Taco Tuesday. My favorite day of the week! I’ll admit, I usually like to elevate my tacos, with skirt steak, chicken thighs or fried fish. I like a crunchy slaw and some sort of cooling element – like lime sour cream. But last night, I decided to make my boyfriend’s favorite, good old ground beef tacos like I had growing up.
Everyone knows the kind – you buy the Taco Kit from Ortega or Old El Paso that comes with a packet of seasoning, some sort of “taco sauce” and crunchy corn taco shells. A while back I decided to start making my own seasoning – since I knew I had most of the spices on hand, but mainly because that packet is filled with a lot of added sodium and random ingredients you can’t even pronounce. Also look how pretty all of the spices look together!
Spice It Up
I own a loooooott of spices. They last forever and just elevate your dish to another level. If you don’t have any of the specific spices on hand and want to go out and stock your pantry with them, breath easy knowing that it won’t be a waste of money! All of these spices can be used in hundreds of recipes. In my opinion, these are the main spices that get you that ‘taco’ flavor. The only one that is optional is Trader Joe’s Multi Purpose Umami Seasoning Blend – this is definitely not necessary, but gives the meat an extra oomph. I love to use this when I make chili, which has a lot of similar flavors, or sauteed mushrooms. You can also put it in your burger meat – anything goes with this spice! It contains: kosher salt, dried onion, ground mustard seed, porcini mushroom powder, white button mushroom powder, crushed red pepper, black pepper and dried thyme. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, or you just don’t have any interest in buying this spice – have no fear! You can absolutely still use this recipe, you may just need to add a touch more salt.
I love spicy food. Not where you’re sweating and searching for a glass of water or milk. But a little kick is always welcome. My mom sprinkles red pepper flakes on everything, maybe I got it from her?! Either way, this recipe definitely has a little kick to it. If you’re not a spice lover, you can use less of the cayenne and chili powder. Remember, you can ALWAYS add, but it’s hard to take away!
Completing Taco Tuesday
To complete your taco tuesday meal, along with the seasoning, you’ll need a pound of meat. I like to use lean beef, but you can also use ground turkey or chicken. To get that consistency that the packet will give you – add a tablespoon of tomato paste and 1/4 cup of chicken broth – or water if that’s all you have on hand. Cook everything together and you’re left with taco meat that will go hand in hand with a crunchy (or soft!) shell, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and, you guessed it.. more hot sauce!
Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
Seasoning
- 1 ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp cayenne
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp Trader Joe’s Multi Purpose Umami Seasoning optional
- ¼ smoked paprika
Taco Meat
- 1 lb of ground beef chicken, or turkey
- ½ onion diced
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup chicken broth or water if you don’t have broth
Instructions
- Prepare the seasoning by adding all of the spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
- On medium heat, add the olive oil and onion and sauté for a few minutes until soft. Add in your meat, and cook until the beef is no longer pink, or until the chicken or turkey starts to get a little brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add your spices, tomato paste, and chicken broth, and cook another 5 minutes until everything is combined. Taste test to adjust any salt or spice!
Notes
*If you leave out the Umami powder, you may need to add a touch more salt – taste test!
