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.
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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.
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.
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.
- Gather the ingredients – Grab all the spices you need from your pantry.
- Combine – Measure each ingredient and place them all into a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Store – Transfer the seasoning to an airtight container and keep it on hand for all your future taco needs.
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:
- Ground Beef – for a pound of ground beef, add two tablespoons of this seasoning, along with 1/2 cup of water. This seasoned ground beef is great for Taco Salad.
- Flavored Butter: Mash the seasoning into softened butter and spread onto Instant Pot Corn on the Cob or Grilled Corn.
- Seasoning – for Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries and of course Easy Taco Soup.
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.
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.
- Easy Homemade Salsa (Restaurant-Style)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Easy Tostada Recipe
- Guacamole Recipe
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote Recipe)
Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
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.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika, preferably smoked paprika
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
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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.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
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!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mary!
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.
You’re very welcome! So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe.
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.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I am anxious to try this but wondering how much you use when a recipe calls for an envelope of the store bought seasoning?
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.
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!
Thank you so much for your good comments, Kerri. We appreciate it!
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!!!!
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. 🙂
Thank You So Much, I’m going to buy some and will try and make some of my own spices…
Thanks Again Natasha:)
You’re welcome, Melinda! I hope you love it! 🙂
Natasha, could I leave out the salt for a low sodium version? Thanks Jeff
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 🙂
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!
I agree! We really enjoy homemade so much more! I hope you love this recipe!
Is there a recipe for making a larger batch of the taco seasoning? Picture shows a vial full of it.
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.
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
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.
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
So good, and absolutely better than store bought. I already own all these spices too, so making the mix was the easiest thing ever.
Thanks for sharing, Agnes.
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!
So glad you enjoy this recipe, Taylor.
What a lifesaver! So glad I found this recipe and didn’t have to rush to the store for a bottle of taco seasoning.
That’s great. I’m happy you found this recipe.
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.