As a kid, I LOVED hamburger helper! But now as a mom, I very rarely buy it because of the sodium and because of the unnecessary processed ingredients. But I came across this recipe and had to try it out. Turned out delicious! Recipe source: farmgirlgourmet.com

This recipe is a simple, homemade take on an old hamburger helper fave. It comes together quickly and can be adaptable for whatever you want to add to it (diced peppers, beans, diced green chilis, etc.). Recipe source: iowagirleats.com

I have cooked many things with this seasoning beside making taco, that's why I always have it in my pantry.

Ditch that packet! Gain more control of your seasonings! This version is less cuminy and more palatable and you can adjust it to your liking

Homemade is so much better than packaged mix. It isn't filled with additive and fillers. I do not put salt in mine, but add to your liking if you want.

my family really enjoys this recipe. :hungry (L)

My goal was to come up with an all in one taco seasoning. No need to saute onions and fresh garlic beforehand or doctor your mixes with something that wasn't in the store packet.I started using the google results from "taco seasoning," only to find that most of those recipes resulted in dry, mealy taco meat that tasted more like chili beans than tacos. I grabbed a few packets of pre-made seasoning from the store and began tasting and emulating the seasonings. After I had the "taco" profile down, I added a few of my own touches. I found that using a fresher, redder ground chile powder, along with tomato powder preserved the fresh chile taste and gave a nice red taco meat. The seasoning also includes lime powder which I needed to adjust the acidity and was a key difference between chili beans flavor and taco flavor. I've added extra heat using cayenne, hot chile flakes, and smoky chipotle powder to my mix, as they're usually too mild in the store for my taste. Finally, using finely ground corn flour (maseca) instead of wheat flour didn't dull the flavor but still thickened the sauce.I used weight equivalents so you can easily scale up the recipe and store the seasoning in mason jar for later use. In case you don't have a scale, I've also included approximate volume measurements for a batch. It makes a little more than enough for a pound of beef, so I'd still recommend measuring out the mix after you've added all the ingredients, lest the seasoning be off. As a general rule, I've found 33 g or 1 ounce of seasoning (the same amount that's in a store taco seasoning packet) is approximately 4 tablespoons, and this is enough for about a pound of ground beef. Otherwise, use as you like to add to other things like rice, fajitas, or anything taco-y.

This DIY taco seasoning recipe is quick and easy, and works great as a seasoning on everything from tacos to veggies, meat, seafood, rice and beans.

So easy and delicious!

In the past year, I've had to make some big changes to how I eat, due to health reasons. Cutting out a lot of processed foods and reducing sodium intake has really helped, but I've also had to find new ways to make meals we enjoy often...like tacos. Ultimately, I like doing this more than buying the seasoning packets, because it's healthier for everyone, tastier because we can customize it and ultimately it's cheaper, since these are all spices I already keep around. This mixture is also great to have on hand rather than mixing up a seasoning for every taco meal. I store mine in a pint sized mason jar. Feel free to cut this recipe in half if you don't use taco seasoning all that often. It can be stored for up to 1 year.

Avoid the sugar, potato starch or corn flours found in most store-bought mixes. Good for 1 lb of meat.