Taco Tuesday just got better with this easy, homemade taco meat seasoning. With a few simple spices, you can make a delicious seasoning that you can make again and again, or double it up to save it for your next taco night. Either way, it is good!
by: Elizabeth
Taco night has been something in our home that we do maybe once every couple of months, and my husband loves to make his famous chorizo tacos…everyone loves them! Now with the pandemic, and me working from home, I find that I am craving taco Tuesday on a more regular basis.
When I was at the grocery store, I bought a spicy taco seasoning that was the brand taco bell, and yes, it was good and made the meat tender and flavorful. I was curious what was in it, and I found out that it is some pretty basic stuff that I have in my massive spice cabinet.
So I set-out to make this seasoning from scratch and make enough that it would produce two servings that we could enjoy later as well. My husband is on Keto, and so I made the same spices for him but subtracted the sugar and arrowroot flour. The result was still very good, but it was missing the added thickness that holds the ground beef together that comes from the starch.
With this ground beef and taco seasoning mix, I actually made nachos and my husband had it in his kale salad that I made him. Both were equally delicious, but mine came with crunchy quinoa chips. 🙂 My husband did begrudge me that because his favorite two things in the world are chips and french fries…he had a rough time in the beginning of his keto diet needless to say.
This recipe is super simple and does not need to be over complicated. For the most part, it is equal parts of all the seasonings. So make it in advance or make it for one night; either way, you are sure to enjoy how it makes your meat of choice taste!
Ingredients:
- 1 tbs. Chili powder
- 1 tbs. Garlic powder
- 1 tbs. Onion powder
- 1 tbs. Cumin
- 1 tbs. Oregano
- 1 tbs. Plain sugar
- ½ tbs. Salt
- 1 tbs. Pepper
- 1 tbs. Crushed red pepper
- 1 tbs. Arrowroot powder or cornstarch
Directions:
- This one is super simple! Just mix all of your ingredients together in a small bowl and get ready for a delicious taco night or nacho night like I did.
- The trick here is in the cooking of the meat. You want to fully cook your choice of ground meat (beef or turkey).
- Once it is fully cooked and minced, add the seasoning to your liking of amount and add about 3 tbs. Of water for every 1 pound of meat.
- Cook it down until you have fully cooked out the water. This extra step activates the arrowroot powder or cornstarch and thickens the meat a bit.
Cooking and spices do not always have to be complicated. It is easier than you may think to make your own spices and seasonings yourself at home if you have a moderately stocked spice cabinet. Honestly, I have the basics and maybe a few special spices, and I get by just fine with what I have without having to buy specific seasoning mixes.
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