Taco Spice
Taco Spice
Equipment
- Tablespoon/Teaspoon
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Unsweetened Coco Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Oregon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
Instructions
- Mix all the spices together.
Notes
Spice up your life
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room; if you want to cook, you need spices. Putting together a taco spice blend is a bit on the intensive side with how many spices you need. It is far easier to buy a package of Old El Paso or McCormick and call it a night.
So, why bother?
Here are a few reasons. You might…
- live in an area where it’s hard to find taco spice in the supermarket.
- be a thrifty person that enjoys the savings of making your own.
- be a health conscious person that is concerned about the additives, preservatives, and sugars that are added to store bought varieties.
- enjoy the satisfaction of being self sufficient and take job in cooking from scratch.
- want to tailor your spice mixture to your own particular tastes.
Whatever your reason might be, it’s a good move as there is nothing better than being in full control of the foods you put in your body.
Buying Your Spices
If you plan on making tacos often, we strongly recommend buying your spices in bulk. Forget about those tiny bottles you find in the grocery store that are just 20g (under an ounce). You’re going to be running to the store every week to restock. Start buying your spices in 500g bags (1lb). Most spices have a fairly long shelf life, as long as they are properly sealed and out of direct sunlight.
Super markets don’t usually sell bulk spices, but they are fairly easy to obtain online. Costco is also a great resource for great quality spices in bulk sizes.
Here’s an example of what you should aiming for:
Don’t go too crazy. You can buy spices in even larger quantities, but these sizes are intended for restaurants, which will run through spices much faster. Aim for an amount of spice you will use in half a year to a year. We will burn through about 500g (1lb) of most spices in about 6-9 months. Keep in mind, here at What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin’ we cook every day.
Do not replace the garlic powder with garlic salt. It might feel like you’re killing two birds with one stone, but you’re not. Rather, you’re just making a mess of this recipe. Garlic Salt has its place, and it’s not here. If you try to swap this out, you will end up with something that too salty, lacking enough garlic notes, and a strange texture.
Do not replace the garlic/onion powder with granulated versions. They might seem like the same thing(s), but they work a little differently. Garlic/onion power deliver more intense flavor then granulated versions. Swapping them out we mess up the flavor balance.
Loco For Coco
As mentioned in the Mexican red sauce post, make sure the cocoa powder you’re using is sugar-free. Avoid sweetened cocoa powders that are intended for baking. Here’s an example of what you do NOT want:
Look carefully for the words ‘unsweetened’ and ‘100% Cocoa’ on the package you buy. Here is an example of what you DO want:
Cinnamon Is Not A Sweet Spice
The same goes for the cinnamon powder. Cinnamon powder doesn’t come in sweetened/unsweetened varieties, but there is something called cinnamon sugar. Don’t make the mistake of using cinnamon sugar, which add a bunch of unnecessary carbs and calories to the mixture.
The Smart Way
As stated in the notes, this recipe is portioned out for a single meal. If you want to get ambitious, you can mix up a bulk batch so you don’t have to grind out this spice mixture every time you want to make tacos/burritos.
Start by reappropriating a jar or spice container. The amount of servings you will be able to fit will depend on the size of the container, so some trial and error will be required. Add the spices with the largest quantities first. In this case, that would be chili powder. After adding each new spice, cap it and give the mixture a good shake. This will ensure you’ll have an evenly mixed blend by the end.
Remember that you’ll need some space in the jar after adding the last spice. This is so that you can agitate the spices to get them blended properly. So make sure you don’t ‘over’ fill the container.
Make a Meal
Taco spice is just a building block for a great Mexican meal, so you’ll need a few other dishes to make it memorable. Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to put together a fantastic Mexican dish. Best of all, the recipes that make up this Mexican plate are all low-carb, low-sugar, packed with protean, and full of amazing taste.
Don’t forget the authentic music to complement your cooking.