Homemade Taco Seasoning

I grew up on the taco seasoning packets.  You just dump it into your cooked meat and bam, the smell of tacos fills the whole kitchen.  Very convenient, however last night as I was browning the meat I realized two things: 1) I don’t have a packet, and 2) I probably have all the right stuff to make it anyway.  I know I have cumin the main flavor of Mexican food (at least the variation I’m inclined to) and so I decided to find a decent replacement.  Why pay for stuff I already have in my home?  And it was easy to get it together while the meat was browning.

Ingredients:

• 2 t dehydrated onion (or heaping 1/2 t of onion powder – 1:3 ratio of powder to flakes)
• 1 t chili powder
• 1/2 t red pepper (I didn’t have any so I used cayenne pepper)
• 1/4 oregano
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t cornstarch
• 1 t garlic (that jarred minced stuff) (or 1/2 t of garlic powder)
• 1 t cumin

Directions:

• mix all the ingredients in a bowl
• add mixture and 1/2 c of water to cooked meat, simmer for 10 minutes (or so)

Source: The Homesteading Housewife’s recipe

Jacob loved it.  I found it a bit spicy but Jacob didn’t taste any bite at all.  I won’t change a thing about it. Plus, I really like finding uses for my dehydrated onions from the cannery as well as for the jarred minced garlic, both add more flavor, I think, than their powdered counterparts.  You should try making your own, and feel liberated from packets!