Homemade Taco Seasoning

Tacos are such a fun and easy weeknight dinner.  Meat, vegetables, shell or lettuce wrap - easy as pie.  And in college, we always flavored that meat with taco seasoning.  Have you ever read the ingredients on taco seasoning?  Check out what Ortega puts in theirs:
Yellow Corn Flour, Salt, Maltodextrin, Paprika, Spices, Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color (sulfites).


Lots of salt (430 mg). Maltodextrin. Autolyzed Yeast Extract. Caramel Color?  The only other food I know with Caramel color in it is Coca-Cola.  Probably not the best things to be throwing into your ground beef.



As it turns out, making taco seasoning couldn't be easier.  I used all ingredients that I had in my house. I altered it a little below, based on what I had, but feel free to go back to the original recipe and add in some of the things I removed (like onion powder).  I also kicked up the spice for the Monkey Scientist, so feel free to cut back if you're not into that.



I made the seasoning with these super cute measuring spoons that my mom bought for me. How adorable are they?  I thought about giving you the ingredients in these cutesy measurements, but I figured it might not be that useful.  I just love them though - especially because they remind me of Mom.



This seasoning is super flavorful - we loved it.  I made lettuce wrap tacos to cut down on the carbs (and then loaded it with cheese, fair tradeoff!) and thought they were tasty and filling.  The seasoning does make a little more than you need for 1 lb of beef, so I put the extra in a ziploc for another day.  Make sure you label it!  Then you can have an easy weeknight dinner, and without all those unnatural ingredients and extra salt, in no time!



Homemade Taco Seasoning
adapted from Food Renegade

Ingredients:
1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika (I used sweet)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions
Combine all spice and use to season your favorite taco meat!