by HollyThis easy Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe is the perfect way to spice up your chicken or beef!
Creating your own taco mix at home allows you to control what ingredients go into it while saving money!
The best part is that this DIY taco seasoning takes just minutes to make and you likely have all of the ingredients you need on hand!
I love Homemade Taco Seasoning!
I use it for so many dishes in the kitchen, like soups, casseroles, and even as a rub when I grill chicken or steak!
Store-bought seasoning tastes delicious, but it can be loaded with additives and flavor wise, nothing compares to homemade taco seasoning!
This taco seasoning recipe takes almost no time to make, and is easily customizable to suit your family’s liking. I like to make mine with reduced salt for our family.
I love anything spicy, but if your kids aren’t big on spicy foods, you can certainly create a mild taco seasoning.
What’s in Taco Seasoning?
So, exactly what spices make taco seasoning?
All of the spices used are normal everyday pantry items. You will most likely have all of the ingredients you need to make this homemade taco seasoning recipe at home!
Chili Powder makes up the largest portion of this taco seasoning mix and adds a southwestern flavor.
Cumin is another favorite and it adds a slightly nutty warm flavor while onion and garlic powder are the aromatics in this recipe.
Salt and pepper are in almost every seasoning including this taco seasoning.
The great thing is you can control how much salt you would like to add. I add black pepper but also a pinch of cayenne (add more if you prefer more heat)!
If you’d like to make a this homemade taco seasoning mild, reduce or eliminate the pepper and skip the cayenne!
Since this is made from spices, it’s naturally gluten free (just make sure your chili powder is GF).
What Can You Make With Taco Seasoning Mix?
Whether it’s weeknight Tacos, or Fajita Friday, you’ll definitely love having this easy taco seasoning ready to go in your spice cupboard!
This taco seasoning works for ground beef, ground chicken, or even pork or chicken cutlets! It can be added to almost anything you’d like.
I love using this recipe to make Dorito Taco Salad and Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos at home. Sometimes, I even sprinkle this seasoning on my popcorn for a delicious treat!
The best part of this recipe is how inexpensive it is. You can make it for just pennies at home!
Once you make it, you will never want to go back to store-bought taco seasoning.
Homemade taco seasoning will last 6 month stored in a cool, dry place like your spice cupboard, which means you’ll definitely end up using it!
I use cute little spice jars found on Amazon to keep my spices, but anything you have will work – even a ziplock bag!
I usually make a triple batch so it’s ready to go whenever I need a little taco mix!
DIY TACO SEASONING RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon Cumin
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
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Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Store for up to 6 months in a cool dry place.
TO USE:
- For tacos add 2 Tablespoons (or to taste) to 1 pound of cooked ground meat (optional, add diced onions).
- Add 1/2 cup water and simmer until most of the water has evaporated.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Holly, how much of the homemade taco seasoning do you use in place of one packsge of store bought envelope of seasoning?
I use 2 tablespoons in place of a packet.
Where did you get those lovely measuring spoons?
Hi Carly, I got them at a little gift shop but I’ve also seen them in several other stores that sell a lot of trendy gift type items. You can also find similar spoons here on Amazon. :)
Im going to try this tomorrow :)
Enjoy Amy!
Can you substitute the oregano or do you have to include?
I have only made the recipe as written. It may change the taste a little, but you could try parsley if you prefer. Enjoy!
Enjoyed this very much, didn’t use pepper flakes or cayenne (thought it might be spicy). Much better than store bought. Will keep with my other spices.
So glad you loved it Judy! It is definitely better than store bought!
Awesome flavor
I made a small recipe batch. Used it all on one recipe for Taco Salad. I left out the red pepper flakes and the Cayanne pepper. I don’t handle spicy. This is a good recipe for low sodium too. Thanks
Perfect seasoning!! I even leave out the crushed red pepper flakes & it’s still fantastic! Thanks for sharing!!
So glad you loved it! That’s the great thing about homemade you can add or leave out whatever you like! :)
This was the first homemadeTaco seasoning that I’ve made, and we definitely loved it. My husband is sodium restricted so I left out the salt. We couldn’t tell!
Could you give us a chili seasoning mix recipe as well
Kathy, you could try the chili seasonings used in this Easy Crock Pot Chili Recipe. Hope that helps!
My husband loved it. Perfect flavor
I am glad he enjoyed it Lisa!
Excellent taco seasoning. Not buying anymore at the store. I’ll make my own with your recipe. Thank you.
Do you grind up the chili flakes? In the jar I don’t
See any of the flakes.
I don’t grind them however the ratio is quite small in comparison to the other ingredients.
Great Gluten Free option!!
Do you have a different recipe for fajita seasoning or should I use this recipe?
This is my favorite Easy Fajita recipe. Enjoy!
I just wish you could offer an alternative to bottled salad dressing since it has so much salt and preservatives. Also could you offer a meat-free substitution for all your recipes? Love your recipes.
Did you use this Taco Seasoning mix in your Dorito Taco Salad instead of a taco seasoning pkg from the supermarket? Want to try this salad. It sounds really good.
I’ve used both with great results! If I have the taco seasoning on hand I just use that because it’s easy. :)
I had made this recipe a few months ago (enough to fill a 800ml jar) and finished it off tonight. The family loves it. I added dried chives to the mix to round it out. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be remaking this tonight.
I’m glad to hear that your family loves it! Mine too!
Big family , so thanks for this. It will be so helpful.
Thanks
Merry Christmas!!!!
Awesome! :) Merry Christmas to you too!
I made taco meat using this seasoning and it was really good! However, my family thought it was too “spicy”. (I have to totally disagree with them) What spices do you suggest reducing (and to what measurment) to make it less “spicy” without sacrificing the flavor. Thanks!
To reduce the spice in this recipe I would suggest adding less red pepper flakes and skip the cayenne pepper if you used any.
ALL RECIPES, LOOK SO GOOD!! WILL HAV.TO TRY THEM!! THANKS, FOR SHARING!! AN HAV A GOOD DAY!! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
This is great and for those of us watching our salt, just leave it out. My friend has a garlic allergy and loves this as she can just make it without the garlic. Great stuff
Did you know that Cayenne Pepper is a chili? Same as jalapeno is a chili. … and then you tell me to add some chili powder. Which variety? Habanero? Jalapeno? Dulce Dolor? This is frustrating.
This is a good option http://amzn.to/Z0wupD!
“Chili Powder” is a blend. Different brands use different peppers, so you may have to experiment with several brands to suit your taste. If a recipe calls for “chili powder”, that’s what they’re talking about, as evidenced by the different line item for cayenne and for red pepper flakes.
Lmmfao, whatever you fecking like you difficult ❄! Lol! By the way, my tacos are yuge!
Thanks for the great recipe. We love taco seasoning on beef and chicken for various recipes. Going to pin it too!
Diana C