I tried several recipes I found online for homemade taco seasoning and every one of them received a thumbs down from the family. They really wanted me to go back to buying the packaged kind, but I was bound and determined to make it from scratch.
You see, a little over a year ago, I decided to try my hand at making some of my own homemade mixes. Partly to cut back on the amount of processed food items in my pantry, partly for cost effectiveness and partly for fun.
So despite my family’s grievance, I tweaked and tweaked and finally came up with a recipe they all liked!
I also figured out why the other recipes weren’t working for us. It all boiled down to the ratio of two ingredients: chili powder and paprika.
Craving Chili? Click here for my homemade chili seasoning recipe!
When I reduced the amount of chili powder in the recipe, it just didn’t work out. It lacked the savory flavor and color of packaged taco seasoning.
So I played around a bit, still decreased the chili powder, but also increased the paprika by a good amount. The extra paprika not only provided an extra kick of smoky flavor, but also the desired color.
I also added a small amount of thickening agent to create the same consistency as packaged seasoning.
Now my family can’t tell the difference between store bought or homemade taco seasoning!
I like to double this batch several times and store in an airtight container so it’s convenient and easy to add to recipes. These are my favorite pantry storage containers.
To save even more money, I buy the following seasonings in bulk.
I like to order from Amazon because they have competitive prices and it ships to my door FREE with either Prime or Subscribe & Save. I can also save an additional 15% off my entire order if I purchase 5 or more items through Subscribe & Save. Works for me!
Ingredients
- 1 tbs Paprika
- 1/2 tbs Cumin
- 1 tbs teaspoon Arrowroot or 1/2Corn Starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp chili powder more if you want it spicier
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together (double, triple or even quadruple the recipe) and store in airtight container.
- Mix 2 - 2 1/2 tablespoons of seasoning mix with approximately 1/2 cup COLD water and stir until arrowroot/cornstarch is dissolved.
- Add to 1 lb of browned ground beef or cooked chicken and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
How much COLD water?
Thanks for this recipe. I have to watch my salt intake like a hawk and this will really help make bland foods more tasty.
Glad I found you