Just 7 simple ingredients are blended together to create the best homemade taco seasoning. You will never buy packaged taco seasoning again.
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I love making my own spice blends. When I make them at home I can get them to taste exactly the way I want.
I experimented for a while before I nailed down the perfect taco seasoning, but now that I have, we use it all the time.
Most of the blends I buy in the store are either bland or overpowering, not to mention most of them are extremely high in salt.
This blend contains some salt, but at a far lower amount than even most of the low sodium varieties of taco seasoning.
If salt is an issue for you, feel free to leave it out completely. The other flavours in this taco seasoning are so good that you probably won’t even notice that it’s missing.
Why this recipe works
By blending your own spices, you get to control how spicy or salty it is. You also avoid things like extra preservatives, msg, and anti-caking agents.
In addition, you can make a large batch at a fraction of the price of pre-made packages.
The recipe I’ve given below will make almost one cup of seasoning, about 10 tablespoons, to be exact. This is enough for several meals.
Looking for some recipes to use with this seasoning? Try these pulled pork tacos, this salsa chicken, or these stuffed bell peppers. It is also used in these grilled chicken burritos.
Ingredients
There are only seven simple ingredients in this blend:
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Garlic powder
- Onion Flakes or onion powder
- Salt
I like to onion flakes in this recipe, but if you don’t have any you can use an equal amount of onion powder without any issue.
If you want this seasoning spicier, feel free to add some cayenne pepper or chilli flakes. The nice thing about making it yourself is that you get to decide how spicy it is. Just experiment and have fun.
Step by Step Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small bowl.
- Mix well
- Transfer to an airtight container or jar
That’s it! It really is that simple.
Once you start making your own seasoning blends, you will never want to buy them from a store again. Not only do they taste better, but in the long run they are far less expensive as well.
How to use Taco seasoning
You can use this blend in any recipe that call for taco seasoning.
If you are using it for ground beef tacos I use about one tablespoon of seasoning per pound of beef. But honestly, I just eyeball it, so sometimes it’s more, and sometimes less.
If I’m not adding salsa or tomato sauce to my tacos, then I’ll add between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of water to help make it a bit saucier.
In addition to tacos, this blend is one of our favourites for seasoning chicken wings or legs. You could also use it in your chilli, soups or stews.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out this collection of 21 homemade seasoning and sauce recipes!
More Homemade Seasonings & Sauce Recipes
More Homemade Seasoning Blends to Try
Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning – by Flavor Mosaic
Italian Seasoning – by Kylee Cooks
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Tried this recipe? Leave me a comment!
Recipe
The Best Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Chili powder
- 2 Tbsp Ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp Paprika
- 1 Tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp Oregano
- 1 Tbsp Onion flakes
- 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Store in an airtight container.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Meghan
Wednesday 8th of July 2020
Thanks for sharing! I made tacos before I realized I was out of seasoning! Worked great and your right! Probably won't go back to store bought!
Jaime
Monday 27th of April 2020
Do you use water with your 1TB of seasoning like the packets call for, if so, how much water
Deanna
Monday 27th of April 2020
It depends a bit on how much moisture or fat my beef has and if I've added anything else, like salsa. But if I'm using just the beef and taco seasoning I will generally end up adding about 1/4 cup of water. If it's really lean beef I may add a bit more.
Maddie
Thursday 16th of April 2020
I’m allergic to paprika, is there a good alternative?
Deanna
Sunday 19th of April 2020
Hi Maddie. I think you could just leave it out. Most of the flavour in this seasoning comes from the other spices and the paprika adds just a wee bit of heat, bulk and colour. You could add a bit of extra chilli powder, or 1/2 tsp cayenne, depending on how spicy you like it.
Kim
Thursday 26th of March 2020
How much of the seasoning do you use for 1 lbs of beef?
Deanna
Thursday 26th of March 2020
I usually use about 1 tablespoon for a pound of ground beef, but I really just eyeball it. You can use more or less depending on how much flavour you are looking for.
Bob
Wednesday 23rd of October 2019
This is great! No reason to buy that store stuff that has all the preservatives in it. Thanks for the recipe!