Primal Tex-Mex Tortillas and Taco Seasoning
Taco night is a tradition in many families and one that doesn’t have to stop just because corn chips and flour tortillas aren’t on the table. Our favorite wrap for tacos is lettuce, whether the filling is grilled fish or flank steak. We’ve also been known to bake up a batch of kale chips and serve them along side avocado, salsa and taco meat. Often, we simply pile up taco toppings in a bowl with seasoned taco meat and eat it with a fork.
The trick to making a taco bowl really flavorful is in the seasoning, but store-bought taco seasoning packets often contain too much salt or unsavory ingredients. Making your own is easy and tastes almost identical to the seasoning packets you can buy in stores. We use it to flavor ground meat, but you can season steak or chicken with homemade taco seasoning, too.
But we know what a few of you are saying to yourself right now… lettuce wraps and taco bowls are all well and good, but what about those nights when what I really want is a Primal tortilla for my taco fillings?
You’ll be happy to know we’ve been doing a lot of experimenting on behalf of all you tortilla-lovers out there and we think we’ve hit upon a solution that will satisfy.
Primal Tex-Mex Tortillas are fluffier and more delicate than flour tortillas. The flavor can lean towards being slightly sweet from the coconut flour but we’ve added cumin, chili pepper and a hint of lime, which covers the sweetness and gives the tortillas a Tex-Mex flair. Our tortillas are a delicious base for tacos, but don’t wrap around the fillings quite as well. We tried versions of this recipe that used only egg whites and wrapped a little better, but in the end we liked the extra protein and richness (and convenience) of using the whole egg. The tortillas fry up quickly in olive oil, and then can be stacked high with any fillings you like – salsa, guacamole and sautéed onion and peppers are great add-ons to whatever meat you choose.
Tortillas made from coconut flour may not taste exactly like traditional tortillas made from wheat flour, but this isn’t to say they aren’t good in their own right. We tried at least a half dozen recipes for Primal tortillas and think our version the best one out there – try these Tex-Mex tortillas on your next taco night and let us know what you think!
Primal Tex-Mex Tortillas
Makes 4 tortillas
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions:
Whisk together water, eggs, olive oil and lime.
Mix together coconut flour, baking powder, cumin and chili powder.
Slowly pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisking as you pour so clumps don’t form.
Heat several tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, pour 1/4 cup of batter in the pan, tilting pan so the batter spreads thinly.
Let the batter sit untouched for one minute then put a lid on the pan and cook one minute more. Flip the tortilla and fry for 2 more minutes.
Taco Seasoning – to season 1 pound of meat
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teasoon garlic powder or minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
Simply season raw meat then cook as desired.
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Posted By: Worker Bee
This is awesome, can’t wait to try it, tortilla was the last ‘wheat stuff’ I indulged because…you know…it’s awesome! Thanks mark
Looks great! Can’t wait to try it – thanks for the recipe
What time should we arrive for dinner? This looks DELICIOUS!!! I love seasoning up chick peas for Tex-Mex meals too, topped with herb salad mix.
This sure beats my greasy creation of the egg tortilla! Was yummy, but will have to find some coconut flour somewhere.
Hello. FYI–I order all of my healthy flours and Health type of foods from Amazon.com. They often have ‘Subscribe & Save’ which is an additional 15% off. I order BOB”S COCONUT FLOUR and all the rest there. Obscure healthy ingredients are also purchased there.
Good luck.
Looks great…finally, a way to eat a tortilla in Primal fashion!
Just curious, though why you chose to fry these in olive oil, vs. lard, butter or coconut oil? From everything I’ve read, olive oils shouldn’t be used for cooking at high temperatures.
If it’s FAST, I’ll fry in olive oil.
But for this, I’d use avocado oil. It’s expensive, but it adds flavor nicely to recipes like this, or fajitas, etc.
For one thing, lard’s high in omega-6 fats, which you want to limit to 2–4% of calories, according to Chris Kresser. For another, good coconut oil or butter from pastured cows is darned expensive. Regular olive oil (not EVOO) is reasonably priced. Also it’s smoke point is high enough for a quick-cooking recipe like this.
A lot of olive oil is cut with crap oils so its no wonder the real stuff is sold for much more. Consumers not wanting to pay the true value of things but can’t live without iPhones doesn’t help any. There was a university that tested quite a few varieties and found many of them cut with cheap veggie or seed oils that are not “paleo”. So I don’t buy oil from the store, but allow myself to have olive oil grown in Georgia on avocados occasionally as it is $30 a bottle so its more expensive than butter and coconut oil.
http://www.naturalnews.com/036509_extra_virgin_olive_oil_fraud_bottle.html
Also a book on it:
http://www.amazon.com/Extra-Virginity-Sublime-Scandalous-World/dp/0393070212/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0
I know what I’m having for lunch this week! I am wondering though, do you think this would work with almond flour instead? Thanks!
I tried it with almond flour, and it came out great!
Ah, thanks for that comment, I was wondering the same thing… Right, off to the kitchen!
Did you use the same amount of almond flour as is specified for coconut flour?
Pretty much the same seasoning that I use in my taco meat but I am so excited to try the tortillas!!!! Sounds like dinner!
I’ve got some ground bison just waiting for this. Thanks!
my mouth is watering, i’m definitely making this!
oh wow you could do all kinds of things with these: change the seasoning a bit & they’re mini pizza crusts! Change in a different direction & you got gyros or shwarma. Yippee!!
oh wow – a new “vehicle” for sardines & kippers…
I like to use smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, fresh minced garlic, fresh minced jalapeno, ground black pepper, roasted cumin, roasted coriander, Celtic sea salt, fresh cilantro, Cholula hot sauce, and fresh lime juice/zest in my taco seasoning mix, which I cook with onions, bell peppers, and grass-fed ground beef in coconut oil. Even my non-Primal eating brother devours it! But if I wanted to make it with less ingredients or was missing one of those ingredients, I would be sure to try out your seasoning mix. Either way, it’s so much better and healthier than that stuff in the pouches at the supermarket. I will definitely be trying out the tortilla recipe. I am also curious to know, as another reader asked, if it would work with almond flour in place of the coconut flour.
Awesome! I came to this site to get some other info, but loved seeing a mexican tortilla staring me in the face! I just said last night how I was going to miss corn tortillas & corn chips…we do the burrito bowls, but I will def try these tortillas as a wknd special item! Thanks!
follow up!! I made these w/ my boyfriend this wknd, and we LOVED them!! We’re doing a 30day grain free challenge, but will keep these in the mix since coconut flour is NOT a grain! (unless we’re wrong on that, in which case, someone pls set us straight!) We even thought of swapping out the mexican spices for apple/cinnamon type spices so we could do a batch w/ breakfast flavors for morning “toast”.
I tried these last night, it was a little time consuming, but my husband and I liked them. I think I am allergic to the coconut flour, I will try with a different flour and see. It was much better for me since I am allergic to corn and everything else. I will give them another try. Loved the spice for the meat.
hi I have been reading about the primal way and I have one problem and that is I am highly allergic to nuts in any form and would like alternative flours to use as the recipes look scrummy – I am using gluten free flour but it is still wheat based any ideas anyone?
you are right! Coconut is not a grain.
In Okinawa we ate something called “Taco Rice” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco_rice
Yes, it has rice, so only quasi-paleo, but very tasty and you could limit the amount of rice.
Living in central Texas, Tex-Mex is one those things I swore I’d never give up, and even after going Paleo, I didn’t. we have taco and fajita nights quite a bit at our house, and usually just use fresh corn tortillas. I will have to give these primal tortillas a try. thanks!
Same here (I’m in SA). My desire for breakfast tacos keeps tripping me up. This shall be tried as soon as I finish feeding the baby.
Grew up in TX and lived in central TX many years. Good, fresh flour tortillas were at the top of my list (Blanco Cafe in San Antonio makes the best). That’s all gone now. Beef fajitas are still a staple, however, but with no tortillas. The corn may not be as bad as the flour, but still very bad. Good news is that my weight and waist size is now the same in my mid 50s as it was as a freshman in high school.
Eat the skirt steak with no wrap or wrapped in lettuce. Avocados are primal too. It’s now my fruit of choice — eaten with a squeeze of lemon and some sea salt.
also a Texas who loves Mexican food. I need to make these for tomorrow’s ash Wednesday fish tacos
Mark,
Nice recipe! I’m a big fan of Mexican food so it’s nice to see you can go Primal with tacos!
Alykhan
I have some coconut flour left and now I have the perfect recipe to use it for! Thanks!!
Mmmm, me gusta. Me gusta.
Wow, fantastic! Will definitely be making these soon. So glad I have a nice supply of coconut flour on hand. Thanks so much!
Shirley
… or is it Mi gusta … I need to brush up on my spanish …
It is Me gusta
If this tastes as good as it looks, you have my undying gratitude forever and ever.
This is great! We are having a Mexican potluck at work. I can bring my own tortillas and stay on track.
Dude, those tortillas look freaking awesome! Adding them to the list of “to make… soon!”
I was wondering about the one teaspoon of lime. Is that lime juice, or zested lime?
I’ll make this tomorrow!
OKAY I made this tonight
The water is exact for a reason, be accurate
The spices for the meat is balanced for about 500g meat
I just poured a lot of “tortilla” sauce and then divided into 4 pieces cuz I’m lazy. They didn’t taste much themselves but they sure fill the stomach!!
I’ll surely make this again
I forgot to check the box so I can read the replies.
Helen, I wondered the same thing. My guess is that it’s lime juice since it is included with the wet ingredient list. I could be wrong, though…
We just so happened to be having tacos tonight, so I decided to try this recipe. My tortillas didn’t turn out all that great. I knew they wouldn’t be exactly like regular tortillas, but still, they didn’t turn out for me. I know the article said they wouldn’t be good for wrapping, but mine broke apart when I tried to move them from the pan to the plate. Any suggestions for what I may be doing wrong? Anyone else try these and have the same issues?
We did these on Sat night, and as long as we had ample oil in the pan when frying them, we were good to go. No break-age, no burning. We did NOT wrap them, wrapping them would be like trying to turn a pancake textured item into a tortilla…definitely would incur breakage. Good luck!
Mark, just wanted to thank you for all your knowledge. I’m finally living a healthy ife thanks to Primal/Paleo and Crossfit. Couldn’t have done it without folks like you. Now I’m getting stronger, leaner and mostly important mentally healthy.
That does look delicious. I have a question about the quantities in the recipe, though. “2 tablespoons” coconut flour – that doesn’t seem like enough to make four tortillas. Is that a mistake, or are the eggs making up most of the bulk?
Coconut flour soaks up a lot more liquid than other flours, so 2 T may very well be correct. I look forward to trying this!
I think I need some help – I cut the recipe in half, but could not get them to stay together…they just fell apart though. Not sure what I did wrong…maybe as gingernapper wrote, there wasn’t enough flour
when I started making coconut flour pancakes for my kids if they were falling apart I added an egg….so I would start there! good luck!