Taco Beef for Tacos, Salads, and Nachos

Taco Meat used in a Taco Salad
Taco Beef used in a Taco Salad

So I was going totally nutty because I’ve not been eating much except rice, salad, steamed or roasted vegetables and broiled beef and pork during this whole food elimination torture thing. I’m not good at eating the same thing all the time. And I love spice. I wanted something different to eat. Something that had taste!  So I was dubbing around my Pinterest boards and realized that I could make homemade taco seasoning and leave out any onion powder (still waiting to challenge onions to see if I am truly allergic to them). I double checked my chili powder to make sure it didn’t have any onion and I went to town. I made up a large batch of it so I could use it again easily, and you’ll see me use it to make a quick salsa in a couple of weeks.

First, we have to make up the taco seasoning:

Taco Seasoning – Onion Free Version (for a version with onion, see a recipe here)

  • 1/4 cup and 1 Tablespoon of chili powder (I used Hot Chili Powder from Penzey’s, has no onion)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of  red pepper flakes
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of oregano
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of paprika
  • 1/8 cup and  1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cumin
  • 1/8 cup of salt (less or more to your taste)
  • 1/8 cup of finely ground pepper

Mix the ingredients in a bowl and store in a glass jar.

Taco Seasoning saved in repurposed Earth Balance Mindful Mayo Jar
Taco Seasoning saved in re-purposed Earth Balance Mindful Mayo Jar

Taco Beef

  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 2-3 Tablespoons of Taco Seasoning

Brown one pound of ground beef in a skillet.  Drain off any excess fat.  Mix 2 to 3 Tablespoons of Taco Seasoning and 1/2 cup of water into the ground beef until it’s well combined, and then simmer it over medium heat until there is little liquid left in the skillet.

Taco Meat simmering in skillet
Taco Meat simmering in skillet

You can now use your taco meat for tacos, nachos, or salads.  Enjoy!

Comments

5 responses to “Taco Beef for Tacos, Salads, and Nachos”

  1. […] pick and choose your own salsa if you have a safe one you can purchase. I’ve also used my own home mixed taco seasoning, but again if you have a safe commercial one, have at […]

  2. […] Tablespoon of taco, Mexican, or southwest-style seasoning mix (I used Arizona […]

  3. […] Tablespoons of Taco Seasoning (see recipe from our Taco Beef for Tacos, Salads and Nachos […]

  4. […] was mixing up some Taco Seasoning (see our Taco Beef post) and I realized that I’m really low on chili powder. And that I just placed a […]

  5. […] I use the dry container to make my own flours from dried beans and rice. You can literally throw a cup of dried black beans into the dry container blender, and presto, black bean flour. I use these flours to do gluten free baking. I’ve also used them in cooking, and I’ve used ground soy bean flour to make my own corn free tofu. I also use the dry container to make my own chili powder, curry powder, and garam masala from whole spices and dried chilies. I often toast the whole spices, let them cool and then grind them in the dry container. I also grind my own whole spices into powders as needed. (Powdered spices are often cross contaminated or have anti-caking agents which are a problem.) I often break up cinnamon sticks into pieces and grind the pieces into powder. I also grind my own cumin seed, cardamom, and coriander.  Once my spices are ground, I use the wet container to make my own spice blends. I make my own versions of Montreal steak seasoning, taco seasoning, Greek seasoning, Italian seasoning, and so on. (See Another DIY Spice Blend Round Up: Greek Seasoning, Prime Rib Seasoning, and Italian Seasoning, DIY Spice Mix Day: Montreal Steak, Creamy Peppercorn, Singapore, and Full of Flavor Herb Mix,  and Taco Beef for Tacos, Salads, and Nachos) […]

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