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
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!
Ingredients
- 1 T. green bell pepper flakes
- 2 tsp. dried minced white onion
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried cilantro
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
- 1/4 tsp. dried crushed jalapeño
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- large pinch cayenne pepper
- large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Stir together all ingredients. If desired, use a spice grinder to incorporate more evenly and achieve a uniform size for all ingredients. If you want to make a larger quantity of seasoning, to keep on hand for future use, I would recommend grinding the mixture. Otherwise, the smaller granules settle to the bottom, while the larger flakes sit on top. If you don't grind a large quantity of this mixture, just be sure to stir it very well before using it.
- A single recipe of this mix works great for 1 pound of ground or shredded turkey, beef, pork, or chicken. Once the meat has been browned in a skillet, simply add this seasoning mixture along with 1/3 cup of water. Stir well and turn heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed. Taste and add additional salt, if desired.
- Meat seasoned with this mixture is awesome in tacos, nachos, quesadillas, breakfast burritos, and so much more!
Notes
Inspired by my favorite Mexican seasoning mix, Chi-Chi's Restaurante Seasoning.
Recipe seasons 1 pound of ground or shredded meat
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 servings Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 6Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 147mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Thanks for posting chi chi copycat recipe. My family and I have cut out prepackaged seasonings, mixes and gravies and anything processed and package that I can make homemade. I’ve been making my own traditional chili powder and paprika taco seasoning, but my husband wanted one similar to chi chi’s or the Mexican restaurant we dine at. This was perfect. Only change I had was the tsp of onion to a tbsp. But other then that it was perfect. Thank you!
So glad you liked this, Annie. Thank you for letting me know!
Thank you soo much!!! I loved Chi Chi’s too!! And can’t find the restaurant style green seasoning mix in stores! They do have it on Amazon though. I will try your recipe!! Thanks again!!
Recipe sounds good. I will try it out. The thing about chi chi’s is they used monosodium glutamate in their recipes. That is what gives it that unique savory taste.
Packets are available on line Amazon
This is great! I just wanted to mention those Chi Chi’s packets can be purchased on Amazon at a very reasonable price ex. $13.00 for a box of 24 packets. Thank You!!!
Thanks, Kelly!
Thanks for the recipe! I have been searching for Chi-Chi’s recipes for both of their versions of chili. One was a bowl of red chili, and it was cubed meat (steak? pork?) and a thick gravy/sauce that was served with a couple of warm flour tortillas. The other was a bowl of green chili with cubed meat (steak? pork?) and a thick gravy/sauce served with a couple of warm flour tortillas. The green chili was milder than the red. I don’t think either version had beans or vegetables in the chili. Both versions were available when Chi-Chi’s opened originally, much later they changed their menu and the chili recipes changed, not for the better. I would be so grateful if anyone would post those recipes. Thanks!
Just made this today and it was fantastic! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I’m so glad you like it, Paula! :)
I moved from mn to the west coast about 4 years ago and have looked in every store I go in for that chichi’s seasoning packet. Apparently, it’s not sold out here! Finally my husband suggested I look up a recipe, so glad I did! Can’t wait to make this for dinner! You’ve made my day.
I have been ordering Chi-Chi’s brand taco seasoning mix on Amazon in bulk because it is not available in many stores and regions. I too was never as fond of the red taco seasoning packets, but Chi-Chi’s is the best! Thanks for this recipe!
You’re welcome! :)
I can’t THANK YOU enough! I’ve been using those EXACT taco seasoning packets and trying to figure out the spices. You’ve saved me the trouble! I miss Chi Chi’s. Their sopapillas and churros with chocolate sauce were AMAZING. It was my favorite restaurant as a child.
Hi…..I live in Texas….but grew up in North Dakota….Chi Chi’s was my favorite Mexican restaurant. It was an 80 mile drive, but worth it…..thanks for recipe!
Looks delicious! I need to visit Penzey’s with you when I come to visit this summer. Ordering from the catalog just isn’t the same as smelling all of those wonderful smells.
Sounds great to me! Any excuse to visit that store has me smiling! :)
I have never even seen a green taco mix – definitely trying this one out!!
Chi-chi’s was a huge favorite here too. My husband and I went at least once a week before we were married. I so miss their wild berry margaritas and corn cake!
I love trying new seasoning mixes (especially for south of the border kinds of meals), but as a vegan I always have to look at the list of ingredients on the back. I’m picky about what I put on our family plates! So thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Can’t wait to try it out!
I always make my own taco seasoning, but have never thought of doing a green one! I’m loving this idea. Sometimes the red chiles can be a little too assertive a flavor for me and I always ask for green sauce at Mexican restaurants instead of the typical red, so why not a green seasoning mix? Makes perfect sense.
oh yes Chi-Chi’s, loved that place! Can’t wait to try this.
Love those spoons :) And this sounds delicious. So much better when it’s homemade, too.
Thanks for the great new seasoning to try. The closest Chi Chi’s to us was about an hour away and I only remember eating there a handful of times.
We love traditional taco seasoning, but this green version looks just as good! I can not wait to give it a try on our weekly tacos this week!
Thanks, Tieghan – I hope you like this {green} version, too!