chile & lime

taco seasoning

I have quadrupled my original recipe.  I poured everything into a large bowl and stirred with my Rada Handi Stir to make sure everything was well incorporated.  I will leave a link below where you can get one.  Once blended I decanted the seasoning into a quart and a half pint jar.  In all, I made 5 full cups of seasoning.  This will give me 10 batches of taco meat!

I use 1/4 cup of taco seasoning per pound of ground beef.  I also use the same amount for a pound of diced chicken, shredded pork or whatever I am making tacos out of.  You can add this to a fajita mix of peppers, onions and tomatoes along with your chicken or steak strips it will be great.  This would also be nice sprinkled over buttered popcorn for a spicy and savory popcorn treat.  This seasoning is very versatile for all things Mexican or southwestern.

When I make ground beef tacos, I use 2 pounds of ground beef browned very well until the meat is sizzling, not simmering.  You want to make sure that all the water has cooked out of the pan.  Then I add a small can of Ro-Tel chilies and tomatoes. If you don't have that, a half cup of your favorite salsa will work just as well.  I also add one Ro-tel can or 1/2 cup of water to the pan.  Then I add the 1/2 cup of seasoning and stir well.  I allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes before serving.  

If you want to make diced chicken tacos, I use three boneless skinless chicken breasts and dice the meat into small cubes, 1/4 inch square.  Then I brown those in a tablespoon of neutral oil until the water has cooked away and the meat has browned slightly and the pan sizzles, not simmers.  Then I add the tomatoes and green chilies, water and seasoning and stir to combine and simmer for five minutes before serving.  

Today I wanted to revisit my taco seasoning and share a how to on how to make your own homemade version. I made a video for this a very long time ago and it had salt in it.  So I wanted to update the video and make it salt free.  I decided to put a fresh twist on this recipe and add some lime to that taco seasoning to give it a delicious tangy flavor without the salt.  This turned out so great and its really nice to have on hand and at the ready to go whenever you want to make tacos or season something up with it.  

Over time, I have discovered that I much prefer this seasoning without the salt added.  Then I just salt my final dish to our preference and that is what you should do as well.  Lots of people, some of my friends included cannot have a lot of salt so I like to try and create seasoning blends that don't contain the extra sodium.  Additionally, I have discovered that when you add the salt, because it tends to be heavier than all the other spices, it sinks to the bottom.  Even when you shake the jar before using, when you get to the end of your batch, you can end up with a bunch of salt in that portion.  So the answer is to leave it out.

​​In order to add back flavor without sodium, I have added two things.  First is lime juice crystals, which will give the seasoning a tang that replaces this salt and will add that flavor profile which will help you not miss the salty edge.  Next is chipotle chile powder.  Chipotle is a smoked jalapeno usually jarred with adobo sauce.  It is smokey with a small amount of heat.  It gives a deep rich and smoky flavor with a heat in the back when you enjoy it.  

​

You can make your tacos vegan or vegetarian to suit your taste or dietary lifestyle by using soy chorizo, tofu or fish to make your tacos.  

I hope you give this kitchen basics version of my  seasoning blend a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

google.com, pub-2484077384749308, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

6ed1ba6c68857ffbe0979a2a159fd13c630d3d1d8c4460802b

Let's Be Social!

Meet Noreen!

Hi!  I'm Noreen, wife, mother of two amazing, almost grown, daughters, content creator, cook, baker and sister in Christ. Welcome to my Kitchen!   I hope you stick around, enjoy the recipes and share them with those you love!

Noreen's Kitchen