wee makes taco seasoning

taco season

Taco seasoning isn’t good for you, there’s really no way around that. Chock-full of mystery “seasonings”, various starchy binders, 20% your daily value of sodium, and lord knows what else (caramel color? really??)…

So what’s a taco-loving girl like me to do? Make her own, of course!

Well, suck it Ortega, I’ve got my own seasoning now and I don’t need you ANY MORE!  I made a bunch and stashed the extra in a spare spice jar for future use. I’d say about 2-3 Tbsp to 1 pkg (1.25 lbs) of lean turkey meat is a good amount. (I also tried the seasoning with beef and it was still tasty) If you find that it isn’t seasoned enough for you, add an extra tablespoon. That’s still less than my giant container of taco seasoning calls for (which says to use 1/4 C of seasoning mix per 1 lb of meat) I like it pretty spicy, so tone it down to suit your tastes. Remember – it’s always easier to add more spice than to take it out!

To make your tacos, brown the meat in a saute pan, sprinkle with 2-3 Tbs seasoning, stir to coat, and add 1/2 – 3/4 C water or stock. Stir and simmer until it looks taco-y enough to eat.

Taco Seasoning

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  •  1 Tb chili powder
  •  1 tsp each:
  •   chipotle powder (<3 chipotle)
  •   garlic powder
  •   paprika
  •   onion powder
  •   dried oregano
  •   ground cumin

1/2 tsp each:

  •   thyme (because it’s poultry, feel free to leave it out if you’re using it with beef)
  •   aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes)
  •   salt

….. and a few grinds of pepper

How do you know if you’ve got it right? Smell it! Does it smell taco-y to you? 🙂

*I tend to go light on the salt for seasoning, so that I can adjust it to my taste at the end (It’s much easier to add salt than it is to take it out!)

*Double or triple it and store some in a container for later 🙂

*Don’t worry if you’re missing ingredients – recipes are guides not rules, so if you don’t have aleppo use red pepper flakes, if you don’t have those add a dash of cayenne. Don’t have chipotle powder? No big deal, use another chile powder in its place or just let it be…  

*Aleppo pepper can be found at Penzey’s


3 thoughts on “wee makes taco seasoning

  1. I am a FREAK for taco’s. I can’t wait to try your taco seasoning. Your right, it’s so much healthier! I know what’s for dinner at my house tonight.

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