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How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning

March 5, 2018 by Larisha Campbell 3 Comments

This DIY Taco Seasoning will show you exactly what is in taco seasoning. As well as, how to make homemade taco seasoning with ingredients you likely already have in your spice cabinet!

how to make homemade taco seasoning

Why in the world would someone want to make their own homemade taco seasoning? I mean really what is the point?  You can walk into pretty much any store that sells food and get a packet for under $1. Who needs to waste their time mixing together seasonings in their spice cabinets when they can just rip open the packet and pour into their skillet?

Did you know that the average taco seasoning packet has 12-15 ingredients and only one of them says spices? It’s true.  Most taco seasoning mix packets that you find in the store list “spices” for all the spices included. The remaining ingredients are preservatives, colorings, and more that simply aren’t needed. It’s actually insanely easy for you to make your own taco seasoning and you can double, triple…shoot, you can unvigintuple (that’s really a word – it means 21x) this recipe! We usually make 3-4 times the recipe and store it in an empty spice container and just use as needed.

how to make taco seasoning

What spices are in taco seasoning?

If you are wanting to know how to make taco seasoning, you need a few spices that you likely already have in your spice cabinet. The main spice in taco seasoning is chili powder. The other spices you will need are cumin, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning (or just oregano).

That’s it.  That’s literally all you need to make homemade taco meat seasoning or anything else that you make want to use a spice combination like this. We have used this DIY taco seasoning on hamburger meat, chicken, potatoes, scrambled eggs, stuffed peppers, and more. There’s so many ways beyond just tacos.

diy taco seasoning

We think this is the best homemade taco seasoning recipe that you’re going to find and we hope you love it just as much as we do!

3.29 from 7 votes
Print
How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

This DIY Taco Seasoning will show you exactly what is in taco seasoning. As well as, how to make homemade taco seasoning with ingredients you likely already have in your spice cabinet!

Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Mexican, Spanish
Servings: 2 packets
Calories: 26 kcal
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning (Oregano only would be fine as a substitute)
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a container and shake well. 

  2. Use immediately or store in an air tight container for up to 3 months

Recipe Notes

Use half of this recipe in place of a standard taco seasoning packet. Save the remaining half for another recipe or add a little more of this recipe if you like more spice. 

Nutrition Facts
How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning
Amount Per Serving (2 g)
Calories 26 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Sodium 74mg3%
Potassium 113mg3%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 2g8%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 1530IU31%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Now that you know how to make your own taco seasoning, check out this easy Homemade Baked Taco Casserole! It’s one of our favorite dishes!

Homemade Easy Baked Taco Casserole

Pin this Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe for later: 

homemade taco seasoning recipe

Filed Under: Dinner, Home, Recipes Tagged With: homemade, recipes, scratch recipes

Easy Roasted Salsa Recipe

January 29, 2018 by Larisha Campbell Leave a Comment

This easy roasted salsa recipe is the perfect homemade mild salsa recipe with maximum flavor seeping through.

Homemade Easy Roasted Salsa Recipe

I was in middle school when a local non-chained Mexican restaurant opened in my town.  I grew up in a small town in West Virginia that had three stop lights. The addition of a new restaurant was a big deal. Even now, it’s a staple in the town and a must visit place whenever I’m in town.  It also started my love of salsa.

how to make homemade salsa recipe

Now, we aren’t talking about salsa out of a jar.  We are talking about real, fresh salsa. The freshness of newly cut tomatoes and jalapeños, with diced red onions and cilantro and garlic….oh my goodness…it’s the stuff I dream about. What really brings out all these flavors though is roasting the tomatoes and garlic before combining all the ingredients together.  There’s just something amazing about the flavor the exudes from roasting these ingredients inside of your salsa.

how to roast tomatoes in the oven

How do I roast tomatoes for salsa?

For salsa, you want to start by using a variety of smaller tomatoes like cherry and roma.  Beefsteak tomatoes don’t work as well in salsa because they don’t pack as much flavor.  Cut the tomatoes in half. then toss with olive oil and fresh cracked salt and pepper.  Then, place into a 400 degree preheated oven for 40-60 minutes.  The tomatoes should be tender and shriveled.  Smaller tomatoes like cherry tomatoes will take less time, while larger tomatoes will taken closer to an hour.

what types of tomatoes should you use to make salsa

How to roast garlic for salsa?

For roasting garlic for salsa, you take off as much of the paper wrapper as you can.  Then, using a sharp knife, cut along the entire top, exposing a portion of each clove. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap inside foil. Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Each clove should be easily pierced with a fork.

how do you roast garlic for salsa

What can you do with salsa?

The possibilities are really endless in what you can do with your easy homemade roasted salsa recipe. Of course the first option is always to just drown chips in salsa.  However, some other ways we personally enjoy salsa are:

  • On top of scrambled or fried eggs
  • On top of steaks
  • Used as a dip for french fries
  • On top of black bean burgers
  • Mixed into rice
  • On top of baked potatoes

how can you use leftover homemade salsa

Once you’ve made your easy roasted salsa recipe, you likely have someone around that wants it right away, but afterwards you may have a lot left over. Or maybe not! If you do though, you’ll want to store it in an air tight container.  If you’d like to heat it up, feel free to do so at 30 second increments.

how do you make salsa in a food processor

We truly believe the the roasted tomatoes and garlic in this recipe is what really makes it pop, and we hope you love it as much as we do!  Enjoy!

ingredients for easy homemade roasted salsa

0 from 0 votes
Print
Easy Roasted Salsa Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

This easy roasted salsa recipe is the perfect homemade mild salsa recipe with maximum flavor seeping through.

Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 415 kcal
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 4 lbs mixed tomatoes roasted (see Notes)
  • 5 cloves garlic roasted
  • 1 red onion roughly chopped
  • 1-1 1/2 large jalapeños cut in half, ribs and seeds removed
  • 1 large handful cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pink salt more to taste
  • Juice from 1 lime
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients into a high powered food processor.
  2. Blend until desired consistency is reached.
  3. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container in the fridge until ready to serve. Use within 10-14 days.
  4. To warm, place in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 second increments until desired temperature is reached.
Recipe Notes

This is a mild recipe. Feel free to leave the ribs and seeds of the jalapeño in your salsa if you like a little more heat. For tomatoes, we used a combination of roma, wild wonders (gourmet medley of yellow, red, and purple tomatoes) and campari tomatoes. This recipe may be cut in half for a smaller portion.

Nutrition Facts
Easy Roasted Salsa Recipe
Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
Calories 415 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Sodium 1268mg55%
Potassium 4642mg133%
Carbohydrates 89g30%
Fiber 24g100%
Sugar 53g59%
Protein 19g38%
Vitamin A 15450IU309%
Vitamin C 291.6mg353%
Calcium 262mg26%
Iron 7.6mg42%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

easy mild homemade roasted salsa recipe

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homemade roasted salsa recipe pinterest

Filed Under: Home, Recipes Tagged With: homemade, recipes, scratch recipes

How To Slow Cook A Whole Chicken

January 15, 2018 by Larisha Campbell 7 Comments

If you’ve ever wondered how to slow cook a whole chicken, we’ve got the answers here for you today.

how to slow cook a whole chicken

*Disclosure: Affiliate links contained in this post. We receive a small commission for purchases and thank you for helping us continue to run our site.

Ever since I became a mom, my daily goal is to work smarter, not harder.  I want our days to be easy. As often as I can remember, I throw meals together in our slow cooker. My mom did this growing up and now I love doing it too. One of the best things to make in the slow cooker is a whole chicken. It’s an easy way to get protein for multiple meals cooked up and who doesn’t love the taste of a slow cooked chicken.

For us, a slow cooked chicken is enough for two dinners and usually lunch two times for one of us. Plus, we reuse the bones to make bone broth. It’s a win win at such a low cost. If you are looking for a low cost meal to stretch your budget, this is it.

can you slow cook a whole chicken

How long does it take to cook a whole chicken in a crock pot?

You can cook a whole chicken in a crock pot on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Personally, we prefer the lower, longer method because we feel like the chicken is really able to absorb more flavor. As with everything, your exact cooking time with vary on how large of a chicken you purchased. Chicken should reach an internal temperature in the breast of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

how long does it take to cook a whole chicken in a crockpot

How do you slow cook chicken?

It’s so easy. Stuff the inside of the chicken with garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. Then use a mixture of seasonings and rub the chicken. Place the raw chicken inside of a slow cooker and cook 4-8 hours until your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

how do you slow cook a whole chicken

what do you use to slow cook a whole chicken

whole chicken recipe

0 from 0 votes
Print
How To Slow Cook A Whole Chicken
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 1 Whole Chicken roughly 2.5-4lbs
  • 4 large stalks of celery
  • 6 large carrots
  • 1 large sweet onion
  • 10 cloves of garlic peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp chili powder
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, mix together the paprika, italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and chili powder.
  2. Evenly rub the spice blend on both sides and in the inside of the chicken.
  3. Place chicken into the slow cooker.
  4. Roughly chop all the vegetables.
  5. Stuff a variety of all the vegetables into the chicken and place any remaining vegetables into the slow cooker. Add bay leaves.
  6. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
  7. Chicken should be at least 165 degrees F to eat.
  8. Serve & enjoy!

slow cooker chicken

How do you use slow cooked chicken?

After the chicken is cooked you can do a number of things with it.  Growing up, my mom would shred the chicken, use the broth to make gravy and pour it all over biscuits.
Pro Tip: Use two forks and pull away from each other to shred the chicken easier. 
 I love doing that, but I also love adding it into salads, making chicken salad, pulled BBQ chicken, and so much more! Because the chicken is so soft, it’s also amazing in quesadillas or tacos.
easy whole chicken recipes
 **The pictures below were the original pictures for this How to Slow Cook a Whole Chicken recipe, posted on 9/17/2014, which you may have seen floating around Pinterest.  It’s the same recipe, we’ve just gotten a lot better at photography! crockpot chicken slow cooker chicken
how to use chicken from whole chicken recipe

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Home, Recipes Tagged With: chicken, recipes, scratch recipes


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