Here is my favorite recipes for seasonings and sauces for tacos.
Latin Spice Rub for Meat
Great for beef – pork – chicken
Seasonings
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin,
1 teaspoon corriander,1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Citrus Chili Rub for Seafood
Great for lobster – shrimp – fish
1 tablespoon chili powder chipotle powder, or paprika,* 1 teaspoon lime zest approximately 1/2 lime, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin,
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar
AVOCADO SAUCE
2 ripe avocados
The juice of 2-4 small limes, adjust to taste
1 medium sized bunch of cilantro, chopped
2-3 jalapeños or Serrano peppers, seeded and deveined
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin – optional, adjust to taste
Salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a blender; it helps the blending process if the avocados are in small chunks and the cilantro is lightly chopped.
Blend until you have a smooth sauce. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
Tomatillo Salsa
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos or 3 (11-ounce) cans tomatillos 5 fresh serrano chiles
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup fresh cilantro 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 2 teaspoons sea salt
Preheat broiler.
If using fresh tomatillos, remove husks and rinse under warm water to remove stickiness. If using canned tomatillos, drain and measure out 2 cups. Broil chiles, garlic, and fresh tomatillos (do not broil canned) on rack of a broiler pan 1 to 2 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes.
Peel garlic and pull off tops of chiles. Purée all ingredients in a blender.
FRESH TOMATO SALSA
1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes
1/2 red or white onion
2 serrano chiles or 1 jalapeño chile (stems, ribs, seeds removed)
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano minced
Pinch of ground cumin, more to taste
Start by roughly chopping the tomatoes, chiles, and onions. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse only a few times, just enough to finely dice the ingredients, not enough to purée. If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely dice by hand.
Place in a serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add a little more ground cumin.
Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.
Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangos, diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion diced
1⁄4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 large lime, zested & juiced
Sea salt & pepper to taste
Add all ingredients in a medium size bowl, stir well to combine flavors.
Lime Crema
1/2 cup flour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Zest of half lime
1 tablespoon minced cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use,