Homemade Taco Spice Mix

Once you mix up this taco seasoning you won't ever want to go back to store bought seasoning packets. I mean seriously, do you even know all the ingredients in them? I didn't for a long time. Some packets will say 'Natural Flavor' which then isn't specified. Another one you might commonly see is 'Maltodextrin', which is a mild artificial sweetener made from a starch, but definitely not something you'd find in a garden if you know what I mean. Now I could easily look into all of my food products and find a lot of things I don't want to see, which is why we have been slowly phasing out certain (don't ever change products or foods drastically, it's too much, there is grace for the process) packets, sauces, and mixes. It's not that difficult to make up the seasonings yourself. Anyways, back to the taco seasoning... I have found that this homemade seasoning is not only fresher tasting, more diverse in flavor, but honestly makes much better tasting food. I've been making this for years and my husband will now say he doesn't like "taco box tasting tacos". I'm not trying to sound snooty I just want you to experience the fresh and flavorful world of your own taco mix. Plus, there's a huge bonus because you can make it as hot, smokey, or sweet as you like. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find yourself mixing in and out different spices for fun ;) Here's my basic Taco seasoning below. 🡻

Ingredients:

• 1 T of fine sea salt
• 1 T cumin
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp oregano (I use Mexican oregano)
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 T sweet paprika (sometimes I'll use smokey paprika)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes *here's one you can play with and change the ratio to hotter if you add more, or less if you omit it.
• 1 T lime zest
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chipotle 
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/2-1 tsp of ground jalapeno *another you can omit or change how much you want
• Only when making something for adults, who I know don't mind, do I add cayenne pepper and even then I'll add a maximum of 1/2 tsp. 

*The garlic pictured above ꜛ I usually add fresh to a marinade right before cooking or in the prep stages. It doesn't go in the seasoning mix. It wouldn't dry well in the seasonings. 

-Mix all the ingredients in a bowl together, I usually use a whisk or my hands to make sure it's all evenly Incorporated. 

 Tips:

1. You can store the seasoning mix for up to 2 weeks if you add a few rice granules into the seasoning for drying purposes. I keep mine in a re-used spice container. 
2. Try to keep it protected from air and moisture otherwise it'll start to clump and harden together. 
3. I also like to zest a lime or two and then let it air dry till it's all crispy. Then it'll be dried enough to not add any extra moisture to the seasoning mix.