Homemade taco seasoning blend is SO easy to throw together with spices you probably already have on hand and a fraction of the cost of the store bought version – win, win, win if you ask me!
An all-time-favourite recipe of mine has lately been climbing in popularity on the blog and it reminded me just how much I love it – gyros seasoning – YUM. With that back on my radar along with the current need to limit trips to the store (this post was written in the middle of COVID19 lockdown) I started thinking on what other blends or mixes I use often and whether I could make them at home and here we are – homemade taco seasoning blend!
I have come to realise (having almost blown my head off), that American chili powder and South African chili powder are not the same thing… The American version is a blend of ground chili’s and other spices. The SAFFA stuff however seems to be plain old chili’s ground up to a powder, no other spices toning it down. This is why when I tried a “mild enough for kids” recipe from a blog I love and trust with 2 tablespoons of chili powder in it I almost passed out. Seriously, it was basically inedible. But, what can I say, we live and we learn. I now usually reduce the amount of chili powder called for by American recipes by at least a third – often going as far as adding one sixth, tasting and adjusting from there (so the 2 tablespoon recipe worked out lovely with just 1-2 teaspoons).
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oreganum
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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Combine and store in an airtight container until use.
I like to season beef mince and diced onions with a few spoons of taco seasoning to make a delish quesadilla filling or use the blend in instant pot chicken taco bowls.
Love this seasoning. I’m also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to look for healthy recipes like yours. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!