Skip the store-bought packet; homemade taco seasoning is quick to make and packed with flavor! A bold, zesty spice mix that’s perfect for tacos, burritos, and beyond.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Versatile: It tastes great in almost any recipe and pairs well with chicken, beef, fish, or shrimp.
- Why I Love It: It doesn’t contain additives, and you can control the salt and heat levels.
- Budget Tip: Make your own taco seasoning in large batches; it costs less than buying packets.
Ingredient Tips
This taco seasoning recipe uses a blend of spices, many of which you likely have in your pantry.
- To make a low-sodium version, add less salt (or no salt) based on your dietary needs.
- To make mild taco seasoning, skip the cayenne pepper and/or chili flakes.
- To make it spicy, double the cayenne or add other dried chili peppers to taste.
Taco Seasoning Guide
- To replace a store-bought taco seasoning packet, use 2½ tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning.
- For 1 pound of ground beef, use 2½ tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning. Add ½ cup of water to the seasoning and let it simmer.
Storing Made Simple
Store this DIY taco seasoning recipe in a spice jar in a cool, dry place. It will last at least 6 months. I usually prepare a triple batch so it’s ready to use whenever I need taco mix.
Tasty Taco Twists
Did you make this Homemade Taco Seasoning? Leave a rating and comment below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- pinch cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add chili powder, cumin, black pepper, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Mix with a whisk to combine.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for 6 months.
To Prepare Tacos
- Add 1 pound of lean ground beef or turkey to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking up with a spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes or until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning to the meat and cook for 1 minute more.
- Stir in ½ cup water and, if desired, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Simmer uncovered until most of the water has evaporated.
- Serve in taco shells or tortillas.
Notes
- To replace a packet: 2 ½ tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning will replace one packet of store-bought seasoning.
- Use 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning for 1 pound of ground beef. Add ½ cup of water with the seasoning and let it simmer.
- Optional: Add ½ diced onion to the meat while browning. Once browned, stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste or a diced tomato if you’d like.
- Tuck the taco meat into taco shells or tortillas and top with your favorite toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Pantry, Seasonings
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex Mex© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I made 2cups total of this, and before shaking it was so pretty, all the spices layered. I wish I could post the picture here. I think I am going to try to make it in sma spice jars, tamper down each layer, and give as party favors or christmas gifts. Recipe is tasty, I reduced the black pepper to 1/4 off the recipe.
So glad you loved it, we’d love to see it! If you post on Instagram, tag @spendpennies so we can have a peek!
I’ve been searching for the perfect taco seasoning recipe and I’ve finally found it. We made the best tacos ever tonight and it had a lot to do with this seasoning. I’m definitely pinning this recipe..it’s a keeper! Thank you!
You’re so very welcome Jodi!
I wasn’t a huge fan of this seasoning. It tasted bland and I changed some stuff to it to make it more flavorful for my husband and I. We are huge foodies and love to eat at top restaurants around Chicago, so we don’t exactly have low standards. It’s definitely more of a bland texmex taco, pretty average.
I agree, I had to add a bunch of salt for my taste.
I love how homemade seasonings can be so easily adjusted to suit everyone’s taste :)
This seasoning mix is really good. If your food is bland & you’re comparing it to restaurant food, you need to add more salt. Professional chefs add salt in layers & plenty of it. Acids help if you think you can’t add any more salt. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon or a dash of vinegar.
Delicious! I have green chile powder so I used that instead of red chile powder. I will make this often!
This is a great recipe. Honestly one of the best I’ve tried. Made it with ground turkey. So easy. It will be my go to now when I make tacos. thanks!!!
Okay, so I used all organic spices and find this is THE BEST TACO SEASONING I have tasted and cooked with. The first time I made it I kept adding it to all my meats! :-D Thank you SpendingWithPennies! <3
This is an awful recipe. Far too spicy and little actual flavor.
Micheal, I wonder if you tried all organic spices and if your measurements were correct… I hope you will try it again.
Michael,
I’m so sorry you had a bad experience! For me, if I eat something that is too hot, I can’t taste anything after that. I think that’s why you thought it was tasteless, because with those ingredients it couldn’t possibly be tasteless!
Try again using seasonings you know you like…onion powder, garlic powder, chopped onion and others. Only coat a small piece of the meat you’re preparing, and test that way! If that works, great! If not, add more ingredients or delete some. Make it yours, for your tastes! Don’t forget to make notes!!!
Better that store bought. I like that you can use organic ingredients.
This recipe doesn’t deliver as promised. I made thinking this was a spice I could add to my cupboard after current use for taco meat. It doesn’t even make the 2 Tablespoons suggested should be added to 1 pound ground beef! I can do the math to keep proportions correct to make a bigger batch, but the recipe and article are definitely misleading as to what you get using this recipe.
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon. This recipe makes just slightly over 2 tablespoons of seasoning. Hope that helps.
Hahaha, I was just thinking that when I read your comment! “I can do the math” indeed!
Just about to try this for some super bowl snacks
Always amazing! Love that I can finally enjoy Tacos without dying of sugar or flour poisoning XD
I do have a question, when it says “Serves 8.” is that 8 tacos? Thank you!
Yes, it makes about 2 Tablespoons, enough for 8 tacos. Enjoy Mackenzie!
I love this website!
I loved the flavor this gave my ground beef for tacos.. :) the only thing is the recipe only made about 2 tablespoons.. which was fine because I only wanted to try it before I made a whole bunch, which I will do.. because it tasted soooo good.. but the recipe said makes 8 servings.. I think you just need to adjust for the larger amount.. :)
It makes 8 tacos. One serving here is 1 taco. You can adjust for more tacos than 8. I always quadruple the recipe so I can use it 4 times.
Thank you for this! I did have almost all ingredients in the pantry even though I have almost nothing. :)
This has been our go-to recipe for taco seasoning or some time – I double or triple it (or more) usually and keep it in a jar. I usually use more cumin and add some cornstarch (makes it more saucy when you add it to the taco meat), but otherwise it’s perfect.
Note that your spice level can vary wildly depending on what kind of chili powder you use. ;)
True. I got my chili powder at a Mexican store thinking it would be the same. It was much hotter than Mc Cormicks
My new go-to taco seasoning! Tastes perfect and doesn’t have any fillers like every store-bought version out there!!
Great seasoning, definitely better than the store bought packets. One thing I’ve learned recently is that when making your taco meat, simmer it in plain, unseasoned tomato sauce rather than (or in addition to) the water. I’ve been doing this for a while now, and the results have been great!
Great tip Duke! Thanks for sharing.
I understand it is easy to call something “chili powder”. But the store bought stuff and even the recipe provided is just another blend. I mean look at the ingredients in these “chili powders”. Garlic powder? Onion Powder? Oregano? Cumin? Paprika? What do these have to do with a dried chili? Try ordering some New Mexico Chili Powder. It is actually just chili powder with no other ingredients. It will give a more earthy, chili flavor and allow you to add all the other ingredients in proportions you want.
Hi Steve, the recipe in this post is our version of a homemade taco seasoning, which we do use a chili powder blend to make. Feel free to substitute it out for dried chili as you prefer.
Did you use ground cumin or dried cumin for this taco spice recipe? I love the fact of making your own seasonings without the preservatives and other ingredients we really don’t need! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us!
I use ground cumin in this recipe.
It was delicious! We are on a diet ant am glad I can make my own seasoning without added unnecessary ingredients.
This is the second time I am returning to make your taco seasoning—its that good and my family loves it! Thank you for figuring out the combination of spices and posting it.