Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
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This Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe is easy to make in minutes and gives the most delicious flavor to tacos and more! With only five real ingredients and no fillers, it’s healthier and tastes so much better than store-bought!
We absolutely love tacos and so many Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes in my house, and I use this taco seasoning recipe a lot! Some favorites are my quick and easy tacos and my chicken taco soup. So, my taco seasoning mix is on hand all the time.
As much as we love these recipes, I do not use store-bought taco seasoning packets to season my dishes. They can contain preservatives and fillers such as corn starch and others. I make my own.
My delicious and easy homemade taco seasoning contains only five ingredients and is preservative-free and gluten-free, so I know exactly what is in it – and what is not! So, I keep this and many other kitchen staples like homemade BBQ sauce and homemade vanilla extract on hand.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Just 5 Ingredients – Uses only a handful of ingredients that are easy to find and you most likely have in your pantry!
No Fillers, No Preservatives, and No Sugar – There are no fillers like corn starch (often a GMO ingredient) or sugar. And there’s no MSG or other preservatives!
Quick and Easy – Whisk the ingredients together and then use or store your mix!
Delicious Flavor – Real, flavorful spices allow the delicious tastes to shine through!
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Paprika
- Salt (optional)
How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Measure each of the ground spices and salt. Then, combine them all in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix all ground spices together until well blended with a whisk or fork.
- Use and store – Use immediately and/or decant the taco seasoning into an airtight container.
Tips for the Best Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Start with fresh spices. Check the expiration dates of each individual spice and smell them. They should smell strong, with no “off” smells. If any of the spices have lost their potent aroma, they are past their prime.
- Buy high-quality spices. You will get a taco seasoning with incredible taste by choosing great quality spices.
- Store Properly. Keep the taco seasoning in a storage container with an airtight lid. I like glass. Store it away from light and any moisture.
Storage Tips
To store. Place your blended seasoning in an airtight spice container with a lid that seals well. Store away from light and moisture for best results. This taco seasoning mix is best and the most fresh when used within one year.
Ways to Use Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Use on all types of tacos, taco soup, and taco cups.
- Before grilling, sprinkle it on chicken, shrimp, pork chops, and even vegetables.
- Mix it in ground beef or ground turkey and add to taco salad and more.
- Add a pinch of taco seasoning to pinto beans or black beans for some extra spice.
- Sprinkle it on sweet potato fries. It’s so good!
- Mix a little bit of it in ranch dressing for an extra kick of flavor.
Great Homemade Gift
Prepare taco seasoning mix and then funnel into glass spice jars with airtight lids. Attach printed labels and share them with friends or neighbors.
- Make a baking-themed gift basket with other homemade spice mixes and flavorings like Pumpkin Pie Spice or Apple Pie Spice and Vanilla Extract.
- Create a gift basket for cooking with this taco seasoning, a jar of spicy brown sugar dry rub, Stone House Seasoning, and maybe even a jar of Homemade Hot Honey.
- Remember to include a note with my website address so they can see all the recipe ideas using these homemade goodies. Such a heartfelt and practical present!
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is gluten-free, but you must check your individual spices to make sure they are pure, quality spices to ensure that none of them contain gluten.
You can use less salt or completely omit the salt in the recipe to make it low-sodium.
There are no preservatives such as MSG and other preservatives in this homemade taco seasoning recipe. Since you choose the individual spices to make this homemade spice mix, be certain that they are high-quality and do not contain any preservatives individually.
More Tex-Mex Favorite Recipes
If you tried this Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, optional
Instructions
- Combine ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Use and store. Use immediately and store any remaining taco seasoning in an airtight container for up to a year.
Notes
Storage Tip
To store. Place your blended seasoning in an airtight spice container with a lid that seals well. Store away from light and moisture for best results. This taco seasoning mix is best and the most fresh when used within one year.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Love this recipe. Simple n can be easily made with pantry items. I marinated shrimp n it was the best shrimp tacos I ever had. So flavorful.
Thanks, Archana. I’m so glad this seasoning worked so well with your shrimp.
Robyn, where can I purchase the jars that you use to store your taco seasoning. Thanks in advance.
Arlene, I got the large jars and the smaller ones with the label you can place on top of the jars at Amazon. There is a link in the post “nice spice jar” for the large one. I love these jars.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I wasn’t able to buy taco seasoning when I lived in South Korea for five years. This was my go-to recipe for taco seasoning. Even though I now live in a country where I can buy it, I still prefer this recipe to store bought. Thank you!
Oh, thank you, Nicole, for sharing this. I’m so glad this recipe helped you.
I tried this recipe tonight and we love it. I did add just a little more cumin, but other than that it was great. No more prepackaged taco seasoning for us!
If a recipe calls for a packet of taco seasoning what is the conversion?
Most packets of taco seasoning mix contain 1 oz. or 2 tablespoons of seasoning, Irma, but others may have different amounts. My recipe makes 5 tablespoons of taco seasoning. You can adjust the amount of the taco seasoning in my recipe according to the brand taco seasoning mix specified in the recipe or for the brand you would ordinarily use. Hope this helps!
I love the flavor! Thank you for sharing; I made a quadruple batch.
Some of my recipes have a quantity for taco seasoning, and others simply say “one package”. What would you suggest as the amount to use of your recipe when the latter is listed? I’m assuming the fact that your recipe has no fillers will complicate the answer.
Jeri,
My recipe makes 5 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Different brands of taco seasoning mix contain different amounts in their package. You can adjust the amount of the taco seasoning in my recipe according to the brand taco seasoning mix specified in the recipe or for the brand you would ordinarily use. Hope this helps!
How much of this is equivalent to a packaged mix? My hubby recently had a heart attack and we are looking to reduce sodium in our diet and this will help with that. I use taco seasoning in so many things! (Do you have recipe for onion soup mix? I haven’t had a chance to search for one yet!)
Denise,
This recipe makes 5 tablespoons. I’m sorry but I don’t have a recipe for onion soup mix. I hope your husband has a speedy recovery and is soon back to good health.
Thank you so very much for this recipe. My son in law has Celiac, along with several of our friends, this will
be just perfect for them. I’m going to make up some and put it in a jar for our daughter to have in her kitchen.
It will definitely save her money as the gluten free
mix is quite expensive. Your recipes have been a huge
success everyime I make them!
Ginny,
I have friends who have Celiac and know how hard it can be to make sure foods are gluten free. I’m so glad you can use this for him. Thanks so much for you sweet comment! xo
Is the “chili powder” the mix of oregano, chile, onion, cumin etc that you buy premixed or is it one ingredient: ground dried chiles?
Mary,
I use the premixed bottle of chili powder that is a mixture of chili peppers, oregano, and salt. Hope you like this recipe!
Do you add water to the ground beef along with the seasonings?
Hi Sheila,
If you are asking about using this taco seasoning in my tacos, here is my Quick and Easy Taco Recipe. Hope you enjoy!