Homemade Taco Seasoning

It's no secret that I love spicy food. Lucky for me, my husband does too. His family has even joked our kids will have to walk around with hot sauce in their pocket to make other people's food taste normal to them. I often cook Mexican food at home and I have been on the hunt for the perfect combination of spices to use in my recipes.

Taco seasoning is one of the most common recipes in the spice isle. I have tried many of them and I am not a huge fan of the prepackaged ones. Some are far too salty, some too bland and others too sweet. This is a good in between version. It's not too salty or spicy, but it has a good deal of flavor. Many taco or Mexican spice seasonings are designed just for tacos and have flour in them to thicken up taco meat. This puts a huge dent in the amount of flavor this adds to your recipes.

I like to have seasonings on hand that will work with anything I am making. This is a great recipe for chili, tacos, salsa, quesadillas, and one of my favorite Mexican foods,  burritos.

Taco Seasoning Ingredients

1 part salt

1 part garlic powder

1 part ground chile (Latino foods isle)

1 part cumin

Just like the other seasonings, I just measure out the container and divide by four. Make sure your container is very clean and dry before putting the seasonings into it. Keep in mind, ground chile is not the same thing as chile powder. Chile powder is a combination of different spices. Ground chile is the chile itself made into a powder. It shouldn't be too difficult to find. If you are unable to locate this powdered gold, then chile powder will work well, too.

To use your new seasoning for delicious burritos...

Saute about half of a diced onion in vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook this until it is a bit tender.

Add in about 1/2 pound of ground beef or turkey and brown until the meat is no longer pink. Add in about 1/4 teaspoon of your fresh taco seasoning.  We will add more in later, but you want to make sure each layer of the ingredients has been seasoned well.

Next, add in 1 small can of diced green chilies. I like to use the mild version and add in more heat depending on who I am serving. 

For the last ingredient, add in about 1 to 2 cups of whole beans. You can use canned or homemade if you have them on hand. I like pinto beans, but black beans would work well here, too. If you are using canned beans add in another 1/4 teaspoon of the seasoning. Homemade beans tend to have less salt in them so you can add up to another 1/2 teaspoon depending on your taste.

 

 The only thing you need for a delicious burrito is a few warmed flour tortillas and a good sprinkling of cheese. This is one of my favorite meals and best ways to enjoy a delicious homemade taco seasoning.