This Is By Far The Biggest Benefit Of Making Your Own Taco Seasoning

Taco Tuesday is all about fun, fresh tacos. Those meaty fillings you slave over or make on the fly can make or break this meal. Whether you are making chicken for roast chicken tacos with salsa verde and crema or seasoned ground beef for DIY Taco Bell crunchy tacos, the seasoning you use to give it that salty, spicy kick doesn't have to come in a package that you rip open and add water to. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with using these convenient spice packages; they have their place. But if you want to manage the taste, intensity, and quality of the ingredients you are eating, you should make your own taco seasoning. 

Control is really key with this and the problem with some seasoning packets is they generally contain some type of anti-caking agent to prevent clumping. Studies have shown that some of these compounds can also have a negative impact on your gut. There's also a lot of salty goodness in ready-made taco seasonings. Just two teaspoons can contain 12 percent of your daily allowance. When you consider a packet contains five servings of the seasoning, which is a little over three tablespoons, you realize you are getting more sodium than you probably want. 

A good taco seasoning should contain spices that are warm, spicy, and even a little smoky to deliver that bite your taste buds are accustomed to. These spices typically include a mix of some of the following: chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. But oregano, sugar, cinnamon, and even cloves and nutmeg might find their way into yours. The good news with a DIY taco seasoning is you get to choose. If there's a taste that you dislike, you can cut back on how much of it you add or just leave it out altogether.

However, one ingredient you should consider adding regardless of what spices and salts you choose to combine is cornstarch. Cornstarch might seem like an odd addition, but you can find this ingredient in store-bought packets, and it really does make a difference. Its purpose doesn't have anything to do with the taste, but it does help the seasoning stick to the meat while also serving as a thickener. Cornstarch can be the differentiator between a good homemade taco seasoning and a superb homemade taco seasoning. What spices should you use to make your seasoning?

Start with a good chili powder. This is your foundation. Chili powder is comprised of red chilies and cayenne pepper at its simplest, and sometimes it even has paprika. This one ingredient has a range of flavors so choose one you like. You can use a bourbon smoked chili powder to add a smoky and nutty element to your seasoning or ancho chili powder which uses poblano pepper and ancho chili offering a mild and sweet flavor.

Garlic powder and onion powder are equally as important seasonings for your tacos. Both ingredients offer a sweetness while offering their signature pungent tastes. Ground coriander will give you some peppery citrus notes that might remind you of ground ginger. Paprika is going to give your taco seasoning a brilliant red color. For a little kick or a lot of heat, add some red pepper flakes. 

When it comes to salt, skip it altogether or start with a quarter teaspoon and add more if needed. For the most part, you want to use a 1:1 ratio of each spice you add; however, you might want to add twice as much paprika, depending on the intensity of the color you want to achieve when you mix it in with the water and browned ground meat. This spice ratio should be a starting point; you can adjust based on your taste preference. Expect to use about two tablespoons of your DIY taco seasoning per one pound of ground meat.