Smoky Taco Seasoning
The same low-sodium base, now with smoked paprika and chipotle - deep, smoky, and just a little bit mysterious.
Smoke is the taco seasoning upgrade nobody talks about enough. Swapping sweet paprika for smoked and adding chipotle powder turns the whole flavor profile darker and more complex - less bright, more campfire. Chipotle is just smoked and dried jalapeño, which means you're getting heat and smoke in one ingredient without needing to track down anything unusual. A tiny amount of apple cider vinegar at the end mimics the tang of actual smoked meat and ties everything together. This is the version you make when you want your Tuesday night tacos to taste like they took all weekend.
Prep: 5 min • Cook: 15 min • Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Turkey (or beef, chicken, or pork)
- 1 Tbl Olive Oil
- 4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Sweet Paprika
- 1.5 tsp Chipotle Powder
- 1.5 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1.5 tsp Onion Powder
- 1.5 tsp Cumin
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 1.5 tsp Cornstarch
- 0.75 cup Water
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking it up, until cooked through. (Using beef? Skip the olive oil and drain the fat before the next step.)
- While the meat cooks, mix smoked paprika, sweet paprika, chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Once the meat is cooked through, stir in the seasoning blend and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes until the sauce is thickened and glossy.
- Remove from heat and stir in apple cider vinegar. It's one teaspoon and it does more than it has any right to.