Homemade Green Taco Seasoning
This Homemade Green Taco Seasoning is super flavorful and not too spicy. This easy recipe will take any tacos, nachos or quesadillas to the next level!
Homemade Green Taco Seasoning
I must confess, I’ve never really been a fan of traditional {red} taco spice mixes. I have yet to find a packet at the store that wows me, so I usually end up just winging it when I make tacos, adding a bit of this and a pinch of that.
Our spice drawers are stocked pretty well, so I’m never feeling left out when I’m craving a particular flavor, and feel confident in my ability to come up with a tasty combo whenever I need to.
But there is one little pre-mixed packet that I’ve held very dear to my heart for many years, that I just can’t seem to shake. It’s not your typical taco seasoning. The packaging has changed over the years, but it used to advertise “no red stuff!”
I’ve since come up with a recipe for Homemade Green Taco Seasoning. It’s our family’s favorite way to season taco meat!
Do you know this little packet of yum?! Chi-Chi’s Restaurante Seasoning Mix…
If you’re not familiar with Chi-Chi’s, it was a Mexican restaurant chain founded here in Minnesota back in the 70’s. Growing up on the farm in South Dakota, the closest Chi-Chi’s was located in Fargo, about 75 miles away. When we drove to Fargo for shopping (the closest mall), appointments, or concerts, you can bet that Chi-Chi’s was always a contender for our lunch money. I was kind of addicted to their wonderfully thick and almost crispy chimichangas. And their chips and salsa. And their seafood enchiladas, all creamy and worthy of plate licking.
Now there’s not a Chi-Chi’s restaurant to be found.
Man, I miss those guys.
Why I Love This Seasoning Recipe
I think that a part of my attitude toward that little seasoning packet is tied to nostalgia and all the great meals I had there with family and friends for so many years. But I also just plain love its flavor. The mix is not hot and spicy, just really flavorful. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at the packet’s ingredients list and grunted in frustration. It lists a few common obvious ingredients such as dehydrated onions, salt, and garlic powder, and then ends with “spices”. Are you kidding? That’s no ingredients list!
So I turned my grunting around, into something much more positive. I made my own Chi-Chi’s seasoning mix.
Our girls have never been fans of traditional red taco seasoning or pretty much anything using red chiles, so this Homemade Green Taco Seasoning has been a big hit with our family. Now we can all enjoy the Mexican dishes that we love…in our favorite taco salad with an easy taco salad dressing, Macho Nachoz, and quesadillas…using our own flavorful homemade mix. Blake and the girls live for turkey taco night around here!
The store-bought Chi-Chi’s mix has dehydrated onions and green chiles, left in larger flakes. I have experimented with leaving our homemade mix with the flakes intact, and also with running the mix through a spice grinder, which quickly whirrs all the ingredients to a uniform size. I think it’s a matter of personal choice…flakes or no flakes…in the end, the flavor is the same either way. (Delicious!)
Homemade Green Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dried green bell pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried minced white onion
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
- ¼ teaspoon dried crushed jalapeño pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make the seasoning mixture: Stir together all ingredients.
- How to use: In a skillet, brown 1 pound of ground meat, such as beef, turkey, chicken, or pork, until cooked through. You could also use cooked and shredded meat. Drain away any excess fat. Then sprinkle the green taco seasoning over the cooked meat and add ⅓ cup of water to the skillet. Stir well and turn heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed. Taste and add more salt, if desired. Use the seasoned meat for tacos, nachos, quesadillas, breakfast burritos, and so much more!
Have you tried this with shrimp?
This is the only taco seasoning recipe we use at our house. Excellent!!!! Thank you for taking the time and interest in figuring out the ingredients and quantities and for sharing your recipe with others.
YAY! I love this. Thank you!
I am so excited to try your taco spice recipe. I am not a fan of “red stuff” and have always loved Chichester seasoning. It is not easy to find in my area. Also, I help with a lot of parties and open houses. Many want a taco bar. Buying those little packets can get quite costly. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I swear by the Chi Chi’s seasoning but it has been out of stock for months. I made your recipe tonight but I didn’t have green bell pepper flakes or the dried crushed jalapeños. Even without those ingredients it was still better than the Chi Chi’s seasoning! Well done!
Thank you for this! I have hatch green chili powder so I used that instead of bell peppers dried. Tured out awesome!
I cannot read the labels on the spice jars pictured. I have been unable to find dried green pepper and jalepeno. Wanted to see if I could find those you show online.
YASSSS!
I just bought some of this at Lunds in St. Paul a few weeks ago and the checkout person thought it was weird that I bought 8 packets.
My family is not a fan of the red taco seasoning… and they all LOVED Chi Chi’s. So, I’ll make up a big jar of it and have plenty to last all the coming Taco Tuesdays in the near future.
Awesome! You’re just like our family. All of us MUCH prefer the green Chi Chi’s seasoning!!! :)
I am so glad I found this! I have 24 pks of the Chi Chis blend on my Amazon subscribe & save list & I can let that go now I’ve got some ground green chile powder from The Spice House that I think will wirk great in this!
Wonderful, wonderful!!! Thanks, Donna!
I’m one of those people who dislike cilantro, so I’m going to try to sub in green chile powder for that. Should be equally tasty I assume!
I love Penzeys too!
Dry cilantro tastes nothing like fresh… I hate fresh cilantro but LOVE dried cilantro
Brenda, you nailed it! I have been buying ChiChi’s mix for over 20 YEARS! I googled tonight to find your recipe and “crisis averted”! I substituted canned green chilis for dried (the one ingredient I did not have) . I cannot tell you how happy I am to make this. My guys are gonna be so pleased. Thanks a bunch!
Hello Colleen – I LOVE to hear this. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Did you just use one can for the dried jalapeños or two?