I have been making my own spice blends for a while now. My family is obsessed with Mexican food and I go through taco seasoning like crazy! I would constantly run out of the stuff and when I needed it at 5 o’clock while trying to make dinner, I have found myself Googling “Best Taco Seasoning in the World”. Needless to say Google isn’t always the most reliable way to find good recipes. So I have taken the guesswork out of three tried and true spice blends that I have since stocked in my pantry to never run out! Now I am now sharing them with you!
It’s so common for the spices you buy in the grocery store, for the most part, to be filled with tons of sodium, hidden MSG, sugar and who knows what else. And if you CAN find a brand that’s organic, it will be expensive and very commonly STILL will have sugar in it. So just go ahead and get yourself some cute shaker bottles from World Market like these ones or use empty spice jars and make your own!
These are my top 3 spice blends that I have in my spice drawer at all times!
Happy Cooking!
Taco Seasoning
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Cumin
½ Tablespoon Garlic Powder
½ Tablespoon Onion Powder
½ Tablespoon Pink or Sea Salt
½ Tablespoon Paprika
Ranch Dressing Seasoning
1/3 Cup Dry Milk
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Teaspoon Pink or Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Italian Dressing Mix
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Ground Black pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Salt
Mix ingredients for each spice mix together in small bowls and transfer to spice containers. Store in a cool dry place. Optional: For spices containing parsley, dill and thyme, place all ingredients into a food processor to help chop up into finer pieces.
Taco Seasoning Tip: When I make this recipe I multiply everything and keep it in an old large size Taco Seasonings container from Costco. I told you I use this stuff a lot! =) My favorite way to buy organic spices is in bulk is from Amazon! But I don’t like to buy a lot of spices in bulk because they can lose their potency as well as health benefits if they are very old. Add this spice mix to 1 pound cooked ground beef or turkey if you are making tacos. I also add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce to the meat. For taco soup, I would make this taco meat recipe and add it to my soup. Seasoning taco meat before adding it to the soup is a must, then add more seasoning to the soup to taste for great flavor! If you like more kick, add Tabasco sauce!
Ranch Mix Tip: Add this recipe to 1 cup mayonnaise or yogurt, 1 cup milk of your choice and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Just put the ingredients in a mason jar and stir it up. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Italian Mix Tip: Add 2 tablespoons of the above recipe to ¼ cup white vinegar, 2/3 cup olive oil (Not Extra Virgin, the flavor is too strong for this) and 2 tablespoons of water. Add it to salad or drizzle over protein. My favorite way to use this Italian Dressing Mix is to toss equal parts uncooked chicken breasts, raw cubed potatoes, and green beans into an 9×13 baking dish. Cube ¼ cup of butter and sprinkle it over everything. Generously sprinkle this Italian Dressing Mix over the top. Bake it covered in foil at 350* for one hour.
I hope you enjoy these flavorful spices!
Birthday Cake Batter Bars
No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Bites
Peanut Butter Protein Blondies
Rose Lemonade
Healthy Rhubarb Crisp for Two
Sam Wilkins says
It’s interesting that there’s a tendency for seasoning packets in the store have extra sugar in them. I’d like to look into more seasoning mixes out there to add some more spice to my cooking (forgive the pun). I’ll have to look closer at the spices next time I’m in the store.