Homemade Taco Seasoning

What do you do when you really want Mexican, but you're out of taco seasoning? You frantically search the internet (seriously, what did we do before the internet?) and find a recipe for homemade taco seasoning that sounds promising. Then you tweak it a little bit and hope for the best. The verdict? It was good! We missed a little bit of salt, which might be a residual effect of our reliance on the standard pre-packaged taco seasoning, but a pinch of salt in the finished product did the trick. This seasoning was spicy, smoky, and delicious! We will be sticking with homemade taco seasoning from now on.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
*Adapted from Annie's Eats

4 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. smoked paprika
3 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. onion powder
1 heaping tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To use: Add 2 heaping tablespoons seasoning, a pinch of kosher salt, and 1 cup of water to 1 pound cooked beef, chicken, or pork. Simmer until the liquid is completely gone. You can also use about 1 tablespoon per can of black beans as a side dish as well.

**We did find that a pinch of salt was necessary for flavor in our dish, so add salt to taste!