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Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Homemade Taco Seasoning is so easy to make, you’ll want it to be Taco Tuesday all week long. It’s healthier than store-bought, you’ll save money making your own, and it tastes so much better without cheap fillers. All you need are some Crispy Taco Shells to go with it.

We love making our own kitchen staples from Homemade BBQ Sauce to Pesto Sauce. If you are a fan of homemade seasonings, this Taco Seasoning will become your new favorite.

Overhead view of homemade taco seasoning in jar

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Taco Seasoning Recipe

I’m all about convenience when it comes to cooking, but I also want to balance that with affordability and quality. Seasonings packets are definitely easy, but you’re paying more for something that’s not as good as homemade. After inspecting the labels on store-bought packets, I realized that corn meal was the main ingredient in the brand I used to buy. Say what?!

Corn meal is a cheap filler and it’s often a GMO ingredient. Why pay for that when you can skip the fillers and make your own taco seasoning with ingredients you probably already have on hand?

Best of all, when you don’t use those filler ingredients, the taco seasoning tastes better. We did a blind comparison between store-bought and homemade taco seasoning recipe and the homemade version won the taste test every single time. 

Jar of homemade taco seasoning with spoonful of seasoning next to it

Why DIY Taco Seasoning is Best?

This seasoning is perfect for Taco Recipes such as Fish Tacos, Ground Beef Tacos, you name it! You can use this for any recipe that calls for taco seasoning. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:

  • No MSG, no fillers, and no sugar – Yes, in addition to corn meal, store-bought often has MSG and sugar added.
  • Keeps well – Store in a jar with a lid and it will last in the pantry for a few months, without the preservatives in taco seasoning packets.
  • High-quality – You control the ingredients so you can buy quality spices.
  • Easy – Combine the ingredients and you’re done.

Ingredients

What is taco seasoning? It’s essentially a blend of seasonings that work well together for seasoning Mexican or Tex-Mex foods.

  • Chili powder – a blend of a few different varieties of dried chiles so the flavor can vary between brands.
  • Ground cumin – Next to chili powder, cumin is the most important ingredient in taco seasoning. It adds an earthy flavor and aroma.
  • Paprika – Use smoked paprika if you have it.
  • Salt and Pepper – we use fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  • Garlic powder – Another key ingredient that adds garlic flavor.
  • Onion powder – adds mild onion flavor to the seasoning.
  • Dried oregano – any kind will work, but for more authentic flavor, if you have it, use Mexican oregano.
  • Red pepper flakes – or substitute a dash of cayenne pepper.
Overhead view of spices for making DIY Taco Seasoning

Pro Tip: Smell your spices before making this recipe. It may sound strange, but this is the best way to know if herbs and spices are past their prime. If they don’t have much of an aroma, it’s time to replace them.

Substitutions

  • Spicy Taco Seasoning – This is a pretty mild taco seasoning. To make it spicier, substitute chili powder with Mexican Hot Chili Powder or add more dried chili flakes
  • Low sodium – you can use less salt in your taco seasoning if you are trying to reduce your salt intake.
  • Gluten-free – the ingredients in this taco seasoning should be naturally gluten-free, but check the labels of your individual spices to ensure they are all gluten-free.

How to Make Taco Seasoning

Once you see how easy it is to make your own taco seasoning, you’ll always want the homemade version. The process is quick and so easy and you can easily double or triple the recipe.

  1. Gather the ingredients – Grab all the spices you need from your pantry.
  2. Combine – Measure each ingredient and place them all into a small bowl. Stir to combine.
  3. Store – Transfer the seasoning to an airtight container and keep it on hand for all your future taco needs.
Side by side photos showing process of making taco seasoning

Pro Tip: Use a small kitchen funnel to help you transfer the taco seasoning to the storage jar without spilling.

How Much Taco Seasoning is in 1 packet?

We substitute DIY taco seasoning in the same amount as what is in a packet. Typically 2 Tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning is equal to 1 packet of storebought seasoning.

How to Use Taco Seasoning

In addition to using taco seasoning for Taco Recipes, you can use it for:

Wooden spoon in jar of taco seasoning

Make-Ahead

  • Shelf-life: Homemade seasoning keeps really well. Depending on the freshness of the spices you use, you can count on it lasting at least 6 months.
  • How to Store: I like to keep the seasoning in a jar with an airtight lid. Like other spices, it should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place, like your pantry. You can use spice jars or any small lidded container. See our Kitchen Organization post for how we set up our spice drawer.
Storing spices in spice jars in a drawer.

This DIY taco seasoning recipe is easy to make, cheaper than store-bought packets, and it tastes better, too. Plus, when you make it yourself, you’re in control of the ingredients, which means no sugar, fillers, or preservatives.

More Tex-Mex Recipes to Try

If you love this taco seasoning, then you won’t want to miss these Tex-Mex recipes.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

5 from 67 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Wood spoon in jar of taco seasoning

Once you try this homemade taco seasoning blend, you'll never want to use store-bought again. This DIY Taco seasoning is so versatile for tacos, taco soup, and taco salad, as a seasoning for veggies, you name it! This recipe makes 3 Tbsp of seasoning.

Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex
Keyword: homemade taco seasoning, taco seasoning, taco seasoning recipe
Skill Level: Easy
Calories: 7
Servings: 9 Servings (1 tsp per serving)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, add all of the taco seasoning ingredients. Stir to combine and store homemade taco seasoning in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Recipe Notes

*Nutrition label is calculated per 1 teaspoon of homemade taco seasoning. 

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 7 Calories from Fat 3
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.3g0%
Saturated Fat 0.04g0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g
Sodium 274mg12%
Potassium 38mg1%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 0.1g0%
Protein 0.3g1%
Vitamin A 382IU8%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Read comments/reviewsAdd comment/review

  • Rebecca
    February 27, 2023

    Do you need to add water along with the seasoning to the meat?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 27, 2023

      Hi Rebecca, we address that in the “How to Use Taco Seasoning section”! I hope this helps!

      Reply

  • Kyle L Stith
    February 16, 2023

    How many Tablespoons are added per 1 pound of ground beef or shredded chicken? Please advise, thanks

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 16, 2023

      Hi Kyle! See my notes above “How to Use Taco Seasoning” for instructions. 🙂

      Reply

  • Natallia
    January 31, 2023

    My family likes this blend so much that I have a dedicated shaker for it now. Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 31, 2023

      That’s great, Natallia! So glad you love it!

      Reply

  • Jenny
    October 30, 2022

    Decided to feed my family tacos for dinner tonight, then realized I was out of taco seasoning, so I decided to try and make my own. Made your recipe exactly as written. It took about two minutes from start to finish. It was awesome and so freaking easy! My whole family loved it and told me to never buy store-bought packet seasoning again! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 30, 2022

      That’s wonderful news! Thank you for sharing that with us, so good to know that you enjoyed this seasoning recipe!

      Reply

  • Carlene
    October 24, 2022

    I love watching you. I love your recipes. I’m going to make this taco seasoning. The packet king is way to salty. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 24, 2022

      You’re welcome, Carly. I hope you’ll love this and all the recipes that you will try from us!

      Reply

  • Leslie
    September 24, 2022

    How much of the seasoning do I use for 1 pound of meat? Thank you for sharing your recipes. Every one I’ve tried has been a hit!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 25, 2022

      Hi Leslie, I have notes in the recipe on ‘How to Use Taco Seasoning” & “How Much Taco Seasoning is in 1 packet?” I recommend reading through both for more info on that 🙂 I hope it helps you and that you love this recipe!

      Reply

  • Dale Mow
    September 24, 2022

    Use Mexican oregano instead, if you can’t find it Amazon has it. The flavor of it is more enhanced.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 24, 2022

      Thank you for sharing, Dale.

      Reply

  • mary
    July 20, 2022

    Great taco seasoning and soooo easy. I triple recipe so it’s always available. I was worried about the salt and cut in half and then added the other half and not too salty at all. Great balance of flavors. Many thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 20, 2022

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mary!

      Reply

  • Ninfa DePalma
    July 13, 2022

    Thank you, thank you for sharing your recipe for Taco Seasoning. I usually use the package kind but like everything else it has gotten quite expensive.
    My family didn’t know what I had done differently, but gave me good comments about how tasty the Tacos tasted.
    In order to stretch my meat I added one potato diced finely and they reminded us of one of our favorite Taco places in Cancun.
    AGAIN, thank you so much.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 13, 2022

      You’re very welcome! So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe.

      Reply

  • Rebecca Hasse
    July 10, 2022

    I used this seasoning blend with some ground beef and homemade naan, and it was super delicious! The meat was flavorful and I had all of the ingredients already. Won’t go back to the store-bought stuff, which tends to be too salty.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 12, 2022

      So glad you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Kerri
    July 9, 2022

    I am anxious to try this but wondering how much you use when a recipe calls for an envelope of the store bought seasoning?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 9, 2022

      Hi Kerri! In that situation, I would go based on weight. I believe a packet of seasoning is 1oz (28g). Homemade can be a different strength than store-bought so you might start with less and then add to your preferred level of flavor. I hope that helps.

      Reply

      • Kerri
        July 12, 2022

        Yes it does. Thank you! I so enjoy your videos and recipes! You make normal food and you make the recipes easy to follow. God bless you!

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          July 12, 2022

          Thank you so much for your good comments, Kerri. We appreciate it!

          Reply

  • Melinda
    July 9, 2022

    Hi Natasha, You are so Awesome, I am becoming a better cook since I have been watching you (since the past 2 years) I was just wondering where I can get the spice jars that you are using, they are perfect!!!! You Rock!!!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 9, 2022

      Hi Melinda! I’m so glad to hear that. It makes me happy that you find my videos and recipes helpful. I purchased my spices jars from SPICE IT YOUR WAY and build my own custom package with labels. 🙂

      Reply

      • Melinda
        July 10, 2022

        Thank You So Much, I’m going to buy some and will try and make some of my own spices…
        Thanks Again Natasha:)

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          July 11, 2022

          You’re welcome, Melinda! I hope you love it! 🙂

          Reply

  • Jeff Erickson
    July 6, 2022

    Natasha, could I leave out the salt for a low sodium version? Thanks Jeff

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 6, 2022

      Hi Jeff! The salt enhances the flavors. Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome. I always suggest making a recipe as written the first time around and then making adjustments to your liking 🙂

      Reply

  • Steven
    July 6, 2022

    Thank you Natasha! Home made is always better than store-bought! You can make your own with organic and top quality ingredients without silicone dioxide fillers, UGH! I will make this! Thank you for making life taste better everyday!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 6, 2022

      I agree! We really enjoy homemade so much more! I hope you love this recipe!

      Reply

  • Gail
    July 5, 2022

    Is there a recipe for making a larger batch of the taco seasoning? Picture shows a vial full of it.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 5, 2022

      Yes, in the recipe card, you can use the level on the servings to increase or decrease the serving size. Just hover your cursor over the number of servings in red.

      Reply

  • Joseph
    July 5, 2022

    the jars pictured are great but Amazon link took me to other jars not these bamboo toped ones. thought you would like ta know that had to look up glass with wood lids. you should get credit for them when I buy

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 5, 2022

      Hi Joseph. Actually, the bamboo lid jars were purchased from Spice It Your Way. I referenced this in my Kitchen Organization blog post HERE. I apologize for the confusion.

      Reply

      • Joseph
        July 12, 2022

        no confusion here just wanted you to get deserved credit. go girl love your recipes James ,Jimmy ,Beard would have been proud to know such a hard working creative Chef he Wass my associate in the 1970s

        Reply

  • Agnes
    July 5, 2022

    So good, and absolutely better than store bought. I already own all these spices too, so making the mix was the easiest thing ever.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 5, 2022

      Thanks for sharing, Agnes.

      Reply

  • Taylor
    July 5, 2022

    This taco seasoning is SO easy to make and can be used many different ways! Love making a big batch to keep on hand throughout the year. Less expensive and less additives, too!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 5, 2022

      So glad you enjoy this recipe, Taylor.

      Reply

  • Erin
    July 5, 2022

    What a lifesaver! So glad I found this recipe and didn’t have to rush to the store for a bottle of taco seasoning.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 5, 2022

      That’s great. I’m happy you found this recipe.

      Reply

  • Edward
    July 5, 2022

    This seasoning looks vibrant. Perfect for using it on tacos during summer occasions. I live in a city of San Diego and it’s famous for tacos. If you visit there, then you will consistently enjoy them.

    Reply

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