It’s kind of funny to say, but Okinawa, the island that my family is from, has a dish called Taco Rice that it’s known for. It’s basically seasoned taco meat on top of rice and served with a little cheese melted on the rice, lettuce, tomato, and some salsa (or just hot sauce– my fave is Trader Joe’s’ Jalapeno Pepper Hot Sauce).
Taco rice is delicious, you can find it everywhere in Okinawa (the addition of the rice is basically what makes it Okinawan), and my mom actually even serves it at her restaurant here in the U.S. Some people definitely get confused by the Latin influence, but once they’ve had it they’re hooked.
So anyway, I love taco meat, but I’m not a fan of packet taco seasoning because there is so much salt/sodium in them (not to mention other funky things). I was hanging out with my friend and Mexican food connoisseur Nancy, and she was making her own. So of course, I snatched that recipe right up.
My spice mixture
Here’s what you need to know:
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Chili flakes
- Salt
- Pepper
The quantity depends on how much you like the flavor of each spice and how many pounds of meat you have. So start with a tablespoon of chili powder and start adding the other spices by the teaspoon-full in a bowl. Then you can add however much you need from that to your ground beef. Remember, there are no wrong moves in cooking! Just experiment and adjust to your tastes.
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Have you ever had taco rice? Do you make your own taco seasoning?
