Taco Seasoning with Fresh Ingredients
The same low-sodium taco seasoning base, now with fresh red onion, tomato, jalapeño, and lime - halfway between a taco filling and a pico de gallo.
This version came from the obvious question: what if you just added the toppings to the pan instead of the plate? The fresh red onion goes in early so it softens into the meat. The tomato and jalapeño follow later so they keep some of their texture. The lime juice and zest go in at the very end, off the heat, because lime juice cooked too long just becomes sad. The oregano bridges the fresh and savory sides of the whole thing. What you end up with is a taco filling that already has its personality - you don't need to pile on toppings because they're already in there.
Prep: 10 min • Cook: 15 min • Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Turkey (or beef, chicken, or pork)
- 1 Tbl Olive Oil
- 0.5 Red Onion, finely diced
- 1 Jalapeño, seeds removed and finely diced
- 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
- 6 tsp Paprika
- 1.5 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1.5 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 1.5 tsp Cornstarch
- 0.5 cup Water (less than original - the tomatoes add liquid)
- 1 Lime, juiced and zested
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add red onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up, until cooked through. (Using beef? Drain the fat before the next step.)
- Mix paprika, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Add jalapeño and tomato to the pan. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the seasoning blend and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat. Add lime juice and zest and stir through. The lime goes in last - it tastes brighter that way.