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A good, homemade taco seasoning recipe is always a good recipe to have on hand. It’s made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients. It’s made quickly and easily and gives any dish amazing flavor.
This clean taco seasoning only has real spices in it. No preservatives or any of the junk you’ll find in the store-bought varieties. So you can feel good about seasoning your food with this.
What Is Taco Seasoning?
Taco seasoning is exactly what it sounds like. Seasoning you can add to meat to make taco meat for tacos. That said, it’s a very popular combination of spices that can be added to many different Latin dishes.
What’s In Taco Seasoning?
The overall predominant flavors are cumin and chili powder with some garlic and onion mixed in. However, a store-bought packet of taco seasoning is a whole different animal. Homemade seasoning is a much better choice.
Store-Bought Vs. Homemade Taco Seasoning
The sad fact is that most of the store-bought taco seasoning you can buy has either sugar, maltodextrin, or MSG in it. (Or a combination of all of those!) That’s not exactly what I want to put in my body, thank you. Making your own taco seasoning recipe at home takes a minute or two, and you can feel good about what you are eating. Plus, you can make a big batch and keep it in your pantry for many meals to come. No more small packets for single dinners!
What Can I Use If I Don’t Have Taco Seasoning?
Well, that’s what this recipe is for! But seriously, if you are low on spices, you can usually get away with using ground cumin and chili powder in a pinch. It won’t be quite the same, but it’ll be close.
What’s The Difference Between Mexican Seasoning And Taco Seasoning?
Taco seasoning is a milder seasoning compared to Mexican seasoning. Mexican seasoning has some spicier things added, such as chipotle chile pepper and ancho powder. It’s a spicier mix, even if the overall combination of spices is roughly the same.
Dietary Concerns
This homemade taco seasoning is a great option for anyone who wants to use taco seasoning. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, keto, etc. It fits almost any eating plan.
Garlic granules – Or garlic powder. (Not garlic salt)
Ground black pepper
Chili powder
Salt – Optional. Sea salt or pink Himalayan salt are both good choices. If you use it, add a quarter teaspoon to start. You can always add more later or during cooking.
How To Make Taco Seasoning
Blend all spices in a bowl and use to season any taco meat you are cooking. Use approximately 1 tablespoon per pound of meat.
Note: This mix has a small amount of “kick” to it. Nothing that will set your mouth on fire, but definitely noticeable. If you want something without the kick, leave out the cayenne and add an extra ½ teaspoon of paprika.
Ideas For Using This Clean Taco Seasoning
Tacos– Mix this into the meat during cooking.
Burritos– Mix this into the meat during cooking.
Cheese Taco Pasta– Mix this into the meat and pasta combo during cooking.
Salsa– Blend this into fresh salsa for an extra kick.
Taco dip– Blend this into the meat or beans or both.
Mexican soups and stews– Use this as seasoning in soups and stews. Simply drop it into the broth.
Enchiladas– Give the sauce a little something extra with 1 to 2 tbsp. of this seasoning.
Quesadillas– Sprinkle this over the cheese before cooking. Let the spices melt into the cheese.
Black beans – Sprinkle it on while you warm them up.
Casseroles – Any Mexican-style casserole dish will benefit from taco seasoning.
Chicken tacos
Taco soup
More Seasoning Mix Recipes
Ranch Mix
Hamburger Helper
Onion Soup Mix
Need A Jar?
You’ll want to keep your taco seasoning in an airtight container such as a mason jar or a spice jar. Here are some ideas.
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Taco Seasoning Recipe Card
Healthy Taco Seasoning
Why buy packets of seasoning at the store that are filled with junk when you can so easily make your own at home in minutes?! Use approximately 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning per pound of meat.
3.60 from 5 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 5 minutesminutes
Total Time: 5 minutesminutes
Servings: 2servings
Calories: 77kcal
CLICK TO WATCH THIS RECIPE IN ACTION!
Ingredients
2tbsp.ground cumin
1tsp.paprika
1tsp.garlic powder
½tsp.cayenne pepper
½tsp.onion powder
¼tsp.ground black pepper
¼tsp.chili powder
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Put all the measured spices into a mixing bowl.
Whisk them together.
Note: This mix has a small amount of "kick" to it. Nothing that will set your mouth on fire, but definitely noticeable. If you want something without the kick, leave out the cayenne and add an extra ½ teaspoon of paprika.
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted 8/19/10.
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Mexican seasoning typically consists of a blend of traditional herbs and spices while taco seasoning is a specific blend of spices that may not be used as much in traditional Mexican dishes.
Ortega Taco Seasonings are made with the highest quality ingredients and use a unique blend of spices to provide a truly authentic Mexican eating experience.
Some of the most common spice blends used in Mexican cuisine include chili powder, which typically includes cumin, garlic powder, and paprika, and achiote paste, which is made from annatto seeds and gives dishes a vibrant red color.
McCormick Taco Seasoning is crafted with a premium blend of zesty herbs and spices including chili pepper, paprika, oregano and garlic. Blended especially for chefs, McCormick Taco Seasoning gives chefs an all-in-one, ready-to-use mix to deliver intense, concentrated flavor to Mexican-inspired dishes and beyond.
Most taco seasoning mixes contain salt, warming spices (such as paprika, oregano, and chili), onion powder, and garlic powder. This top-rated recipe is made with chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, sea salt, black pepper, ground paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Another suitable substitute is chili powder, as some versions have cumin as one of the primary ingredients. Keep in mind that chili powder will provide some additional flavors, as the mix may contain paprika, garlic powder, oregano, ground cayenne, and onion powder.
Tacos are tortillas curled into shell shape and fried. It is filled with ground meat sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and topped with cheese. McCormick Taco Seasoning Mix is a special blend of Herbs & Spices with prominent cumin flavor & aroma, intended to impart a unique flavor to meat dishes.
The major difference between McCormick's 'Original' and their 'Premium' Taco Seasoning is that Premium also contains Smoked Paprika, Dehydrated Red and Green Bell Peppers, some Cocoa Powder and Black Pepper.
The number one reason why people end up with bland tacos is because the meat wasn't seasoned properly. Luckily, that isn't an issue with this dish. However, if you find that your tacos aren't spicy enough for your liking, feel free to adjust the seasoning as needed or add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce.
Draining the grease from ground beef will make a dish healthier and is usually recommended. Brown the meat first to extract the fat.Then, you can spoon the grease out of the pan or use a colander to drain the grease. It is important you do not discard the hot grease down a drain as it can cause damage to the drain.
This Mexican Seasoning blend is a perfectly balanced mixture of aromatic ground chiles and authentic Mexican spices. The seasoning is mildly spicy, with warm smokey notes. Use this Mexican spice mix to add flavor to casseroles, skillet meals, chili, enchiladas, or any other Mexican dishes!
American tacos use flour tortillas or crispy, hard-shelled corn tortillas. You'll find that authentic Mexican tacos use soft corn tortillas as the wrapper. Next comes the toppings. Tex-Mex tacos are filled with shredded cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes and sour cream.
Fajita seasoning and taco seasoning are very similar, but they are not the same. Taco seasoning typically has more oregano and chili powder than fajita seasoning.
Tajín Clásico, often referred to as simply Tajín (Spanish pronunciation: [taˈxin]), is a Mexican spice mix consisting predominantly of lime, chili peppers and salt.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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