Cornstarch – If you like your taco meat to have a slightly saucy consistency, add 1/2 tsp of cornstarch to your spice mix and add 1/3 cup water to your taco meat or beans when you add the spices. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. Sometimes I use it in my favorite taco recipe, crockpot chicken tacos, or taco soup. If you prefer not to use fresh onion and garlic, you can add 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp onion powder to the recipe below. This homemade taco seasoning recipe has plenty of flavor from herbs and spices, so you won’t miss the extra salt found in the little packets from the store. , Sounds delicious..will try tonight! Welcome to the world of delicious recipes designed for small budgets. Please try again. Your email address will not be published. Budget Bytes » How-To » Homemade Taco Seasoning. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. To make taco meat, first brown the ground meat in a large skillet. Super tasty and easy! The commentary also mentions using one recipe to season one pound of ground meat – beef, turkey, chicken – or three cups of canned beans. It takes less than 5 minutes to make, using ingredients that you likely have in your kitchen already. Brown the meat, add in the taco seasoning and 1 cup of water, and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks! Originally posted 2-19-12, updated 7-27-18. Finally just going to write it down and stick it to the fridge, so thought it was time to give you the rating you deserve! This looks great – I use taco seasoning frequently, and am excited to use a homemade version. It’s healthier than many of the store bought seasoning packets, and tastes better, too. After cooking, season with salt and pepper to taste. This taco seasoning recipe takes just minutes to make, using spices that you probably have in your kitchen. Recipe can easily be doubled and use more or less … It sounds perfect! To make taco meat, use 2 heaping tablespoons taco seasoning per pound of meat. I like to use these small Weck jars to store my spice mixes. More ». Just back here for the millionth time to get this recipe to use for quesadillas as it never sticks in my head. Your recipe proves that it’s so easy and even better than the store-bought kind. I keep mine in a drawer in my kitchen where I store the rest of my spices. Store bought taco seasoning seemed so easy. Combine the taco seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. This recipe was a lifesaver! Small budget? Here are some recipes that use this taco seasoning: Smoked Paprika – I really think the smoked paprika made the flavor of this seasoning pop, but if you can’t get it, you can use regular paprika in its place. Required fields are marked *, Sign me up for Kristine's Kitchen FREE Recipe Emails and eBook Downloads. I’ve been making this taco seasoning recipe for years – it’s one of my staple recipes that I make often. I use it all the time and have never bought another packet of seasoning again. Pinning this to remember for the next taco Tuesday! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Everyone in my house loves it and it is so much cheaper and SO easy! Brown the meat, add in the taco seasoning and 1 cup of water, and simmer until most of the liquid has … Making your own taco seasoning from scratch allows you to customize your spice blend to your tastes. I use a flat cost estimate for herbs and spices because they’re just too hard to measure/weigh, so this cost is purely an estimate. If you don’t care for a specific spice in this taco seasoning recipe, or if you have an allergy, you can leave it out. I have a few other homemade spice mix recipes that I make regularly, including this pumpkin pie spice substitute and this gingerbread spice mix, both of which are favorites during the fall and holiday seasons. Below you’ll find a list of my favorite recipes to use your homemade taco seasoning. Your email address will not be published. To make taco meat, use 2 heaping tablespoons taco seasoning per pound of meat. Use immediately, or store in an air-tight container, away from heat and sunlight, until ready to use. I do have a fajita recipe, which you can use this with in place of the other seasonings if you prefer. I really need to start making my own taco seasoning! My husband and I go through a ton of this, I make a 24x batch at a time now so I don’t have to make it every other week. Use right away or store in an airtight container. How do I know how much of the mix to use for one pound or 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef? Subscribe and receive FREE weekly meal plans plus my best tips eBook. And I definitely know the store bought stuff contains ingredients I probably don’t want to know about. Garlic Powder and Onion Powder – When I make taco meat I generally am also adding a diced onion and a clove or two of minced garlic, so I didn’t include any garlic powder or onion powder in this mix. we are cooking at home much more as of late, due to “social distancing.” I used this with ground turkey and my kids loved it; my middle one said its his new favorite recipe. I pinned this ! If you plan to use this taco seasoning for whole chicken breasts, simply sprinkle the taco seasoning over the entire surface of the chicken breast, then cook in a skillet until browned on the outside and cooked through. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Delicious- love that you can adjust the heat! I used to be a “packet seasoning” junkie. One of the first packaged foods that I eliminated from my family’s diet (we’re going back a few years here) was store-bought taco seasoning. Brown the ground meat first, then add one batch of the taco seasoning recipe below and continue to sauté for about two minutes more to toast the spices. I decided to leave salt and black pepper out of my seasoning, and instead I season my taco meat to taste after cooking. Cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. You can add more or less chili powder or cayenne to this recipe. Then add the taco seasoning and 1 cup of water. As a food lover and a number cruncher I've decided that cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. There was an error submitting your subscription. One batch of this is roughly equal to one of those packets that you can get at the grocery store and it’s 10 times more flavorful. You can store your homemade taco seasoning in a labeled zip-top bag or other sealed container. I generally estimate ten cents for every teaspoon of an herb or spice, unless it’s a particularly expensive item. So, take the cost of this recipe with a grain of salt (pun intended). Yes, those little taco seasoning packets from the store are convenient, but their ingredient lists often contain some questionable items. For salt I generally estimate half that. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen! So, I’ve experimented with different combinations of spices for taco seasoning over the past year, and I think today I found the winner! The freshness of your spices will determine the freshness of your taco seasoning, so check the expiration dates before you mix the ingredients together. My family loved this recipe…. Hi Susan, You’ll find all of my easy Instant Pot recipes here. Is there a fajita recipe too? You can even mix up big batches of it and store it pre-mixed in an air-tight container. Optional add-ins: 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder (either or both, depending on if you are using fresh garlic or onion); 1/2 tsp cornstarch (add 1/3 cup water to your meat or beans to create a saucy consistency). It's healthier, too! How to Use Taco Seasoning: Brown the ground meat first, then add one batch of the taco seasoning recipe below and continue to sauté for about two minutes more to toast the spices. . When the jar is running low, I make another batch of taco seasoning right away so I’ll have it ready the next time I need it. Sauces / Seasonings / Dressings / Spreads. I hope you find some new favorites! I always keep a batch of this homemade taco seasoning on hand. This taco seasoning can be used as a beef taco seasoning, chicken taco seasoning, or even a vegetarian taco seasoning (seasoning beans and vegetables). For beans, simply add the spices and heat through. Once you start making your own spice blends, you won’t want to go back to store bought. Required fields are marked *. But really, if you have a decently stocked spice cabinet, making your own homemade taco seasoning takes five minutes, max. The recipe below makes approximately 2 Tbsp of seasoning, so if you plan to scale the recipe up to make the seasoning in bulk, use about 2 Tbsp seasoning for every one pound of meat. It keeps for quite a while when sealed airtight in a cool, dry place.