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 will make all of your favorite Mexican recipes taste so much better.
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Homemade Taco Seasoning
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t make everything from scratch, and I definitely appreciate store-bought shortcuts when it makes sense, but some things are worth making yourself! Seasoning packets are convenient, 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 cornmeal (a cheap filler) was the main ingredient in the brand I used to buy. Say what?!
Good news – you can easily make taco seasoning with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Best of all, when you don’t use those cheap fillers, the taco seasoning tastes better. I did a blind comparison between store-bought and my homemade taco seasoning, and the homemade version won the taste test every single time.
I love making our own kitchen staples from Homemade BBQ Sauce to Pesto Sauce and even Homemade Mayonnaise! If you are a fan of homemade seasonings, this Taco Seasoning will become your new favorite.
Why Homemade 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, fillers, additives, or added sugar
- Keeps well – It will last for 6 months in a jar at room temperature without the preservatives in store-bought taco seasoning.
- High-quality – You control the quality of the spices, and it really does taste better than store–bought!
Taco Seasoning Ingredients
Taco seasoning is a blend of spices that work well together for seasoning Mexican or Tex-Mex foods. Here’s what you’ll need for the best taco seasoning:
- Chili powder – a blend of dried chilis including ancho, pasilla or cayenne. Spice levels can vary by brand. If you prefer spicier blends, look for “spicy, hot, or Mexican-style” on the label.
- Ground cumin – Next to chili powder, cumin is the most essential ingredient that adds an earthy, warm, and slightly nutty taco flavor.
- Paprika – Adds color and subtle sweetness. Use smoked paprika for a hint of smokiness.
- Salt and Pepper – we use fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Garlic Powder & Onion powder – adds a savory garlic and onion flavor.
- Dried oregano – adds a slightly bitter, herby note. Use Mexican oregano if you can find it for a brighter flavor.
- Red pepper flakes – this is optional and adds heat if you prefer a spicy taco seasoning. You can substitute with a pinch of cayenne or even chipotle powder.
Natasha’s 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.
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 easilly multiply the recipe to make a bigger batch.
- Gather the ingredients – Measure out all of the spices you need from your pantry.
- Combine – place them all into a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Store – Transfer the seasoning to an airtight container and keep it on hand for all your future taco needs.
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 to 3 Tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning is equal to 1 packet of store-bought seasoning.
How to Use Taco Seasoning
In addition to using taco seasoning for Taco Recipes, you can use it for:
- Ground Beef – for 1 pound of ground beef, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of this seasoning, along with 1/2 cup of water. This seasoned ground beef is great for Taco Salad, my Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet, and Beef Burritos.
- 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, Taco Soup.
Storing Homemade Seasoning
- Shelf-life: Homemade seasoning keeps really well. Depending on the freshness of the spices you use, it will keep for up to 6 months. This is why I like to make big batches of this at a time.
- 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.
Taco Seasoning Recipe
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
- In a small bowl, add all of the taco seasoning ingredients. Stir to combine and store homemade taco seasoning in an airtight container or spice jar for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Tex-Mex Recipes to Try
- Easy Homemade Salsa (Restaurant-Style)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Easy Tostada Recipe
- Guacamole Recipe
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote Recipe)
- Ceviche
- Turkey Chili
- Fish Taco Bowl
- Cilantro Lime Rice
Made this last night for a Taco Salad…delicious! It’s great to know exactly what’s in your food. PS Loved your cookbook.
Hi Thank you for posting this recipe I’m confused because in the recipe it says 9 servings, serving size 1 tsp but later in the dialog it states that you use 2 TBS to equal the amount in a store bought packet.
So how much of the mix should we use to one pound of ground beef for tacos please?
Thank you.
Hi! Follow the instructions in the blog under “how to use taco seasoning” which states: for a pound of ground beef, add two tablespoons of this seasoning, along with 1/2 cup of water.
The serving size in the recipe card is just for the nutrition facts label for those who need this information.
I hope that helps clarify.
I use these spices each time I make my own tacos. So much flavour. No sodium. I prefer a bit more roasted cumin and smoked paprika. Just gives so much depth.
I made this seasoning. So easy. So good. Never buying premade again.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It’s also great you have a “cook mode” button to prevent the screen from going dark. It’s annoying when that happens. I’ll be looking for more of your recipes!!
You’re very welcome, Jennifer!
Great results. Taste way better than the store bought stuff. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Mark!
I follow all of your recipes and I have always great results!
I’m so glad to hear that.
No amounts listed. How are we supposed to make this when it doesn’t tell you how much to measure.
Click on “jump to recipe” at the top of the page. The recipe is at the bottom of page, after the blog post.
Packet seasoning has you add water. Do I need to add water to the beef after the seasoning is added? Do I add the seasoning as I’m browning the beef?
Hi Joe, yes, you’ll add water. See my note in the blog section above titled, “How to Use Taco Seasoning” for instructions.
Give the amounts?!?!? It is not clear how much of each ingredient in the recipe or if same volume of all??????
The recipe card is at the very bottom of the blog post. You can also click on “jump to recipe” at the top of the page which is a shortcut button to the recipe card where all the ingredients and details are listed.
Is your Taco Seasoning Recipe for 1 lb of ground beef or is this recipe for more than one use and how much for each pound.
Hi Maria. See the section in the blog post above titled, “How to Use Taco Seasoning.” At the top of the recipe card, you’ll also see the servings, this recipe makes 9tsp (3tsp= 1 tbsp). I hope that helps.
MSG is the source of umani (savory) flavor. 🤦
It’s what makes meat, tomatoes, etc taste so good. It’s natural and perfectly healthy, the only reason anyone has any issue with it is because of racist anti-Chinese stuff like 20 years ago.
I agree that MSG makes certain foods taste better, but some people have sensitivities or allergies to MSG. It’s a major migraine trigger for me & many others. Not worth the pain & losing a day of my life in bed just so my food tastes better. This recipe is very flavorful & I don’t miss the MSG one bit!
This is the best DIY seasoning. Thank you so much for taking the time to post your recipes. I’ll be looking at other recipes you posted, but need to see if you have any DIY seasoning for enchiladas. My tongue is so sensitive to spices so can’t handle certain store bought packets/sauce! I omitted a couple spices but this was still so tasty!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Simple! Delicious! Love making my own spice “packets”!
Very good recipe. I didn’t have any onion or garlic powder so chopped onion and minced garlic into the meat when cooking it. Worked well. Thanks for the recipe it saved a trip to the store and now will continue making rather than buying this.
Hi Connie! I’m so glad you loved the recipe.
I forgot to buy taco seasoning when I bought our hamburger meat and other ingredients for taco night so I decided to look at the seasoning I had in the cabinet and Google a recipe for homemade seasoning. I stumbled across this recipe and decided to give it a try. I won’t buy store bought seasoning again after trying this! My 4 year old enjoyed the tacos with this seasoning blend as well.
Great to hear that it was a success!
Glad you had this recipe. I tried other recipes from online, but this one is by far the best. I did add some chopped jalapeños to kick it up a little. No more store bought for me
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Scotti!
Delicious! my husband liked it way better than our old spice blend. he said it had more depth of flavor. thank youb for sharing! its a keeper!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Sandi!
Need to take out some ads!
I can’t write down the recipe with all these flashing ads.
Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback.
The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. You can also close the ads after a while and use the cook mode so it doesn’t go back and forth. Hope that helps.
just hit the print button and you can save it to your phone or hard drive.
Please delete my last response. It was meant for a different site. I was explaining why a different recipe was bland to some people. I ended up using your and it was delicious with the correct amount of salt lol. Cheers!
No worries at all, I have deleted it! Thank you for this review, I’m glad you liked this!
Hi. I know everyone’s tastes are different, but your recipe doesn’t indicate the seasoning ratio to meat. I think it would benefit readers if you indicated how many tablespoons per pound of ground meat was recommended. I am making it shortly and will share what I did.
Hi Brooke! See the section above, “how to use taco seasoning.”
I personally used two tablespoons per 1lb of meat and it was perfect