Chilli-free taco seasoning (no paprika, no pepper)

Phase & care: P1 for the cumin, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt. Oregano isn’t on my personal yes/no list, so I start small. Onion powder and garlic powder are optional and phase 2, and garlic in particular is a tolerance-varies-per-person item.

Pick up a packet of taco seasoning in any supermarket and read the back. Chilli powder is usually near the top, and paprika is often right behind it. Both are on my never list.

So I make my own. It tastes like taco night, and the heat is the only thing missing.

Makes about 6 tablespoons (roughly 45 g / 1.5 oz). About 0.7 g fat per tablespoon. One tablespoon seasons a dish for four, so each plate gets a fraction of a gram.

Prep 5 min · Total 5 min

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons (about 18 g) ground cumin (Roman cumin, see the notes)
• 1 tablespoon (about 3 g) dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon (about 12 g) brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons (about 4 g) dried lemon or lime peel, optional
• 1 teaspoon (about 6 g) fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Optional, phase 2: 2 teaspoons onion powder
• Optional, phase 2: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Method

1. If you have two minutes, toast the cumin in a dry pan over medium heat for about a minute, until it smells nutty. Tip it onto a plate straight away so it doesn’t scorch, and let it cool.
2. Put everything in a clean, dry jar. Close it and shake.
3. Use 1 tablespoon per 500 g (about 1 lb) of fish, chicken, turkey or drained beans. Rub it on with a squeeze of lime.
4. Store in a dark cupboard. It keeps about 3 months before the cumin starts to fade.

Notes

Ground cumin here means Roman cumin, the warm, earthy one. Caraway seed looks similar but tastes of rye bread, and it won’t work in this blend.

The cinnamon sounds odd. It’s a tiny amount, and it rounds off the sharp edge that chilli usually covers.

If you want colour, a pinch of turmeric gives the golden look without any heat. Turmeric is a phase 2 item on my list.

Stepan’s Rule: the heat in a taco comes from the chilli. Most of the taste comes from the cumin. I kept the part I could eat.

Not medical advice. I’m a patient sharing what works in my own kitchen. Tolerances vary per person.

Swap your own chilli-free blends with the rest of us in the PancreasZen community. Somebody always has a better ratio than mine.