Make your own fajita seasoning

The whole flour revolution has taken the FAB Whitby kitchen by storm, which is leading us in all sorts of new culinary directions. Yesterday I decided that our killer soft flour tortillas were too good to waste on store bought taco/fajita spices, so I set out to do some research. I learned a bunch about Tex-Mex food and some of the history behind it.

As a Canadian, I had fallen under the assumption that fajitas were traditional Mexican fare. Did you know that the first time fajitas were sold to the public was not until 1969? It seems that the origin of the dish is actually Texas and not Mexico at all!

History stuff aside, I was looking for a killer recipe for seasoning. After finding several variations that all made roughly the equivalent of one store bought package of the stuff. With a family of 5, one package doesn’t go very far, so I decided to work with slightly larger quantities. The spices will keep if properly sealed, so why not make enough for 2 or 3 meals.

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine:

4 tbsp chili powder
8 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp course salt (I used sea salt)
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cayenne

Put the lid on the jar and shake, shake, shake!

You now have a spice for fajitas and tacos that has a wonderful depth of flavor, without being too spicy.

Liberally sprinkle your chicken or steak with the spice and then refrigerate for an hour or two to soak up the flavor. I prepared my meat first and then let it sit while I made a giant batch of flour torts. Then, warm the BBQ and grille your meet until just cooked. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes and then slice thinly.