Homemade Taco Seasoning needs to be a staple in your kitchen! With this easy, cheaper, healthier version of Taco Seasoning, you can say good-bye to the processed packets forever!
If you are looking for more homemade spice blends, check out Homemade Chili Seasoning Onion Soup Mix, or Homemade Seasoned Salt.
Probably my most used homemade spice blend of all time is Taco Seasoning. We love all things Mexican at our house, and tacos happen to be a weekly staple at this house.
Taco seasoning is easy to find in stores and is relatively inexpensive, so why make taco seasoning?
Most store-bought taco seasoning mixes are full of preservatives, corn additives, MSG, flour, and added sugars. By making Taco Seasoning at home, you can skip all those additives AND you can customize your taco seasoning blend to suit your taste buds.
Plus, you don't have to forgo taco night just because you forgot to purchase a packet of taco seasoning--chances are you already have ALL the spices on hand needed to make taco seasoning.
Ingredients Needed
The standard ingredients in taco seasoning are dried spices that are most likely already in your pantry. They are super easy to find at any grocery store and are inexpensive to purchase. Plus there is NO corn, NO sugar, NO MSG, and NO gluten in this taco seasoning!
- chili powder
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- cumin
- paprika
- dried oregano
- red pepper flakes
- salt
However, by making Homemade Taco Seasoning you can control the flavoring to your tastes.
- Don't like garlic? Omit the garlic powder.
- Can't handle the heat? Omit the red pepper flakes.
- Like it spicier? Increase red pepper flakes from ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon.
- Need Sodium Free or Low Sodium Taco Seasoning? Omit the salt completely or cut in half. I promise this spice blend will still add great flavor to your recipes.
You can either prepare the recipe as directed, which yields the equivalent to one store-bought packet. Or you can follow the directions at the bottom of the recipe card to make a large batch of taco seasoning. I strongly recommend preparing a large batch, as the uses for taco seasoning are nearly endless.
How to Store
Homemade taco seasoning is great to make in large batches and keep on hand for any time the craving for tacos strike. It will last up to 6 months if stored in an airtight container. While safe to consume after 6 months, it has the best flavor in that time frame, as spices begin to lose their potency after 6 months.
One tip is to be sure to store taco seasoning in an airtight jar or container, like a ball jar, or small spice jar, so that it will not absorb flavors from other spices in your spice cabinet.
How to Use Taco Seasoning
This recipe for taco seasoning can be used in any recipe that calls for taco seasoning. And while it is the perfect seasoning for traditional ground beef tacos and chicken tacos, think outside the box and use taco seasoning to give your recipes a Mexican spin.
- In place of salt, use 1-2 teaspoons taco seasoning to season homemade fries.
- Mix 2 tablespoons taco seasoning with 1 cup sour cream for a quick dressing for Taco Salad or Southwestern Chicken Salad.
- Season sweet potato slices with taco seasoning and use and bake to use as the base for Sweet Potato Nachos.
- Instead of using hamburger seasoning in my recipe for Perfect Burgers, add 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning to ground meat and form burgers with a Southwestern spin.
- Add taco seasoning to Lentil Tacos, Cauliflower Tacos, or Black Bean Tacos for a meatless spin on taco night.
- Make a creamy taco dip by adding taco seasoning to cream cheese and sour cream.
- Add just the right flavor to Refried Beans, Rice and Beans, Bean Burritos, Chicken Chili, or Sweet Potato Burritos by using a homemade taco seasoning blend.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅛ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Instructions
How to Make Taco Seasoning
- Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container.
To Use Taco Seasoning
- Use teaspoon for teaspoon for recipes that call for taco seasoning.
- To use this taco seasoning as a packet of taco seasoning to season taco meat, add 1 recipe of this taco seasoning with ½ cup water to browned meat and simmer until liquid has evaporated.
Notes
- 1 ¼ cups chili powder
- ¼ cup garlic powder
- ¼ cup onion powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 ½ tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup cumin
- ¼ cup paprika
- ½ cup salt
- ¼ cup pepper
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2016 but has been updated with new tips in January 2020.
Janice
Made tacos today and the beef filling was really good. Used this recipe! Thank you!!
Cor
At my house we use left over taco meat the next day for fried rice, (onion, garlic, frozen veggies, cooked rice and taco meat) which I also like to put in a wrap with lettuce, tomato and hotsauce, just a few ideas...
Albert Morales
How much paprika for the bulk recipe??
Kristen Chidsey
1/4 cup of paprika 🙂
Diane Johnson
Love this recipe, skip the store bought varieties. Your recipe details are always thorough. Thank you for so many great recipes!
Kristen Chidsey
Oh you are so welcome Diane! I am so grateful to provide you with recipes you love.
Rebecca
I like your site, you are very thorough with your recipe, how long to keep, how to store and suggestions on what you can use it for. I appreciate all this information, you have left nothing out. Thanks so much
Kristen Chidsey
You are so welcome Rebecca! I love that you find my site helpful 🙂
Diana
I'm going to make a large batch of this to always have on hand. Do you know how many Tablespoons of this I would need to equal "1 packet" for future recipes? I've made this several times and love it when I'm in a pinch. Very helpful!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Diana! For every packet of taco seasoning, you would use 2 tablespoons of this homemade taco seasoning.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
I prefer making my own seasonings -- I know exactly what is in it without any artificial ingredients. I've been looking for a good taco seasoning recipe -- I'll be pinning this.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Marisa! Homemade is always best 🙂
Jennifer Banz
This is so much better than that store bought junk. Thanks for the great recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
You bet <3
Michelle
We always make our own taco seasoning too! So much better than the packets!
Kristen Chidsey
I couldn't agree more!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
Tacos are a regular occurance at our house so it would be so nice having taco seasoning on hand at all times! I'm definitely going to try this!
Kristen Chidsey
Liz--you will love it! It will save you money and taste better!
alyssa
I have made it like 4 times now and it is sooo convenient not having to think I need to buy taco seasoning omg!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you are enjoying this recipe Alyssa!