DIY Bulk Taco Seasoning Mix without the Chemicals

I really do not enjoy cooking. It is something I do on a regular basis and I would prefer to cook than say, saw logs, but it is far from being my favorite thing to do. So, most of my life I have looked for shortcuts. I especially like to find shortcuts that save me time and/or money. This recipe is both and tastes good to boot.

I make my spice mixes in bulk. I always make them to fit into a quart sized canning jar. It is so simple to grab a jar from the panty, measure out what I need and toss the rest back in the pantry. The jar keeps it fresher than any store bought little package of mix could ever be and it ends up being MUCH MUCH cheaper. As an added plus, chances are good you will already have the majority of the ingredients at home.

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Ingredients

3/4 cup dried, mince (or chopped) onion
2 tbs. salt
1/3 cup chili powder
1/4 cup dried minced garlic
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup corn starch
1/8 cup oregano

Place everything into a 1 quart canning jar (or any container that is air tight). Screw on the lid tightly, then shake well. Keep an eye on it as you shake and roll the jar around some if part of the ingredients are not mixing well.

When read to use, shake again.

Brown approximately 1 pound of your favorite ground meat

Add 2 tbs mix and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer on low heat, stirring constantly until sauce thickens and its ready to serve.

Worth Mentioning

1 - This recipe will make between 3/4 and 1 quart of mix. (depends on the size of the minced pieces). It will provide about 27 to 30 servings equal to one package of store bought mix, that costs about $1 around here. ($27 to $30) The cost to make this recipe is only about $5 or $6. That is a HUGE savings.
2 - Ever read the package your seasoning mix comes in. Unless you are buying an organic variety, it is filled with chemical names you can't pronounce much less know what they mean.
3 - You can adjust this recipe however you like. Leave out the salt for low sodium, add more chili powder and red pepper flakes for a hotter variety. Leave out the corn starch and reduce the water used when cooking if you prefer to have more of a thin sauce.
4 - Depending on where you live, there is a very good chance you could grow most of the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Then it would be basically free and much healthy that the store bought.

If you like this recipe, please let me know in the comments. I have dozens of other bulk recipes I use and will gladly list them if people want them.