Homemade Taco Seasoning (Low FODMAP, Paleo, Whole30)

Make Taco Tuesdays (or any taco day) a whole lot simpler with this homemade taco seasoning! Easy to whip up in 5 minutes or less, this homemade taco seasoning mix is low FODMAP as well as naturally Paleo and Whole30. However, be sure check the labels of the individual spices you use for sulphites and other non-compliant additives. This seasoning mix can also be used when making fajitas by adding some acidity to whatever you're seasoning, such as lime juice.

Mexican: My Favourite Cuisine

Last week on Instagram, I announced I would be focusing solely on Mexican recipes for the next few weeks. As I explained in my Instant Pot Carnitas post last week, I am grieving the recent, sudden loss of my dad. So, as The Sound of Music song goes, I'm surrounding myself with my favorite things to cheer myself up, and my favourite cuisine is Mexican. Last week I featured the incredible Instant Pot Carnitas. Over the next few weeks, I plan to post three different recipes that go together, the first of these being homemade taco seasoning.

Since I started eating low FODMAP, I have come to love making my own premade seasoning mixes. When you make dishes of a certain cuisine regularly, it is so handy to throw in a premade seasoning mix. Doing this helps you avoid measuring out each spice or herb individually. Many store-bought mixes contain high FODMAP ingredients, most commonly onion and garlic powder, and/or harmful preservatives. This is the second homemade seasoning mix recipe I've posted to Good Noms, Honey! My first seasoning mix recipe was Homemade Italian Seasoning, which is great in my Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs One-Pot Meal recipe, my Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore recipe and other Italian and even non-Italian dishes.

How Do I Use This Homemade Taco Seasoning?

Seasoning Tacos or Taco Salad

Once I have my homemade taco seasoning mixed together, I add it to 1lb of ground beef to make tacos or taco salad. After browning the ground beef in a large skillet on the stove, I'll add 2 ½ tbsp to the beef in addition to 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil and ⅓ cup of tap water. Then, I sauté the meat on low heat for 5-10 minutes until the liquid in the pan is mostly gone. The amount of taco seasoning you add may vary depending on your specific taste. Be sure to taste the meat before serving.

Seasoning Fajitas or Fajita Salad

Did you know that the premade fajita seasoning and taco seasoning mixes you buy at the store have mostly the same ingredients? According to this article on Spiceography.com, the biggest difference between premade taco and fajita seasoning mixes is the level of acidity in the seasoning mix. Commercially produced fajita seasoning mix is typically made more acidic by adding tomato powder or citric acid. As traditional fajitas are made with lime juice, producers of these commercially made fajita mixes attempt to replicate that acidity by making the mix more acidic so that the consumer need not add anything other than the mix to get a more traditional fajita flavour.

Thus, as I will demonstrate in my upcoming Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad recipe to be posted in a week or two, this taco seasoning recipe can be used to make delicious fajitas or fajita salad by adding acidity to the meat, such as lime juice, in addition to using the seasoning mix.

Homemade Taco Seasoning: Ingredients

First, as illustrated above, this homemade taco seasoning contains spices commonly used in Mexican cooking: chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne. As onion and garlic powder are also commonly used, I have substituted one of my most favourite low FODMAP ingredients, dried chives, to give some oniony and garlicy flavour. As mentioned earlier, I also add garlic-infused olive oil to my taco and fajita meat in order to have that delicious garlicy flavour come through without the FODMAPs. I've also added paprika to add some more peppery flavours. Lastly, I add sea salt and pepper to enhance these flavours, which saves you from having to add them separately. If you are concerned with sodium, reduce the amount of sea salt per your preferences.

Making Homemade Taco Seasoning

The recipe card below explains this process pretty well, which is really simple. Whisk everything together in a small bowl or jar until combined. Store your homemade taco seasoning in an air tight container, such as a glass jar.

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