Mix up this homemade taco seasoning recipe in only 2 minutes! It’s not too spicy, not too mild, and WAY better (and cheaper!) than the packet. We use it for ground beef taco meat and my kids always clean their plates!
We are a taco family. Whether they’re in Corn Tortillas, Flour Tortillas, served with Instant Pot Brown Rice or Coconut Rice, or on a bed of Cilantro Lime Coleslaw – we LOVE tacos.
What we DON’T love is store-bought taco seasoning.
So, I use this homemade taco seasoning recipe instead for amazing tacos every time!
HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING
I confess that I haven’t always made my own homemade taco seasoning. I didn’t want to add another thing to my to-do list. If only I had realized sooner that making this taco seasoning mix recipe only takes 2 minutes!
And then we did the Whole30. For those who don’t know, the Whole30 is an elimination diet that doesn’t allow any sugar, soy, dairy, legumes, gluten, or grains.
Even the best label readers should be on their toes, because there are hidden sugars (among other unhealthy things) in the most unlikely places…
- Liquid smoke
- Worcestershire sauce
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Salt
- “Healthy” brands of lunchmeat
And there’s sugar in many dried spices too, including store-bought taco seasoning.
Since tacos aren’t nearly as delicious without taco seasoning, it was high time I perfected my own homemade taco seasoning recipe!
WHY MAKE THIS TACO SEASONING RECIPE
There are several pros to making your own spice blends, like taco seasoning:
YOU CAN ADJUST THE TACO SEASONING RECIPE TO YOUR TASTES.
We like our taco seasoning flavorful and medium. You might like it straight-up hot. Or maybe you have little ones who need mild for their young taste buds, but you want it to still have enough pizzazz for you too.
When you make your own spice blend, take a moment to smell and taste each spice as you add it to the blend. Becoming familiar with what each individual spice tastes like will help you create the perfect blend for you and your family.
Cumin and chili powder are both in this homemade taco seasoning recipe, but they each have different flavor profiles. You may want more cumin and less chili powder – taste them and experiment!
IT’S A WHOLE LOT CHEAPER TO MAKE YOUR OWN TACO SEASONING.
One packet of store bought taco seasoning costs 98¢ for one ounce (that’s just 2 tablespoons) on Amazon. I know for a fact I can make the same amount of taco seasoning for mere pennies – especially when I buy my spices at either ALDI or Walmart. (If you’re curious which is cheaper, ALDI or Walmart, I ran the numbers.)
Plus, buying single spices means I can reuse them as needed for other recipes. Cumin is one of the key spices in my Best-Ever Slow Cooker Refried Beans, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend substituting taco seasoning in its place. It’s just not the same!
MAKING HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING MIX IS GENERALLY HEALTHIER.
I say generally here because you could probably go to your local health food store and buy taco seasoning that doesn’t have too much junk in it… but you’re also going to pay an arm and a leg.
Instead, make your own! You can control exactly what goes into your blend and make sure it meets whatever real food priorities you’re working toward. Plus you’ll know for sure it is gluten-free or free from other allergens.
TACO SEASONING INGREDIENTS
This taco seasoning mix recipe includes several basic pantry spices, including:
- Chili powder
- Ground Cumin
- Salt
- Ground Black pepper
- Paprika (smoked paprika can be subbed but it will have a hint of BBQ flavor!)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Crushed red pepper flakes (Omit or use less for mild taco seasoning)
- Oregano
If you don’t want salt, then skip it!
If you don’t want sugar, you’re in luck – this recipe doesn’t have it!
Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic-free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
HOW TO MAKE TACO SEASONING
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a glass jar.
Step 2: Shake well and use as desired.
I almost always make this taco seasoning in big batches. That way, I have it ready next time we need tacos!!
STORING HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING
Anytime I buy spices at ALDI (where they’re only 99¢), I keep the glass jars. They’re very similar to this kind, and they line up so nicely in my spice cabinet. Here’s how I remove the labels, and then I use a permanent marker to write what homemade blend is inside (sharpie doesn’t wipe off easily, but you can wash it off with soap and water).
These small 4 oz mason jars are another good option too. The neat thing about those is that they’re the perfect size for Avocado Chocolate Mousse or DIY Magnesium Lotion! I love it when I can use something in my kitchen in multiple ways!
Whatever you use for your spices, make sure to use an airtight container or jar to keep your seasoning mixes fresh for longer.
HOW TO USE DIY TACO SEASONING MIX
Obviously, I use this seasoning in my ground beef tacos recipe, but DIY taco seasoning mix isn’t just for the meat – you can add this spicy, smoky flavor to all sorts of things!
- I’ve added this taco seasoning to Cauliflower Rice and it was SO GOOD.
- I’ve also added it to Crispy Potato Wedges, roasted sweet potatoes, and Homemade Breakfast Sausage, to flavor Almond-Crusted Baked Chicken, and in a pinch to make Homemade Guacamole.
- This homemade taco seasoning recipe is also a staple in my Easy Tortilla Soup and if I have a Mexican food theme on my meal plan, then I’ll use it to flavor my Instant Pot Whole Chicken too!
- You could even add it to the Easiest Scrambled Eggs or spice up Homemade Chicken Nuggets. Black beans and casseroles are tasty too!
I think you really can’t go wrong with shaking a bit of homemade taco seasoning on everything, right?
HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING RECIPE FAQS
What can I use if I don’t have taco seasoning?
This homemade taco seasoning recipe is really easy to mix up, and chances are, you have all of the spices already to make it. If for some reason you don’t, a mixture of garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and salt will cover most of your bases for taco seasoning flavor.
How much taco seasoning for 1 pound of ground beef?
A store-bought packet of taco seasoning usually has about 2 tablespoons of seasoning blend. I usually start with 1 tablespoon of homemade taco seasoning, but you can add as little or as much as you’d like!
Does taco seasoning have tomatoes in it?
This taco seasoning recipe has a variety of spices in it, but no tomatoes. However, it does go well with many Mexican dishes that include tomatoes, like Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos and Tortilla Soup.
MORE AMAZING HOMEMADE SPICE BLENDS
- Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Poultry Seasoning
- Homemade Ranch Seasoning
- All Purpose Seasoned Salt
- Fajita Seasoning
- Blackened Seasoning
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Mix up this homemade taco seasoning recipe in only 2 minutes! It’s not too spicy, not too mild, and WAY better (and cheaper!) than the packet. We use it for ground beef taco meat and my kids always clean their plates!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: ⅓ cup 1x
- Category: Sauces/Condiments
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp oregano
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a glass jar.
- Shake well and use as desired.
Notes
- Whatever you use for your spices, make sure to use an airtight container or jar to keep your seasoning mixes fresh for longer.
Nutrition
- Calories: 98
A hit at my house! We are not spicy food eaters so I left out the red pepper flake and it was perfect for us.
Woohoo! I’m glad you like it!
I have tried so many ways to season my taco meat without using the premade packets. This is THE BEST!! I added a little nutritional yeast, about 1 tsp and it just adds a little extra. Can’t wait to try the Montreal Steak seasoning! Thanks Tiffany!
In your comments you mention “If you can’t have corn, you can avoid the cornstarch!”, but I don’t see it in the recipe. How much and do you add it to the mix or put it in water first and use it like thickening gravy? My taco seasoning recipe is very similar to yours and doesn’t have cornstarch. I add water to the meat with the seasoning, just like the packets, but sometimes it seems a little too “juicy”.
Hi Lisa!
Thanks so much for touching in! Tiffany actually doesn’t use cornstarch either, so it’s just a mistake in the post. Thanks for making mention of it. I will fix the post right away. 🙂
Been using this for all taco meats AND to season my chili!! Never could get my chili to taste right until now 😀 thanks you so much for the recipe. I’m loving it so much I’m debating about batching it for cheap Christmas gifts to people I know love tacos. I mean Id love a jar of sugar free/additive free taco seasoning for Christmas!
Love this. Great flavor for all my Mexican food recipes!
Hey Tiffany!
I absolutely looooooooooooooove your taco seasoning! I’ve been enjoying it since November of 2017, and I’m actually going to teach some students at a cooking class how to make it this coming Friday. The cooking class is usually hosted by my mother, but she’s going to let me teach this Friday. The main course is taco salad, which I’m sure will go really good with this made-from-scratch taco seasoning!
Thanks for these recipes. Just made a double batch of this tonight and used some to for taco meat–nice flavor!
You’re very welcome Heidi!
When you say chili, do you mean chili powder? Thanks for the recipe!
Yes!
How much seasoning goes in a lb of ground meat?
I usually add 1 Tbsp, but you can add as little or as much as you’d like!
When you say “onion” and “garlic” do you mean onion powder and garlic powder? Thanks.
Yes ma’am!
Definitely trying this soon! I bought a cheap brand of cumin on Amazon, and to me it just doesn’t taste right. Do you have a particular brand of spices you use/recommend?
Hi Mary! I’m not partial to brands when it comes to spices – use what you can afford!
Agree completely ! Home made is the best ! Thank you !
Great minds DO think alike, because great minds love tacos. 😉
Thanks for the recipe! I usually just dump a combo of chili powder and cumin and salt into the meat but it’s a good idea to have a consistent recipe made up ahead. Question: do you have any info on why avoiding sugar in things like condiments and cooking sauces is important outside of a special diet? We lived in Asia for 5 years and the traditional Asian diet is very healthy (for them anyway) but they use sugar to cook savory dishes. However the traditional diet has almost no sweets/desserts in it other than fruit. What’s the big deal with avoiding small amounts of sugar in cooking? Is it just for the Whole 30reset diet or am I missing something?
Hi Beth! The Whole30 doesn’t allow any sugar at all, so that was the catalyst for us looking for the little sugars on labels. During that month though, I learned three things:
1) There are a lot of little sugars… which add up and in the end, doesn’t make them so little anymore.
2) Consuming sugar makes our bodies want more sugar. It’s INCREDIBLY addictive, and it’s so easy to fall back in the habit. Processed sugars are especially harmful for the body.
3) As a family, we feel SO MUCH BETTER being sugar-free!
If you intentionally sweeten your dinner, like adding honey in an Asian dish (which I’ve done), then I don’t see anything wrong with that because YOU are INTENTIONALLY adding the sweetener. The problem (in my opinion) is when you’re avoiding sugars – for whatever reason – and they’re hidden in foods you wouldn’t think they’d be in. Then all the work you’re doing to avoid is for naught. 🙁