Mexican Spice Blend

I love making tacos and burritos but don't much care for the seasoning mixes available grocery store. I like knowing what types of spices are going into my food so I can reproduce the flavors if necessary. Here, I offer you a Mexican spice blend based on the one found here. However, I altered the recipe and tripled the amount to make enough to almost fill my 8 oz (1 cup) glass spice jar.

Ingredients **

• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cumin (I used whole cumin)
  
• 3 Tbsp dried oregano
  
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp garlic powder
• 3 Tbsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients very well.
2. Spoon into jar or resealable container.

Comments
This mixture turned out pretty spicy. If you are looking for a more mellow flavor, I suggest cutting down on the crushed red pepper flakes as well as reducing the cayenne.

I tried this in a smashed black bean and cheese quesadilla, using about 1 Tbsp of the Mexican spice blend mixed into one half a can of black beans. It was very spicy, but not overbearing when matched with the mozzarella cheese. I suggest trying this in in your next batch of taco meat or even in the empanadas.


** If you are in a gluten-free home, be sure to check the label of each herb and spice you use to make this mixture to be sure that it is gluten-free. Here is a website with links to popular spice brands and their level of gluten use in their products.