Growing up, Lawry’s taco seasoning was a staple in our house. We had Mexican food frequently, so we’d always have several packets of the familiar spice on our home. When I moved out on my own, I continued using it because it was all I knew.
However, when we moved to Uruguay there were no ready-made seasonings like that in the supermarket. In fact, there were a lot of conveniences we were used to that weren’t available there (simple things like sour cream and ranch dressing) that we had to learn to make from scratch.
We spent so much time learning to make things from scratch that we actually wrote a cookbook for other expats living abroad (that’s no longer being sold). It was during this time that we developed our taco seasoning recipe. It’s as much of a staple in our home as the paprika chicken spice recipe I recently shared.
I typically make a double batch of it and keep it in a spice jar to save time. I need to start making it in bulk because we go through so much of it!
This taco seasoning can be used to flavor meat (I typically use ground beef or chicken), vegetables, rice or even tortilla soup, which I usually make with our leftover meat from Mexican food night.
Tortilla soup is super simple to make from leftovers. Just sauté whatever vegetables you have in your fridge (including your leftover fixings from tacos), toss in the leftover meat, add your homemade chicken stock, mix in some more taco seasoning and you have tortilla soup. I typically mince up some cilantro and chop some avocado for toppings since we don’t eat dairy anymore.
So, this recipe for taco seasoning gets a lot of use in our house! Again, this is for a double batch.
Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder (or 4 minced cloves of garlic if you’ll be using right away)
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
Directions
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Store leftover spice in a clean spice jar
About Chrystal Johnson
Chrystal, publisher of Happy Mothering, is a mother of two sweet girls who believes in living a simple, natural lifestyle. A former marketing manager, Chrystal spends her time researching green and eco-friendly alternatives to improve her family's life. She enjoys sharing those discoveries with anyone who's willing to listen.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I like making my own taco seasoning too, which I mostly use for taco nights. And if there are any extras, I store it for further use. In addition to your recipe, I use chili powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper.
Sounds great!
My husband also grew up using Lawry’s, but your simple recipe sounds super easy. I’ll have to give it a try next time we have taco night.
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Let me know how you like it!
Twitter: growingslower
March 1, 2013 at 8:05 am
This sounds great! You really have me wanting to make tortilla soup now!
Twitter: NaturesNurture
March 1, 2013 at 9:34 am
Yes! I’m pinning this and your paprika chicken spice recipe! Definitely can’t wait to try both.
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Twitter: vagabondstudio
March 1, 2013 at 3:25 pm
This looks so, so good! I’m going to have to try it, soon!
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Twitter: silentsprings
March 2, 2013 at 5:38 pm
Looks awesome. I love easy recipes like this. I’ll let you know when we try it out!
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Thanks for this great recipe, it’s hard to get good mexican in Australia so we have to make it all the time and I just don’t use taco seasoning as it’s full of crap but this great. My American hubby has to make his own hot sauce down here so this will be a great addition.
Lainie