Homemade Taco Seasoning

So for about six months I've had a taco seasoning recipe bookmarked to use. I was super excited about it, because sometimes we cut recipes back and don't always need a whole packet, so having our own container of it would be perfect. Well, months and months went by, and we never got around to making it. Finally Darrell's mom sent us the one she's been using, and we made it days later. Guess there is just something about a mother's touch instead of just some random recipe in Internet land (or maybe it had more to do with the fact that we finally ran out of the stockpile of taco seasoning packets we had stashed in our pantry. Either way....)

I will say though, I wish we hadn't taken as long to make this--or any--homemade taco seasoning recipe. There's something to be said about knowing what is going into your food--plus the taste is so much more pronounced (and not packed with preservatives!). So if you've ever considered making your own taco seasoning (or even if you haven't) you should really give this on a try!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (or, for a low sodium alternative, substitute celery seed or dried ground celery. We did this and couldn't even tell!)
2 tsp ground black pepper

Store the mix in an airtight container or spice jar. One packet of store-bought seasoning mix is roughly equal to 3 tbsp homemade taco seasoning mix. For tacos, add 2/3 cup water.

We're definitely going to double or triple this recipe next time we make to have a stash on hand ready to go! And now that we don't have to worry about opening a packet and not using the whole thing, I'm excited to see what other things we'll try seasoning with this!