get (how long has that garlic powder been in there???), but you know what I mean!  It’s way fresher than a packaged mix and definitely healthier!

This homemade taco seasoning takes less than 5 minutes to put together, and it tastes so much better than the packaged mixes!  Use it for tacos, nachos, seven layer dip, burritos, chili cheese fries or one of your other favourite tex-mex dishes.   It’s a super healthy option that is easy on the wallet and also happens to taste amazing!  You’ll never want to go back to the packaged mix again!

Source : onelittleproject.com
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