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Taco Seasoning Recipe

July 2, 2013 By Gwen Brown 26 Comments

THM-Taco-MixThis Taco Seasoning Recipe is brought to you by special request this Tuesday. First, I want to tell you a little about WHY and HOW I got into making my own spice mixes.

The WHY part is because I started reading about Monosodium Glutamate or MSG, and how frequently it’s used in our foods.  Not only is it used to make rats fat for scientific studies, but it also makes humans crave more food…among other not so savory side effects.  After checking over my cabinets, I was STUNNED to discover that many of the spice blends I used were [mostly] MSG.  So I cleaned out my cabinets, stocked up on real herbs, and started working on my own blends.

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You may have seen my chili mix recipe, or this delicious and versatile ranch dressing recipe, and maybe you’ve tried the amazing Greek dressing recipe and spice mix.  Really, these are the main four spice blends that I reach for on a daily and weekly basis in the kitchen.

So, let’s get to the HOW to do it…it’s SO easy!   This is what you’ll need:

P1110104Garlic powder, minced dried onion, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.  And if you’re a Trim Healthy Mama like me, you’ll want to use glucomannan as your thickener.

You also want peppers to give your taco seasoning more personality.  This is where things get fun.  I have some very spice sensitive kiddos, and so I make only a mild taco seasoning blend.  But you can branch out and go as hot and wild as you like!  Here are some great pepper options for you to experiment with:

P1110102

So far, I’ve experimented with two different ‘real’ whole dried chilis from the ethnic area of my grocery store with GREAT results.  They are very mild and flavorful.   I’ve tried the ancho and the guajillo with seeds, and had great results with both kinds.  The ancho is sort of sweet and smokey tasting, and the other is more of just a straight up mild peppery taste.

If you’re not in an adventurous mood, though, you can use plain old red pepper flakes or even boost the heat with some cayenne.  Remember, though…start with a mild mix, and then work your way up to where you like it.  It’s easy to add more spice, but hard to take out the heat if you’ve over done it.

And now I will share with you the REAL secret to an AMAZING taco seasoning recipe:

P1110109Smoked Paprika, baby.

I found this tiny jar at a local store, and when it’s gone, I’m buying it in bulk from my Amazon store.  It’s got a savory depth of flavor that’s just beyond words.  It’ll be featured in my taco seasoning recipe and my chili mix from here on out.

So, basically, measure and blend…voila.  I toss the spices and whole pepper into the blender or food processor and blend to break the pepper up into little pieces, and then add the minced onion last to give some nice texture to the final dish.

P1110099

Isn’t it pretty!

I always make a jar-full.  And it makes dinner come together SO fast.  This is how easy it is:

Step 1: brown a pound of meat.

P1110110

Step 2: add 2 Tablespoons of your homemade mix.P1110114

Step 3: add 1 Tablespoon of ketchup.  If you haven’t tried the Trim Healthy Mama ketchup recipe yet, you should…it’s SO good!P1110115

Step 4: add 1/2 cup of water and stir.P1110116

Dinner is served.P1110119I pile it on warm tortillas, and we have something between a giant soft taco and a burrito.

P1110124

It’s one of our favorite and fastest summer meals!

P1110121

If you’re in the mood for a good S dinner, then top with cheese, sour cream, and your favorite salsa and veggies.  If you want to keep it a Fuel Pull, then use 0% Greek Yogurt as a delicious sour cream sub, and just skip the cheese (or use a bit of lower fat cheese), and pile on the veggies and salsa.

This is my favorite brand of low carb tortilla.

P1110112Some of them have icky hydrogenated oils, and some unsavory ingredients, but this one is actually good and really tasty.P1110113So there you have it…a super easy Taco seasoning recipe and how to use it.  Your printable recipe is below.

P1110125Be sure to check out the AMAZING Trim Healthy Tuesday link up just below…I am LOVING reading and trying the recipes each week!

Taco Seasoning Recipe [FP]
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
15 mins
 
This is a very versatile and tasty taco seasoning recipe that we've loved for years...makes a whole jar full of savory goodness, that cranks out nearly instant dinners. This recipe yields 2½ cups of taco seasoning, which is about 20 meals worth.
Author: Gwen
Recipe type: Condiments & Spice Blends
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • ⅔ cup chili powder
  • ½ cup ground cumin
  • ½ cup salt
  • 1 whole ancho or guajillo dried pepper (very mild)
  • 1 Tbls. smoked paprika for flavor *OR* cayenne pepper for more heat (can add both)
  • ¼ c. garlic powder
  • 1 Tbls. oregano
  • 1 Tbls. glucomannan or Xantham gum *OR* sub ¼ cup corn starch if you're not a Trim Healthy Mama
  • 1 cup minced onion
Instructions
  1. Place all herbs and spices *except minced dried onion* into a blender, and blend to chop up pepper.
  2. Mix in minced onion.
  3. Store in a covered jar.
  4. A 1 or 2 Tbls scoop in the jar is really useful.
    To Make Taco Meat:
  5. Brown 1 pound of ground beef, and drain.
  6. Rinse in hot water to use for FP or E meals.
  7. Add 2 Tablespoons of this taco seasoning recipe.
  8. Add 1 Tablespoon of ketchup, and ½ cup water.
  9. Stir and heat through.
  10. Serve with your favorite fixings!
Notes
Want to experiment before making a whole jar full? Try this single serving recipe first:
1 Tbls. Minced onion
2 tsp chili powder
1½ tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika for flavor (optional)
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper (or crushed pepper of your choice) and/or ¼ tsp cayenne for heat
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp glucomannan or Xantham gum (or 1 tsp corn starch if you're not doing the THM plan)
pinch of oregano (1/8th tsp, crushed well)
Stir all spices into ground meat, and follow directions above for making taco meat.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2T Fat: 0 Sugar: 0
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3.2.1753

to pin:

taco seasoning pin

And now for LOTS more Trim & Healthy Inspiration…

Pages: 1 2

Filed Under: Condiments, Spices, & Homemade Ingredients, Recipes, THM Condiments, Spices, & Homemade Ingredients, THM FP Condiments, Spices, & Homemade Ingredients, THM FP Recipes Tagged With: Awesome Sugar Free Recipes, coconut free, dairy free, egg free, grain free, nut free, Trim Healthy Mama

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Comments

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  1. Stacy says

    July 2, 2013 at 7:32 AM

    I know this is about taco seasoning…but the blue mason jar just drowned out the entire post. Or maybe that was just for me.

    Reply
  2. Debbie Lund says

    July 2, 2013 at 10:14 AM

    Thanks for selecting my “Smoked Salmon, Dill Cream Cheese & Sliced Onions on Onion Bread in a Mug [S]” to feature! I have nothing prepared to share this week – hopefully next week I’ll have two!

    Reply
    • Debbie Lund says

      July 2, 2013 at 2:25 PM

      Ok – I lied. Got in a BACON post! 🙂 Thanks for the link-up!

      Reply
  3. Jessica from SimplyHealthyHome says

    July 2, 2013 at 2:08 PM

    Thanks for hosting! I have yet to try smoked paprika! I need to get some.

    Reply
  4. Martha says

    July 2, 2013 at 8:33 PM

    From where do you buy your flour tortillas?

    Reply
  5. Michael Ann says

    December 4, 2013 at 7:51 PM

    I stumbled across smoked paprika not too long ago. It’s amazing, isn’t it?!? We even more recently discovered smoked chipotle chili powder. Oh my!

    Thanks for posting this recipe. (Yes, I know it’s been here a while, but I just tried it this week. My family really liked it!)

    Reply
    • Its_Gwen says

      December 18, 2013 at 6:57 PM

      So glad you enjoyed it! I love blogging, but I wanted to set my blog up more like a website where it’s easier to find recipes and stuff. So you can browse through anytime by S/E/FP or even my meal with the Recipe drop down menus. 🙂

      LOVE smoked spices! My man loves the chipolte, but it’s too spicy for my littles right now. I should add the chipolte to his bowl!

      Reply
      • Michael Ann says

        December 27, 2013 at 5:54 PM

        Thanks for having your blog so organized! You spoil us THMers! I’m on your site all the time.

        Reply
  6. Aleah Cronk says

    February 3, 2014 at 10:36 PM

    Just finally made the single meal recipe tonight. All 6 of us enjoyed it, and that’s saying a lot. (I didn’t have the smoked paprika or use the crushed red pepper.)
    Thank you! 🙂 I see a bulk recipe in our future.

    Reply
    • Its_Gwen says

      February 4, 2014 at 10:26 AM

      Oh, so happy! The smoked paprika is just amazing…you have to give it a try one day!

      Reply
      • kerry says

        April 18, 2014 at 3:50 PM

        where can you find smoked paprika? I can only find regular..
        I’m going to try this recipe tonight and if its a hit make up a batch. I also have a Fagita seasoning spice recipe we love and its so much cheaper than the packages I’ve been buying for years!!

        Reply
        • Its_Gwen says

          April 22, 2014 at 9:25 AM

          I’ve found it online (Frontier has it in bulk) and at local stores…but it’s WAY cheaper online. 🙂

          I made it for years without smoked paprika, but we really love it with that added smokey taste.

          Reply
  7. Carole says

    July 7, 2015 at 7:08 PM

    Where do you find your minced garlic? Is it the same thing as using Instant Chopped Onions I buy in the spice section at my local grocery store? I made your chili seasoning last night and it was a hit!!

    Reply
    • Gwen Brown says

      July 7, 2015 at 11:34 PM

      I buy it from a Farmer’s Market that has an impressive bulk spice aisle. 🙂 If you have trouble finding it, you can get minced dried organic garlic with Amazon prime (affiliate link)

      Reply

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