Growing up, it seemed like we had Taco Night most nights. I liked to tease my mom every time we had tacos – like, AGAIN, MOM??? A few years ago, my parents bought a new dining room table with a built in lazy Susan. It has a little handle under the table that pops the lazy Susan up! I feel like this elevated Taco Night to a whole new level – you can just spin the lazy Susan to reach whatever taco ingredients you want. So, yes, now I have another reason to tease my parents on Taco Night. Because how nerdy is it to have an extra tool to facilitate your biweekly Taco Nights? (jk, love y’all so much!!)
The truth is, I really enjoyed Taco Night and probably more now than ever! I’m pretty obsessed with avocado, salsa, a good whole wheat tortilla, fajita veggies, and, well, basically everything else tacos have.
And taco seasoning is what makes those fajita veggies or shredded chicken or ground beef so darn good!
A good taco seasoning is essential here. And a good homemade taco seasoning is just the best!
- Cheaper. You’ll use a few spices already found in your pantry!
- Cleaner. This homemade seasoning has just five spices in it! No yucky unknown ingredients you’ll probably find in a store-bought seasoning.
- Choice-r. (Had to do something to round out this alliteration!) I think it’s even tastier than those ole store-bought seasonings. Five simple spices complement each other and your chosen meat or veggies perfectly!
You can use this seasoning on meat or veggies. I recommend adding the mix when the meat is just about fully cooked and when the veggies have softened in your saucepan.
Homemade 5-Ingredient Taco Seasoning
Time: 3 minutes
Yields: Seasoning for 1-2 lbs. of meat
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
- Mix all ingredients together. Add more cayenne, to taste (for a spicier dish). Start with a heaping tablespoon of the mix for 1 lb. of meat and add the rest, to taste. (You can also just sprinkle each seasoning individually straight into your saucepan with the meat. I do this and sometimes don’t even measure it, but these guidelines are good ones to follow!!)
I’ve also included instructions below to make a jar of taco seasoning, in case you don’t want to mix up a batch every time you need it. I recommend starting with 1 Tablespoon of this mix into your meat or veggies and then working up 1/2 Tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired taste.
Time: 3 minutes
Yields: Seasoning for 4-6 dishes
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chili powder
2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cumin
2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons onion powder
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne
- Mix all ingredients together. Start with 1 Tablespoon of the mix at a time into your meat or veggies at at 1/2 Tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired taste.
