Everyday Taco Seasoning

I loves me some fancy marinades, but sometimes it’s Tuesday night and I want tacos with a minimum of fuss.  This blend is made up of stuff everyone should have in their spice cabinet.  It works equally well with ground beef and chicken.

The measurements here make around 1/2 cups of mix, which is good for two one-pound’s worth of meat, or up to about 3 pounds in a single batch.  That’s a lot of tacos.  I just make a batch like this and save the rest in a ziploc bag for later.

The one thing to mention off the bat is that it’s worth investing in good chili powder – from a spice company, not McCormick’s.  Actually, it’s worth getting good spices in general, even if it just means the top-shelf stuff at the supermarket.  Cheap spices here will make it taste more like the McCormick’s store mix than something you made, ya know?

Anyway, here we go:

• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• a pinch of cayenne or to how hot you want it

Usage is pretty straight-forward (for 1 lb meat):
For ground beef, brown the meat, drain, add 1/4 cup of mix and just enough water to dissolve.  Simmer until the liquid is gone but the meat is really moist.
For chicken, the same, but saute until it’s cooked through, and shred it it before adding back to the skillet.