Joy the Baker

Taco Seasoning + Charred Corn Tacos

by 96 Comments

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I like to drink wine from rocks glasses, with two hands, sitting alone at a bar.

I like to eat avocados standing in the kitchen, staring at the wall, with extra salt and too much lemon.

I like to eat summer corn raw, in clusters.  I like to binge on cherry tomatoes.  I like to eat tacos in excess… extra spiced.

Please never let the summer be over.  Please and thank you.

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T-minus five days (give or take) before I make some sort of taco grilled cheese sandwich concoction.  I’m sorry/totally NOT sorry.

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Grab a spoon that you love!  Any spoon.  Any size.  The bigger the spoon, the more the taco seasoning… obviously.

Here’s what’s rad about making your own taco seasoning:

you totally have all of these spices in your cupboard, you can kick up the spice and chill on the salt, and (most importantly) you’re the boss of you!

Get things going with chili powder, cumin, and paprika.  We’re also going to add dried oregano, onion, garlic, salt and spice.

Like a boss.

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This little gem of flavor is inspired by Wit and Vinegar.  It you don’t know what Billy is doing on the internet… you should. He’s funnier than all of us combined.

Now… after you make your spices, you’re going to need something to sprinkle it on, right?  Nachos would be a great idea.  Steak would me totally major.  Shrimp… I think you should.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

makes a small batch of heck yes!

Print this Recipe!

Grab a teaspoon or tablespoon and let’s get this seasoning party going!

2 spoonfuls chili powder

1 spoonful ground cumin

1 spoonful paprika

1 spoonful dried oregano

1 spoonful garlic powder

1 spoonful onion powder

half a spoonful coriander

half a spoonful salt

half a spoonful crushed red pepper flakes

Toss together.  Store in a jar.  Apply liberally to most everything.  

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Summer time!  Don’t act like you’re not obsessed.

Fresh corn is killin’ it right now.  Add heat and olive oil and things get a little out of control.

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Heck yes we’re adding fresh tomato, fresh scallions, and fresh avocado.  Heck yes we’re adding too much taco seasoning.  Heck yes we’re the boss of our summer selves.

Just go with it… two-handed wine drinking and everything else.  Living!

Charred Corn Tacos

serves 4 people

Print this Recipe!

6 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from the cob

a handful of chopped scallions

 a handful of sliced cherry tomatoes

a seeded fresh jalapeno, chopped

a liberal amount of homemade taco seasoning

corn tortillas

ripe  sliced avocado

and olive oil

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the corn and allow to char for several minutes.  Stir infrequently to allow the corn to really char.  Remove from the heat and stir in scallions, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, and taco seasoning to taste.

Fry up some tortillas.  Spoon the charred corn into the tortillas.  Top with avocado.  Go to town!  

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Indirect Libre

    So I just moved. And I had to give away all my spices. And I have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to go to the store and just go crazy in the spice store. Hello perfect opportunity! I am, literally, about to go make some taco seasoning. Thanks for this!

    Reply

  2. Katy @ Katy's Kitchen

    I made this taco seasoning a couple weeks ago but forgot to comment. It was amazing! I’m so glad I made it, especially after reading the ingredients list of store-bought taco seasoning- yuck! Thanks for the recipe. :)

    Reply

  3. Lisanne

    Charred corn looks fab! And can I just say that taco grilled cheese should totally be a thing. I once made grilled cheese in a pan I had just cooked chorizo in because why not? And even though my daughter’s top food list does not include chorizo, she braved it and declared that it was the best grilled cheese she had ever tasted.

    Reply

  5. Rebecca

    Yum!!! Have you seen these super cute ball spice jars? I found them at my hardware store, but amazon:

    4PK 4OZ Dry Herb Jars
    http://amzn.com/B00BL87RB0

    A batch of the taco seasoning made with a heaping teaspoon fits perfectly… Thanks for another great meal!

    Reply

  6. saeyoung vu

    Thank you for this great recipe. I already made it 2 times and every time I am wishing we have some left overs but it is all gone by hungry dad and 4 kids. It is perfect with chipotle chicken for meat lovers as well as vagetarian teenager. I am going to make again next week!

    Reply

  7. Kelly

    I made these for lunch today and they’re so yummy! I think I’ll add a little sour cream or some kind of cream sauce next time. But I’ll definitely make them again!

    Reply

  9. Jenne

    this recipe is a m a z i n g.
    its really simple (i’ve made it twice already!). +++ the taco seasoning is actually more of an all purpose spice (bonus).
    makes a great addition to ketchup, baked potatoes, (fried chicken batter?) honestly anything.
    i’m almost through an entire batch.

    Reply

  12. Stephanie

    Querido Joy, these babies really hit the spot as NJ Mexican food is terrible and I’m missing Texas. We added fresh cilantro on top, some queso blanco would be nice, too! The colors were so vibrant I wanted to scream! Lots of love!

    Reply

  13. Bethany

    Joy-

    I made almost the same thing earlier this week, because I was craving elote but had a ton of zucchini to use up. I combined your charred mexican zucchini recipe (with the zucchini in ribbons) with some charred corn, a boatload of taco spices, some skirt steak, avocado, and teeny tomatoes. It was SO GOOD. Thank you for being an inspiration!

    Reply

  14. Laura

    Imade this tonight and it was the perfect summer patio meal. I used Trader Joes taco seasoning cause it’s delicious and so easy. Thanks for the inspiration! Love the blog an pod cast !

    Reply

  15. Jennifer

    Oh, I’m going to make these like it’s my job! Such a tasty summer recipe – and vegan. Love how beautiful the paprika looks in your photos. What an amazing color.

    Reply

  17. Karen McNutt

    I’m making this happen tonight! I already had all the spices and the corn & I sent my husband out for the avocado, corn, and tortillas. I’m smothering the chicken breasts I’m cooking in the spices too. Can’t wait to eat. Thank you for the inspiration!

    Reply

  19. Laura

    These look amazing! However, I have tried to char corn in a skillet before, and the hot kernels have a tendency to leap up out of the skillet and onto me when I stir….scary! I guess I can deal with the pain in order to have these for dinner though…..

    Reply

    • Bethany

      Laura, this is my solution to that problem – if you have a gas stove, char the whole cob of corn over the flame, using tongs to turn it (you may still get some pops but not as many). Or, cut the corn off the cob, mix it with the spices and some olive oil, and throw it on a sheet tray under the broiler on high for as long as it takes to get nice and charred (you will also hear some popping but the oven at least contains the chaos!). Hope that helps!

      Reply

  25. Matthew

    Joy the other day you were talking about taco sandwiches. I definitely think you could pull off a savory taco waffle with corn, cheese and taco seasoning mixed into the waffle batter and then topped with some chicken, avocado, and tomato with a squirt of lime juice and a sprinkle of cilantro… just saying taco waffles, think about it!

    Reply

  26. Louisa @ My Family & Abruzzo

    They look like a great dish for a summer’s evening. I love corn and I love spice, what’s not to like!

    Reply

  31. Kristi @ 30 Pounds of Apples

    Love love looooove that first photograph, not to mention the recipe. I have a similar recipe (though I use it more for fajitas than tacos, but same idea) that I adore. So easy to make, and I love that I can control the quantity and not feel pressured to use a whole packet of the pre-made stuff.

    Reply

  32. Ann

    These tacos are really singing a siren song! I’m gonna add some black beans and call it dinner tonight. Great post Joy.

    Reply

  33. Lauren Michelle

    Mmm, this looks delicious and not too hard! I may have to stop by the store on my way home today… I also feel like you would love New Mexican sandwiches. Almost everything has green chile and/or some sort of taco flair.

    Reply

  40. Andj

    I love making my own spice mixes but for whatever reason have never made my own taco seasoning-thanks for this! Just looking at those crispy corn tortillas has me wanting a taco asap.

    Reply

  48. Karen McNutt

    You know how to make us all excited by the simple act of preparing our own taco mix without the huge amounts of sodium added to those little packages at the grocery store. When you add the corn, lemon, and avocado to the corn tortillas you surpassed you made me anticipate this dish. I’m making them with chicken tonight. Thank you for your creativity!

    Reply

  54. Kato

    Definite fan of mixing your own spices! i like to add a dash of cinnamon, oregano and cinnamon taste fantastic together, strange but true.

    Reply

  59. DessertForTwo

    While I wait for taco grilled cheese to happen here, I will definitely be making these tacos tonight! I have everything for it–hooray! Don’t you love when that happens?

    Thanks for the link to a new site to check out :)

    Reply

  63. Adrienne K

    Thank you thank you for this homemade taco seasoning recipe. I always cringe about the preservatives etc. in those little packets whenever I use them.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. […] Secret Sauce!  This spice mix from Joy the Baker is the most important ingredient. I make a huge batch ahead of time, and keep a jar of it in my spice cabinet. I used to use those  store bought packages of tex-mex seasoning until I read the label, and couldn’t pronounce half of the ingredients, no thanks!  This one does contains salt, but I can pronounce every ingredient. To me that’s a win. […]

    Reply

  5. […] starting this taco party off with a recipe from Joy the Baker for DIY taco seasoning so you can control your spice mix. Like your tacos a little more/less spicy? […]

    Reply

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    Reply

  21. […] seasoning. I’ve seen a few recipes floating around Pinterest, but when Joy the Baker provides a mix, I have to try it out. My problem with making my own taco seasoning is that I don’t know how […]

    Reply

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