To make taco seasoning, whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic and onion powder, oregano, and salt. About two tablespoons of the blend seasons one pound of meat and replaces a single store-bought packet, with no filler.
What is taco seasoning?
Taco seasoning is a Mexican-American spice blend built around chili powder and cumin, rounded out with paprika, garlic, onion, and oregano. The store packet is the same idea, padded with starch, anti-caking agents, and far more salt than you would add yourself.
Mixing it at home costs pennies, takes five minutes, and lets you control the heat and salt. One batch is sized to a pound of ground meat, but the same blend seasons beans, chicken, roasted vegetables, and rice just as well.
What goes in taco seasoning?
- ·1 tbsp chili powder
- ·1.5 tsp ground cumin
- ·1 tsp paprika
- ·1/2 tsp garlic powder
- ·1/2 tsp onion powder
- ·1/2 tsp dried oregano
- ·1/4 tsp salt
- ·Pinch of cayenne (optional, for heat)
Chili powder is the backbone, with cumin close behind for warmth and the rest as supporting players. This full batch, about three tablespoons, equals roughly one seasoning packet and seasons one pound of meat. Scale it up and keep a jar on hand.
How do you make taco seasoning?
- Measure all the spices into a small bowl.
- Whisk together until evenly combined and no streaks of one color remain.
- Use about two tablespoons per pound of meat, added with a splash of water as it cooks.
- Store the rest in an airtight jar away from light and heat.
What should you know before making taco seasoning?
- Toast it in the pan. Blooming the spices in oil for a few seconds deepens the flavor.
- Control your own salt. Homemade lets you keep the sodium far below a packet.
- Add a splash of water. A little liquid helps the seasoning coat the meat evenly.
- Adjust the heat. Cayenne is optional; add more for spice, leave it out for mild.
Where did taco seasoning come from?
Taco seasoning grew out of Tex-Mex and Mexican-American home cooking, with chili powder itself a Texan invention of the late nineteenth century. The packaged blend is a mid-twentieth-century convenience product; the from-scratch version simply returns to the spices behind it.
What can you use taco seasoning on?
Common questions.
How do you make taco seasoning from scratch?
Whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt. Use about two tablespoons per pound of meat.
How much homemade taco seasoning equals a packet?
About two tablespoons of the blend replaces one standard store packet, which is enough for one pound of meat.
Is homemade taco seasoning spicy?
It is mild as written. The heat comes from optional cayenne, so add more for spice or leave it out entirely for a family-friendly blend.
What can I use taco seasoning on besides beef?
Chicken, shrimp, beans, rice, roasted vegetables, and even popcorn. It works anywhere you want warm, chili-cumin flavor.
How long does homemade taco seasoning keep?
About six months in an airtight jar away from light and heat, like any ground-spice blend, though it is best within a few months.