My kids are always excited about taco night: the simple act of getting stuck in at the table and preparing their own meal makes them feel big and important.
Years ago I would have used a packet of taco seasoning but these days I make my own. It is guaranteed to transform an average piece of protein (minced beef, chicken, fish, tofu, pork — whatever floats your boat) into a tasty Tex-Mex taco.
Making your own seasoning means you skip the starch and coloring that you get in the boxed versions. And, even accounting for time spent rummaging in your spice rack, I promise it will not take any longer than two minutes to make. ¡Te lo prometo!
So, here’s the recipe for the Taco Seasoning and this is enough for 1lb of meat, fish or tofu:
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1/4/ tsp chili powder
- Pinch of sea salt
Mix the ingredients in a bowl then rub on chicken breast, fish or tofu before cooking or sprinkle over ground beef while browning.
Chicken Taco Recipe – for 4
Ingredients:
- 1lb of chicken breast or tenders, seasoned with the above and cut into strips
- 1 red pepper in thin strips
- 1 tbs of olive oil or coconut oil
- Taco seasoning
- 8 tacos or tortillas
- Plus toppings:
- 1 avocado chopped
- Grated cheese
- Chopped tomato with a splash of olive oil and chopped cilantro
- Jalapeno peppers
- Sour cream
Rub the chicken with your seasoning and cut into strips. Heat the oil in a skillet on a medium high heat. I’ve recently started using refined coconut oil to fry in as it can withstand higher temperatures than olive oil and is healthier than canola, vegetable and sunflower oils. If you buy the unrefined stuff it has a really subtle flavor that has a faint hint of coconut.
Fry the peppers and chicken for about 10 minutes: it is done when the chicken is golden brown and the peppers have softened. Put in a serving bowl and keep warm while you heat the tacos and/or tortillas.
Serve with bowls of toppings such as grated cheese, chopped tomato, jalapeno peppers (the mild ones were popular with my five year olds), black beans, chopped avocado or guacamole. Eat and watch with wonder as your kids make their own colorful, edible creations and feel proud of themselves for doing so! Don’t wait for Cinco de Mayo! Make taco night a regular dinner feature in your house.
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i am sure you are talking about a straigt chili powder like ancho chili powder. cause chili powder has salt and the other seasonings in it. otherwise your rub looks good. i have a similar, i put in a pinch of sugar.
also paprika can burn, you have to watch how you use it. smoked paprika was my secret ingredient 2 years ago. i still use it. also i like chipotle pepper powder but that’s spicy. both give a smoky taste without having to habatchi on the fire escape. tee hee.
hasta yo. off to make some tostadas. let me know if you need anymore fun tex-mex kid amigo foods. maybe i can help.
I want to hear more about the whys of oil choices. I just switched from canola to safflower. How about a column on this topic?
I love this recipe. Tacos are one of my favorite meals, because everyone loves them in my house. I really like ground beef tacos and have made my own taco seasoning, very similar to Lisa’s but added a bit of cornstarch to get that thick consistency like in a box taco kit. But I like that Lisa uses sea salt in hers, that sounds delicious.
Mara – that is a great idea – will do something on oil soon. There are so many choices now, it is sometimes hard to know the best oil to use.
Lisa,
Since posting this this morning, it’s all I could think about. So I just enjoyed some delicious chicken tacos topped with avocado, shredded romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, sour cream and some taco sauce. Now if only I had a margarita to go with it. Where’s Holly when you need her?
Georgette, I was also inspired by Lisa! I’m just about to make the elements of our taco night–ground turkey, refried beans, cheese, avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, salsa, lettuce in a blue corn hard taco shell. I wonder if we have any Dos Equis…
Ooh, I wish I had refried beans, although I’m so stuffed right now, it’s probably best I didn’t. I hope you enjoy and I hope you find that tequila!