Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

If you are new the the whole spice blending game, taco seasoning is a great place to start. It is easy, forgiving, and leaves a lot of room for experimentation. The standard ground beef taco seasoning purchased at a grocery store is expensive, bland and contains all sorts of unnecessary junk like sugar, msg and whey.  With the contents of a standard, well-stocked spice rack, you can create several blends to suit different spice tolerances and preferences.

The base around which every taco seasoning recipe is built is chili powder, paprika, and cumin. From there, many add onion and garlic powders, salt, or flakes (if you use salt, decrease the amount of additional salt you add). Some add other spices and herbs like Coriander and oregano for interest and most add at least one additional type of pepper either in the form of red pepper flakes or cayenne for heat. If you want smokiness, you can add smoked paprika (a favorite of many chefs) or chipotle. Personally, we like to add a bit of flour and or cornstarch. This seems to give a little body to your taco meat and makes the seasoning act more like a sauce that coats the meat. You will want to add a small amount of water at the same time you add your seasoning if you include flour or cornstarch.

My Go-to Recipe is: 

• 1 tablespoon Flour
• 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (more if you like heat)
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Like I mentioned before, you should adjust this recipe as you like based on your own personal tastes and preferences. Here is another great option from one of my favorite TV chefs, Alton Brown.