This homemade, authentic Taco Seasoning recipe is a simple and budget friendly way to make all the taco seasoning you need using ingredients you already have in your spice cabinet!
Say bye bye to those overpriced, preservative-laden taco seasoning packets you get at the grocery store. There’s no need to overspend on those store-bought packets when you can make your own taco seasoning at home using ground spices you already have in your spice cabinet!
Making your own taco seasoning blend is incredibly easy to do and the ability to control the ingredients makes this the only way I will season my tacos these days. I have been making my own seasoning for years now and love the ability to control the sodium levels and avoid chemical preservatives.
I highly recommend making my homemade taco seasoning in a big batch by doubling or tripling the recipe and keeping it stored in an airtight container. This way you have it conveniently ready for taco night or whenever you need to sprinkle it into your Mexican recipes!
Making homemade taco seasoning is not only budget-friendly, especially if you make it in bulk, it also has other benefits.
If you are a fan of making your own homemade seasonings and spice mixes, make sure to check out my Jamaican Jerk Seasoning and Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice as well.
Benefits of making this Authentic Taco Seasoning recipe:
- It’s economical. You can save quite a bit by making this homemade seasoning in bulk at home using ingredients you likely already have in your spice cupboard.
- You can’t beat the flavour. Using fresher spices and herbs that you have on hand is going to give you the best flavour.
- It’s easily customizable. You are in control of the ingredients homemade spice mixes so you can tweak this recipe to suit your needs. I kept this on the milder side (similar to many of the store-bought packet of taco seasoning) but you can certainly increase the heat or any other ingredients to suit your own tastes.
- You can control the sodium levels. By making your own homemade taco seasoning, you can avoid adding excessive levels of sodium. This recipe uses a bit of salt in it. When you are cooking your taco meat, you can control how much more you add without going overboard.
- No chemical preservatives! There is no msg, preservatives or any other questionable ingredients in this homemade version.
Ingredients in this Authentic Taco Seasoning Recipe
While you can certainly play around with some of the ingredients, I tried to keep this recipe as simple and true to authentic flavours as I could using ingredients that are easily available in most spice cabinets. These ingredients include:
- Chili powder: adds a mild spice to the seasoning. Chili powders vary in their spiciness so opt for one that suits your needs.
- Paprika: You can used smoked paprika for a more smoky flavor or regular, sweet paprika.
- Ground cumin: adds an earthy, warm flavour.
- Salt & Black Pepper: I add salt into the seasoning though you will likely need to add more salt to your actual cooking based on your taste preferences.
- Onion powder: Onion powder or an equal mix of onion powder and garlic powder adds flavour.
- Red pepper flakes: adds a bit of heat to the spice mix. The amount listed makes a milder spiced seasoning. If you like the heat, you can add more.
- Dried oregano
- Optional: Cayenne pepper can also be added for additional heat.
**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
Simple steps to make this Authentic Taco Seasoning Recipe
- Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl.
- Mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
- Transfer the seasoning mix to an airtight container for storage.
That’s it! Super simple recipe, right?
How to store taco seasoning
Taco seasoning should be stores in an airtight container such as a spice jar or small glass jar (like a mason jar). It should be kept at room temperature, in a dry place and preferably dark place such as a cabinet.
How long with this taco seasoning last?
If stores correctly and made with fresh spices, this taco seasoning will keep for at least 3 months. This will ensure the best flavour.
How much taco seasoning do you use?
How much seasoning you use in your cooking will depend on personal preference. I generally start with about 2 tablespoons of seasoning for a pound of ground beef (or any pound of meat such as ground chicken or turkey) when making taco meat. Then you can taste and add more if you desire.
How to use taco seasoning
In additional to using this homemade taco seasoning mix to season ground meat for delicious tacos, there are many other ways to use it up to add flavour to your Mexican dishes and beyond. The uses for this homemade Mexican seasoning include, but are not limited to:
- Tacos (ground beef tacos, ground turkey tacos, or chicken tacos).
- Stuffed Mexican Peppers like my Taco Stuffed Mini Peppers.
- French Fry seasoning: Can be sprinkled right onto your french fries for extra flavour. I especially love it on Sweet Potato Fries.
- Dip: Just mix it with sour cream of thick yogurt.
- As a vegetable seasoning.
- In casseroles, soups or taco-inspired pasta dishes.
- Fajitas
- Taco salad
- As a meat or seafood rub
I hope you enjoy this easy recipe as much as I do! If you like to make your own spice blends, be sure to also check out my Jamaican Jerk Seasoning.
-Cathy
You may also like:
Authentic Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or 1/4 teaspoons each onion powder and garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl.
- Mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
- Transfer the seasoning mix to an airtight container for storage.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
