This easy homemade taco seasoning recipe is the perfect way to spice up your dishes without worrying about added sugars, fillers, additives, and anti-caking agents found in many store bought taco seasonings. By making it yourself from scratch, you can control exactly what spices go into it and in what amount, including how much or little salt you want to add. It’s completely customizable to fit any dietary need or preference.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Convenience and affordability are key nowadays, especially in the kitchen. And, while I love a quick grab-and-go premixed taco seasoning, I also value freshness and whole food ingredients with no additives. Unfortunately, the cheaper options usually contain anti-caking agents, fillers, additives, and added sugars. Instead, I like to buy individual spices in bulk and make my own homemade taco seasoning in large batches that’ll last me for months. As a result, I don’t have to worry about the quality of ingredients and it’s a tried and true recipe, so I know it’ll taste good with pretty much anything!
Ways To Incorporate Homemade Taco Seasoning
You can use taco seasoning in so many ways. It’s not just for tacos! It’s a delicious way to add a blend of healthy spices to any dish to bring in some warmth, boldness, and a bit of spice. Here’s a few ideas on how to use it:
- Add to any ground meat mixture. Add it to ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey to give it the perfect flavor for tacos, taco salads, burritos, burrito bowls, or even Mexican-inspired casseroles.
- Make a Southwest Frittata. Take your breakfast frittata to the next level by adding taco seasoning to the mix. Try my Southwest Breakfast Frittata recipe here.
- Spice up your seafood. Season shrimp or fish with this taco seasoning for fish tacos, shrimp tacos, fajitas, shrimp salad, etc.
- Add it to casseroles. Give any casserole a twist by adding this taco seasoning to it!
Homemade vs Store-Bought
In my opinion, there are many reasons to choose homemade taco seasoning over store bought brands. Here’s why:
- No fillers or additives. Many store-bought taco seasonings contain things like corn starch (usually from genetically modified corn) and even vegetable oils, which I personally like to avoid.
- No added sugars. Adding sugar to taco seasoning is unnecessary, in my opinion, to achieve a delicious flavor.
- No anti-caking agents. To keep the seasonings from getting too clumpy and to extend shelf life, some brands add things like silicon dioxide, which I’m not a fan of.
- It’s cheaper in the long run. If you buy individual spices in bulk, it’s actually cheaper to make homemade taco seasoning in the longrun.
- It’s customizable to fit your taste and dietary preferences. If you need to reduce the amount of salt for dietary reasons, you can do so! Or, maybe you don’t like spice – take away the chili flakes. This recipe is very customizable.
Taco Seasoning Ingredients
So, what does taco seasoning consist of? It’s a blend of delicious, warming spices that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Chili Powder – This is the base/foundation to a good taco seasoning blend.
- Cumin – After chili powder, cumin is the next important because it adds a warm, nutty, earthy flavor to the mix.
- Sea Salt and Pepper – I like to use celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper, but any type is fine.
- Paprika – You can use regular or smoked.
- Garlic Powder – Gives it a garlic-y flare.
- Onion Powder – Adds a kick on onion flavor.
- Dried Oregano – This rounds the flavor out with an herbal taste.
- Red Pepper Flakes – This adds extra spice. Feel free to leave this out.
How To Store Homemade Taco Seasoning
Store your homemade taco seasoning in an airtight container (preferably glass) and keep it in a cool dark place (i.e. cabinet). It’ll stay fresh for up to six months.
How Much Taco Seasoning is in a Packet?
If a recipe calls for 1 packet of taco seasoning, most store bought packets contain 2-3 Tablespoons of seasoning. I would suggest starting with 2 Tbsp of seasoning. Then, give it a taste to see if you want to add another tablespoon.
Watch Me Make It Below
Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 Spice Jar with Labels optional
- 1 Airtight Spice Jars optional
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1.5 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Paprika (regular or smoked)
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl.
- Mix until fully combined.
- Transfer taco seasoning to a spice jar or regular jar and store at room temperature for up to 6 months.
For Use:
- Add 2-3 Tbsp of the taco seasoning to every 1 lb of ground beef, chicken, turkey, etc. once the meat has fully cooked through.
- Feel free to add a splash of water to keep the meat from drying out and continue cooking until all of the meat has soaked up the seasoning.
Notes
Looking for More Healthy Recipes?
If you’re on the search for more healthy recipe ideas, here’s a few of my favorites.
- Southwest Breakfast Frittata
- Paleo Fiesta Chicken Burgers
- Paleo Sweet Potato Taco Skillet
- Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Balanced Bowl | Blackened Cod with Strawberry Pineapple Salsa
