Bring home the fiesta with a simple blend of aromatic flavors and authentic Mexicana!
If you’re anything like me, you love taco night at your house. Sometimes, as simple as seasoned ground meat, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce, and taco shells, having tacos at home has been a sort of staple for my household for years, and I’m sure it has been for many families across the country. However simple, the flavors present have always brought the zesty flair of a classic Mexican fiesta right into the kitchen—and never more impactfully than when that kitchen was in my wife’s Mexican household.
Ever since marrying into a Mexican family, tacos have become less of an occasional dinner and more like a recurring reunion with my wife and her family’s roots. Where once my family used store-bought taco seasoning mix to try and flavor our ground beef to resemble the fiesta favorite, my in-laws have been introducing me to genuine Mexican heat with a homemade blend of herbs and spices that puts store-bought mix to shame. The peppery goodness in their taco seasoning turns my once-typical taco night into phenomenal and flavorful experiences that make me feel closer to my new extended family.
I’ve compiled the ingredients used in my mother-in-law’s taco seasoning into a simple-to-mix recipe; it can be made with the fundamentals found in just about any spice rack so that you, too, can leave your passport at home and visit the delicious flavors of Mexico right at home. Spicy chili and red peppers, herbaceous cumin and oregano, and just a little bit of salt come together to make a taco seasoning perfect for ground chuck, turkey, pork, or even shredded chicken tacos.
Wedged Into History – Tacos Through The Times
The etymology for tacos yields interesting insights into the history of one of Mexico’s quintessential culinary dishes. The Spanish word taco, used in different contexts, typically refers to a wedge or a ramrod. Meanwhile, the Mexican use of the word has been reserved for tortillas decorated with fillings and eaten as a fold. There are a few theories regarding the origin of the word as a means to describe such a food, one which is historically recent and another which has indigenous roots.
One potential origin for the word “taco” comes from laborers in Mexico. Mexican silver miners often had to use a “plug” composed of gunpowder stuffed into paper during dangerous operations, which were called tacos. While working, the miners were often served rolled tortillas with various fillings as a quick means of delivering nutrients; it’s only sensical that miners began to call the dish Tacos de mineros (miner’s tacos) since they resembled the same wedges they fashioned out of dangerous mining materials.
Another possible origin story for taco is the Nahuatl word tlahco, meaning “half,” which sounds phonetically similar to the Spanish word we use today while closer resembling what the dish actually is: a tortilla full of fillings folded in half when eaten! But did you know the fold wasn’t always built into the tortilla like we often associate with tacos today?
Authentic Mexican tacos are served on warmed maize tortillas that are laid flat and piled on with meat, cheese, and other delicious fillings. The fold only occurs once you pick up a taco on either side to keep the fillings from spilling out while you eat—meaning that the crunchy, pre-shaped folded taco we often associate with the dish is a relatively novel invention. Mexican immigrants to the United States preemptively fried U-shaped taco shells to streamline the process of making tacos as recently as the 1940s, a method that was then co-opted and further engineered by chain restaurants like Taco Bell. Eventually, entirely pre-made crunchy tacos had a broad appeal to American tastes and expectations and made serving high-volume customers much easier.
Our concept of the taco has drastically changed since its invention in Mexican working circles, but the fundamentals are the same. Tasty proteins, cheese, and vegetables folded into tasty tortillas will always qualify as a taco, no matter if it’s fried fish or barbacoa, cheddar cheese or cotija, pico de gallo, or cilantro!
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Taco seasoning mix is perfect to mix ahead of time because all of the ingredients are relatively shelf-stable! Make your mix and keep it in a glass jar with a screw-top lid, and you can have authentically seasoned tacos for months!
Serving Suggestions
This taco seasoning is perfect for everything “taco” you want to make, from classic ground meat tacos (ground pork and ground beef work best with this mix, I find) to vegan alternatives. As if that wasn’t enough, incorporate your new taco seasoning mix into some of our unique spins on the classic with taco meat stuffed peppers, crockpot taco soup, or even taco salad! No matter which Mexican dish you pick, make sure you pair it with other classic Mexican (and Mexican-inspired) plates—my favorites are serving up authentic tacos with a dollop of Mexican crema, a small bowl of esquites (Mexican street corn salad), and rounding out the meal with Mexican chocolate cake.
Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, fine sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.
- If you enjoy a bit of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the mix.
- Stir the ingredients together until well blended.
- Transfer the taco seasoning to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
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