If you guys follow my Weekly Menu ideas, you know that I’m a fan of simple food. Seriously – I’m all about easy and kid-friendly food.
One thing all six of us love is tacos. (Tacos is also totally my go-to for company! It’s a crowd-pleaser and works for lots of restrictive diets and allergy sensitivities!) However, a few years ago, my husband started to notice that he felt “off” every time we ate them. It turned out that he is sensitive to preservatives – which those taco spice envelopes are loaded with. I bought just about every packet out there, and he continued to feel off.
I wasn’t about to give up tacos. (What am I? Crazy?!) So, I decided to mix up my own taco spice. And guess what? No more feeling off. I know exactly what is going into the mix – and I can even adjust it from time to time, if we’re watching our salt intake.
I use my grocery store’s bulk section to purchase my spices. If you’ve never bought your spices this way – I totally encourage you to do it. My store has an incredible selection and you just can’t beat the prices.
Here is what you’ll need to mix up your own bottle of Taco Spice:
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons chili powder (*My store has a mild and a hot variety. Choose what works for YOUR family. I get mild!)
6 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons oregano
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika (*I use just the regular paprika, not the smoked variety.)
2 teaspoons pepper
Just look at all those pretty layers of flavor!
Mix all spices together and store. I purchased an empty spice shaker, and just refill as necessary.
Use the amount of spice that YOU like for your taco meat. I’ve never measured, but I’d say I use about a Tablespoon of the mix per pound of cooked ground meat. Ish. (Don’t you love it when internet recipes are so precise?) 😉
Want some recipes?
Black Bean Quesadillas – (use in place of the cumin!)
I also love to use this spice mix on popcorn!!
Oh I can’t wait to try the black bean quesadilla. They sound so good. But I’ve not tried a quesadilla yet that I haven’t enjoyed. I have not thought about mixing my own taco seasoning until this post. I will try this. Thanks for sharing.