How do you make yummy taco meat or meat for mexican dishes?

[Dianne-TX]

I'm tired of using packaged seasonings. They are not good for us and I want to use real seasonings, but I don't know how to make it taste good. My parents grew up in south Texas where there was a large hispanic population, so I grew up going to my grandmother's eating good, authentic mexican food that tasted good and was not overseasoned. I want to duplicate that. I would also love the authentic, easy recipe for carne guisada. Can't wait to hear the recipes!

[ThatCyndiGirl]

I make this:

 

Taco Seasoning

¼ cup dried minced onion flakes

3 T. chili powder

2 T. cumin

1 t. salt

1 t. cayenne

1 t. red chili flakes

1 T. cornstarch

½ t. garlic powder

2 t. oregano

Mix and blend in mini food processor.

Use 2 T. of seasoning.

 

 

Then, as it is cooking I add one can of Ro-tel and let it all cook together. When it is done I add one can of chili beans and let them get to know each other. Then I cook it until all the liquid is cooked out. YUM!

 

Oh, and about a teaspoon of curry powder!

[Dianne-TX]

I make this:

 

Taco Seasoning

 

¼ cup dried minced onion flakes

3 T. chili powder

2 T. cumin

1 t. salt

1 t. cayenne

1 t. red chili flakes

1 T. cornstarch

½ t. garlic powder

2 t. oregano

 

Mix and blend in mini food processor.

 

Use 2 T. of seasoning.

 

 

Then, as it is cooking I add one can of Ro-tel and let it all cook together. When it is done I add one can of chili beans and let them get to know each other. Then I cook it until all the liquid is cooked out. YUM!

 

Oh, and about a teaspoon of curry powder!

 

Okay, I'm hungry! Sounds great!

[Slartibartfast]

I cook the meat with an onion and add..

 

 

Salt

Garlic

Cumin

Chili powder

paprika

a bit of Mexican oregano

I add a little water and let it cook down

[Upward Journey]

I cook my meat with green chilies, and then add garlic salt, onion powder and chili powder to taste. Sometimes I also add a bit of cumin.

Edited September 23, 2011 by Upward Journey

[SquirrellyMama]

I make this:

 

Taco Seasoning

 

¼ cup dried minced onion flakes

3 T. chili powder

2 T. cumin

1 t. salt

1 t. cayenne

1 t. red chili flakes

1 T. cornstarch

½ t. garlic powder

2 t. oregano

 

Mix and blend in mini food processor.

 

Use 2 T. of seasoning.

 

 

This is what I use but I have stopped putting in the cornstarch. I just put in less water so I don't need to thicken it. The yummiest taco meat is made in the crock pot and cooked for a few hours.

[Hedgehog]

:tongue_smilie::bigear:

[Janie Grace]

I do the same as the others (combination of cumin, cayenne, chili, etc.) OR I use my Penzey's Chicken Taco seasoning. Penzey's Spices are amazing (they have lots of Mexican options). All the flavor without MSG or other nasty stuff.

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html

[KungFuPanda]

I use a lot of spice mix recipes from this website:

 

http://www.budget101.com/frugal/seasoning-mix-recipes-198/

 

This way you can adjust for your own taste. I find that we like less salt and more garlic and cumin than most recipes call for. Once you look at these recipes, you can probably eliminate some of your spice purchases. There is no point in buying blends when you HAVE the spices to make it.

[Dobela]

I use a similar recipe but don't add corn starch or salt. One of my favorites is Penzy's Adobo. Yum!

[Ellyndria]

This is versatile. I use it for other things besides tacos, although I often leave out the red pepper flakes because of young taste buds. Oh, and I cut down on the salt, too.

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-seasoning-i/detail.aspx

[HistoryMom]

Normally, I put in more effort, but for tacos, I just brown the beef with a cup of salsa tossed in. Easy peasy, and the kids love it. If I feel like getting fancy, I'll add extra oregano and diced onions.

 

Someday I'm going to write a cookbook about using salsa as an ingredient. :)

[tmulcahy]

This is versatile. I use it for other things besides tacos, although I often leave out the red pepper flakes because of young taste buds. Oh, and I cut down on the salt, too.

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-seasoning-i/detail.aspx

 

I use this one too. I make it exactly as stated...we like it with a bit of a kick. Generally I make a large batch (4-6 times the recipe) and put it in a container in the pantry. It is great on chicken and in mexican rice. I usually use more than 2 Tbs per pound of meat. After browning the ground beef I add the seasoning and 1/2 to 1 cup of water. Then I cook it down until the water cooks off. Yummy.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Pretty much the same thing. I cook the meat with onion, garlic and green pepper and add chili powder, cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes and a little salt.

[jenn-]

This is versatile. I use it for other things besides tacos, although I often leave out the red pepper flakes because of young taste buds. Oh, and I cut down on the salt, too.

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-seasoning-i/detail.aspx

 

:iagree:

[alisonf3]

We use 1 lb ground chicken browned with an onion.

 

Add two cans of drained and rinsed black beans and 1 cup frozen whole corn.

 

Add 1/4 cup water and chili powder (about 2 tsp), garlic powder (1 tsp), cumin (1/2 tsp), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 2 tbsp dried cilantro. I don't really measure so I am just estimating those amounts.

 

I simmer for a few minutes and then squeeze 1/2 a lime over the pan.

[Sputterduck]

I guess it depends on what you mean by authentic. Taco seasoning on ground beef isn't done here. Traditional food, though, varies very much from region to region. I don't know much about other regions.

[K-FL]

My dh loves Mexican food. I think I've made tacos an average of 3x/month for our entire marriage. ;)

 

I cook the hamburger & drain off the fat.

 

To the meat I add:

 

Pepper

Cumin

Picante sauce (one jar/about 2 lbs meat)

 

Simmer until cooked down to desired consistency.