Recipe: Taco Seasoning

[runpunkrun]

This is a dry spice mix you keep in your cupboard and then sprinkle on things you're cooking. It has lots of flavor without being hot, though you can certainly make it that way.

Based on the esteemed Alton Brown's Taco Potion #19, though in my house we call it "taco poison" because that's just how we are.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Morton)
1 tablespoon sweet paprika (or smoked, or hot)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)

Time: Comes together in minutes, and all you need is a set of measuring spoons and a jar!

Instructions:

1. Put all the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine.

Notes:

This recipe makes about 1/4 cup of seasoning, but I like to make a double batch since I already have all the things out, and it keeps indefinitely. You'll just need a larger jar.

I use Hungarian sweet paprika and leave out the cayenne pepper, and it's spicy without being hot. Alton's original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, but I dropped it a little based on comments on his website that it was too salty. Remember, not all kosher salts are equal.

Now obviously we put this on tacos, but how?

For a pound of ground beef, I use two heaping spoons (just a teaspoon that you eat with) of seasoning. Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium heat. If you drain the fat from your meat, add the seasoning afterwards. Otherwise, just sprinkle it over the top as soon as you're sure the meat's cooked because the seasoning changes its color and makes it difficult to tell if it's done. You can also use this on ground chicken or turkey, shredded chicken, pork, or beef, and—though I haven't tried it—probably even on soy crumbles, beans, and grains.

The cornstarch helps suck up any juices and creates a thick shiny look to your meat, but it's not enough to make a sauce. If you want a sauce, you could always splash a little broth or tomato sauce in the pan. If you don't do cornstarch, you could easily leave it out, or replace it with another heat-friendly starch.

Bonus: But wait it's not just for tacos! I like to use this to season my chili, too. I just use more of it. I also like my chili thick, so the cornstarch helps me out in that regard, but if you don't, you can always add an extra glug of broth or GF beer to thin it out.

Questions? Ask 'em!

Comments

[indywind]

That sounds yummy.
It never would have occurred to me to add corn starch to taco meat, though it makes perfect sense if you want that kind of glossy gravy layer. I sometimes add a couple spoonfuls of instant dried 'refried' beans to my taco meat if I want to thicken juices and don't have time to just simmer it down (or more than a couple spoonfuls, or a whole can of canned beans, drained, if I really need to stretch the taco filling).

My not-from-a-prefab-packet taco seasoning is approximately equal parts by volume Penzey's Arizona Dreaming (a bright Tex-Mex-y blend with cilantro, citrus and cocoa flavors as well as garlic and various peppers), Penzey's Chili Con Carne Spice (or any chili powder blend containing at least cayenne/red pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic, plus a dash of cinnamon OR allspice OR clove; Penzey's has tomato powder too), and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (which is mostly salt, cayenne, and garlic, and those can be substituted in different proportions to make it less salty or less spicy). Plus a splort of tomato something: diced, sauced, paste, prefab salsa, whatever I have on hand. 1-2 tbs total per pound of ground meat. I like to lean more toward the chili seasoning for red meat, more toward the AZ Dreaming for ground turkey. The result is very flavorful, not very hot.

Arizona Dreaming is also good seasoning for fajitas, with equal amounts smoked mild paprika and Sazon Goya (or mix of salt, garlic, paprika, annato, cumin, coriander instead of Sazon Goya if you prefer different proportions; the Sazon is mostly salt).

[runpunkrun]

Thanks for sharing your spice mixes! I too am a fan of Penzeys.

I really like how the cornstarch helps the spices cling to the meat, and the glossy look is appealing to me as well. I like the idea of putting something tomato in there too. I might play around with that.

Dried refried beans is completely new to me as a concept, and I love it! It sounds like it's great for thickening things, and I bet you could use it as a binder in, say, meatballs.

[nerakrose]

this looks great :D i've a similar seasoning mix for pulled pork/chicken (though that one has more steps and ingredients for the marinade).

[runpunkrun]

We've definitely used this on leftover meats to make a fast pulled pork or beef. The flavor isn't as layered as the real thing, but the general idea gets across. :D