Taco Seasoning Mix

[whitelacegal]

WHich taco seasoning mixes are gluten-free? Does anyone have a recipe for a homemade one? thanks

[cdford]

I avoided mixed even before going gluten-free. Most are simple to create on your own. For tacos, we do the following:

Brown a lb of ground beef (or more in a family the size of ours), adding onion and garlic when almost brown so that the flavors can mix as the onion becomes translucent. Drain grease. Add salt, pepper, 1TBL chili powder, 2TBL cumin, and 1/8 tsp cayenne. Pour in one can diced tomatoes and one can of vegetable juice (we use the generic version of V-8). Simmer until flavors have mixed and juices have cooked down. When almost ready, add 1/4 cup (more if you prefer) salsa to draw in the flavor of the peppers. Since my family balks at beans, I add some mashed pintos into this mix. It helps to thicken it and adds addition nutrition and fiber. Adjust the spices after adding the beans since you may want more intensity and they will absorb some of the spices already in the mix.

If your tomatoes have a really acidic flavor it will help to add 1/2 tsp of sugar, but that is not usually necessary. Any more will make it taste more like spaghetti sauce (which can be made with this same basic recipe by seasoning the ground beef mixture with onion, garlic, salt, pepper, a bay leaf, and Italian seasonings instead of the Mexican flavorings). Spaghetti sauce also requires a little more added liquid such as water.

This usually takes about a half an hour start to finish, is simple and inexpensive.

[Carriefaith]

Old El Peso will clearly list gluten on their ingredients and they have taco seasoning mixes.

[angel-jd1]

Williams taco and chili seasonings are gluten-free.

-Jessica

[celiac3270]

Ortega Taco Sauce Original Thick and Smooth is gluten-free--I don't use seasonings--I just use the sauce.

[angel-jd1]

Gluten Free Pantry also has a taco seasoning mix. It comes in a shaker bottle. You can find it here: http://www.gluten free.com/glu/showdetl.cfm...Affiliate_ID=92

-Jessica

[Celiac2007]

Hi. I’m a celiac and used a single packet of Ortega Taco Seasoning Mix last night. The ingredients looked OK but I was violently ill within an hour of eating it. I am now wondering if there was some gluten hiding in the ingredients “spices” and “natural flavor”. I would avoid using that product. 

[cyclinglady]

3 hours ago, Celiac2007 said:

Hi. I’m a celiac and used a single packet of Ortega Taco Seasoning Mix last night. The ingredients looked OK but I was violently ill within an hour of eating it. I am now wondering if there was some gluten hiding in the ingredients “spices” and “natural flavor”. I would avoid using that product. 

Here are ingredients I found online:

“YELLOW CORN FLOUR, SALT, MALTODEXTRIN, PAPRIKA, SPICES, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SUGAR, GARLIC POWDER, CITRIC ACID, YEAST EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVOR, SILICON DIOXIDE.”

 It looks to be gluten free.  I can tell you that I would be ill eating it because I can not do garlic and chili pepper (which must be in spices as a proprietary ingredient, I guess).  Because they identify corn as the starch, I would bet they company is cognizant of labeling properly.  

Consider subscribing at The Gluten Free Watchdog”.  She tests products.  Go check it out.  Worth every penny!