My Taco Seasoning alternative

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I love me some delicious tacos. I grew up in California so I had plenty of chances to eat authentic tacos at different food trucks and restaurants and I never had enough! Now that I live in Arizona I am always on the prowl for good Mexican restaurants and I sometimes even make my own tacos. You can create delicious tacos with your own taco seasoning too!

But to enjoy good tacos at home I need to use the right taco seasoning. I used to just use whatever is available at local grocery stores but ever since I learned how to read ingredients labels on food, I make my own seasoning. And I’m sure you will feel the same once you read what can be found in your typical store-bought taco seasoning:

SPICES (INCLUDING PAPRIKA, CHILI PEPPER, CUMIN), ONION, WHEY (MILK), POTATO STARCH, SALT, SUGAR, GARLIC, AND CITRIC ACID. (SOURCE)

Let’s start with the spices. The maker of this seasoning listed some of them in parentheses but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any more “spices” involved. That’s how companies hide chemicals, MSG additives, and other preservatives. The whey has oxidized by now and the sugar is definitely the cheapest and the most unhealthy version of refined sugar they could possibly find (besides, I don’t even think sugar belongs in healthy tacos). The same goes for salt – it’s not the best quality. Citric acid is how they sneak in some more MSG in there.

I use my homemade taco seasoning for most Mexican dishes I prepare at home, not only tacos. It works perfectly with ground beef and ground turkey. It binds together burritos, burrito bowls, tostadas, and more. I even sometimes mix it with sour cream for unique-tasting dips and sauces!

The ratios I use are: 2-3 tablespoons to a pound of ground meat, 1 tablespoon to a cup of sour cream.

Necessary equipment:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of dried minced onion OR onion powder
  • 1/4 cup of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup of chili powder
  • 1/8 cup of ground cumin
  • 1/8 cup of garlic powder
  • 1 T. of dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 t. of cayenne pepper

Instructions:

  1. Add in all the ingredients to your chosen container.
  2. Shake vigorously to combine.

Enjoy! For the best seasonings for chicken click here.

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