I used to be a “seasoning packet” junkie. Store-bought packets of taco seasoning seemed so easy. But really, if you have a decently stocked spice cabinet, making your own homemade taco seasoning takes just a few minutes and costs less. I’ve experimented with different combinations of spices for taco seasoning over the years and I think I’ve found the winner! One batch of this super tasty homemade taco seasoning is roughly equal to one store-bought packet and it’s 10 times more flavorful. You can even mix up big batches of it and store it pre-mixed in an air-tight container for quick use later!
Why make homemade taco seasoning?
While it’s easy to just buy a pre-made mix, you can control the ingredients, freshness, and flavor of your homemade taco seasoning. So if you like your tacos extra smoky, go ahead and add more smoked paprika! Need low sodium? Mix up your own taco seasoning and use less salt. You have all the control when you make your own!
What’s in Taco Seasoning?
This homemade taco seasoning recipe has just seven simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry right now! Taco seasoning is made with:
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
Taco Seasoning Variations
Here are a few substitutions and add-ins you can use to customize your taco seasoning to fit your budget and supplies:
- Smoked Paprika – I really think the smoked paprika made the flavor of this seasoning pop, but if you can’t get it, you can use regular paprika in its place.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder – When I make taco meat I generally am also adding a diced onion and a clove or two of minced garlic, so I didn’t include any garlic powder or onion powder in this mix. If you prefer not to use fresh onion and garlic in your recipe, you can add 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp onion powder to the recipe below.
- Low Sodium – Feel free to reduce the salt content to meet your sodium needs. Keep in mind that salt does help make other flavors pop, so the taco seasoning might not be as vibrant with less sodium.
- Make it mild – If heat isn’t your jam, simply reduce or eliminate the cayenne pepper. You’ll also want to make sure you’re using a mild chili powder. The heat level of chili powder can vary from brand to brand.
- Cornstarch – If you like your taco meat to have a slightly saucy consistency, add 1/2 tsp of cornstarch to your spice mix and add 1/3 cup water to your taco meat or beans when you add the spices. The water and cornstarch will create a nice taco-flavored sauce to coat the meat or beans.
How to Use Taco Seasoning
Brown the ground meat first, then add one batch of the taco seasoning recipe below and continue to sauté for about two minutes more to toast the spices. For beans, simply add the spices and heat through. If you plan to use this taco seasoning for whole chicken breasts, simply sprinkle the taco seasoning over the entire surface of the chicken breast, then cook in a skillet until browned on the outside and cooked through. You can also use it to season potatoes or chicken before roasting.
How Much Taco Seasoning to Use
This taco seasoning can be used in any recipe in place of one store-bought taco seasoning packet, which will season approximately one pound of ground beef, turkey, or chicken, or about 3 cups of cooked beans. The recipe below makes approximately 2 Tbsp of seasoning, so if you plan to scale the recipe up to make the seasoning in bulk, use about 2 tablespoons of seasoning for every one pound of meat.
More Uses for Taco Seasoning
This simple taco seasoning can be used to season any type of meat, seafood, or vegetables. Here are a few recipes that use taco seasoning to inspire you:
How to Store Homemade Taco Seasoning
As with any dried herb or spice, this taco seasoning should be stored in an air-tight container and away from heat and direct sunlight. The lifespan of this seasoning will vary depending on the freshness of the herbs and spices you used to make this seasoning blend. Rather than going “bad”, dried herbs and spices slowly lose their flavor and potency over time, so for best results it’s recommended to use them within one year.
Note: I use a flat cost estimate for herbs and spices because they’re just too hard to measure and weigh such small quantities, so this cost is purely an estimate. I generally estimate ten cents for every teaspoon of an herb or spice, unless it’s a particularly expensive item. For salt, I generally estimate half that. So, take the cost of this recipe with a grain of salt (pun intended).
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Servings 1 recipeIngredients
- 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp 15 cranks fresh black pepper ($0.05)
Instructions
- Combine everything in a small bowl and stir until evenly mixed. Use immediately, or store in an air-tight container, away from heat and sunlight, until ready to use.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
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I thought it was a great recipe. My family loved it. I will never buy the packaged spice mix again!
No flavor whatsoever. Def not “authentic.”
Really enjoyed this recipe, but had to rate it 4 stars instead of 5 to show that not all of my reviews are five stars, and also, that although this is a really delicious, economical meal, it does not closely resembled tacos in my Canadian imagination :P It reminds me more of the “fish tacos” they sell at patio restaurants in the summer (also delicious, but not tacos in my opinion … but what do I know about real Mexican food? :D) This recipe has lots of plus factors though: good for the wallet, good for the planet, really easy to prepare lots and freeze some for later, and a great fresh taste due to the pico de gallo and sour cream. Tastes like more!
Oops – this was a supposed to be a review for the lentil tacos, not the seasoning! My bad! (As an aside, I made the seasoning as directed and found it quite a “normal” taco spice level … maybe it depends on how old your chili pepper and cayenne are?
โChili powderโ is a mixture of cayenne (hot pepper), cumin and garlic powder, and the recipe calls for these spices except cayenne And chili powder. Any reason why?
A lot of chili powder blends that are on the shelves have mild red chiles as the base, not cayenne, so they have little to no heat. Then I add extra spices to kick up the flavor. If I were to make this blend with cayenne as the base it would burn your tongue off. ๐ Plain ground mild red chile pepper is next to impossible to find and whole red chiles aren’t readily available across the whole country, so this is an easy way to make it with ingredients that are easy to find everywhere.
Thanks, Beth– I actually came to the comments specifically to find out whether you’d already answered this question.
The very first thing I noticed about this recipe was that it called for chili powder (ground chiles + cumin + garlic powder + oregano) + cumin + garlic powder + oregano + other stuff. That was enough to make me question whether the “chili powder” was a typo and I should actually be using “chile powder” (ground whole chiles), and there was no further mention. For people like me with easy access to a variety of dried whole chiles, it would be nice if the ingredients list and the description both confirmed that you do indeed mean “chili powder”. Giving the explanation you gave in this comment reply would help that make sense, and help prevent some of us from second-guessing or misinterpreting!
No frills mix that will completely replace the old taco seasoning packet any day of the week. Just made a simple batch of beef tacos and it is much more flavorful than any store bought taco seasoning. A staple blend in our house! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Nikki!
Great Recipe! I used it with ground turkey and I didn’t hear any complaining this time :)
Wanting different recipes help me establish something new that am trying too do I wanna start my own Taco and Nacho Business can’t just base off one Idea of recipes so I will really need it so whatever I get everything all together will have different suggestions
I like chipotle in mine. Current version I have is a chipotle and roasted garlic. I think it is by McCormick. I used it for about everything.
Excellent recipe! I didnโt have seasoning in the cabinet but had all ingredients so I decided to give it a try. So happy I did because I will never buy Old El Paso again. I added garlic powder and a bit of cornstarch. Amazing!
Thank you, the article really helped me when making tacos because it was easy to understand and followed at home. I waited for other food articles
Iโm one who uses package mixย
I ran out of them. So yours was second
Read it had it all but cumin. Followed your lead & fabulous. Thank u
ย ย Iโll save this recipe.
Anther great recipe! I used this with veggie crumbles (Morningstar) and it was fabulous. I made it just as directed with the added cornstarch.
Hi Beth, I love your recipes, photos and stories. Great recipe; thanks!
I’ve tried several diy taco seasoning and this is hands down the best I’ve come across i. The fews I’ve been making my own seasoning. Very flavorful.
Love this recipe! Been using it for years at this point. I usually triple it and store it already made in a jar and just add a few spoonfuls as I make taco meat. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Nice! I realised that about 3/4 of the mix should of been stored in a sealed container for later use after I used the entire amount in my recipe. Oooh, hot, hot…So glad I had some cucumber & yoghurt plus banana & coconut on hand to use as condiments. Not exactly the the best option for a taco / mexican dish but in a weird way it worked, Thank you, Quiet memorable really.