Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Homemade Taco Seasoning is so easy to make, you’ll want it to be Taco Tuesday all week long. It’s healthier than store-bought, you’ll save money making your own, and it tastes so much better without cheap fillers. All you need are some Crispy Taco Shells to go with it.
We love making our own kitchen staples from Homemade BBQ Sauce to Pesto Sauce. If you are a fan of homemade seasonings, this Taco Seasoning will become your new favorite.
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Taco Seasoning Recipe
I’m all about convenience when it comes to cooking, but I also want to balance that with affordability and quality. Seasonings packets are definitely easy, but you’re paying more for something that’s not as good as homemade. After inspecting the labels on store-bought packets, I realized that corn meal was the main ingredient in the brand I used to buy. Say what?!
Corn meal is a cheap filler and it’s often a GMO ingredient. Why pay for that when you can skip the fillers and make your own taco seasoning with ingredients you probably already have on hand?
Best of all, when you don’t use those filler ingredients, the taco seasoning tastes better. We did a blind comparison between store-bought and homemade taco seasoning recipe and the homemade version won the taste test every single time.
Why DIY Taco Seasoning is Best?
This seasoning is perfect for Taco Recipes such as Fish Tacos, Ground Beef Tacos, you name it! You can use this for any recipe that calls for taco seasoning. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- No MSG, no fillers, and no sugar – Yes, in addition to corn meal, store-bought often has MSG and sugar added.
- Keeps well – Store in a jar with a lid and it will last in the pantry for a few months, without the preservatives in taco seasoning packets.
- High-quality – You control the ingredients so you can buy quality spices.
- Easy – Combine the ingredients and you’re done.
Ingredients
What is taco seasoning? It’s essentially a blend of seasonings that work well together for seasoning Mexican or Tex-Mex foods.
- Chili powder – a blend of a few different varieties of dried chiles so the flavor can vary between brands.
- Ground cumin – Next to chili powder, cumin is the most important ingredient in taco seasoning. It adds an earthy flavor and aroma.
- Paprika – Use smoked paprika if you have it.
- Salt and Pepper – we use fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Garlic powder – Another key ingredient that adds garlic flavor.
- Onion powder – adds mild onion flavor to the seasoning.
- Dried oregano – any kind will work, but for more authentic flavor, if you have it, use Mexican oregano.
- Red pepper flakes – or substitute a dash of cayenne pepper.
Pro Tip: Smell your spices before making this recipe. It may sound strange, but this is the best way to know if herbs and spices are past their prime. If they don’t have much of an aroma, it’s time to replace them.
Substitutions
- Spicy Taco Seasoning – This is a pretty mild taco seasoning. To make it spicier, substitute chili powder with Mexican Hot Chili Powder or add more dried chili flakes
- Low sodium – you can use less salt in your taco seasoning if you are trying to reduce your salt intake.
- Gluten-free – the ingredients in this taco seasoning should be naturally gluten-free, but check the labels of your individual spices to ensure they are all gluten-free.
How to Make Taco Seasoning
Once you see how easy it is to make your own taco seasoning, you’ll always want the homemade version. The process is quick and so easy and you can easily double or triple the recipe.
- Gather the ingredients – Grab all the spices you need from your pantry.
- Combine – Measure each ingredient and place them all into a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Store – Transfer the seasoning to an airtight container and keep it on hand for all your future taco needs.
Pro Tip: Use a small kitchen funnel to help you transfer the taco seasoning to the storage jar without spilling.
How Much Taco Seasoning is in 1 packet?
We substitute DIY taco seasoning in the same amount as what is in a packet. Typically 2 Tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning is equal to 1 packet of storebought seasoning.
How to Use Taco Seasoning
In addition to using taco seasoning for Taco Recipes, you can use it for:
- Ground Beef – for a pound of ground beef, add two tablespoons of this seasoning, along with 1/2 cup of water. This seasoned ground beef is great for Taco Salad.
- Flavored Butter: Mash the seasoning into softened butter and spread onto Instant Pot Corn on the Cob or Grilled Corn.
- Seasoning – for Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries and of course Easy Taco Soup.
Make-Ahead
- Shelf-life: Homemade seasoning keeps really well. Depending on the freshness of the spices you use, you can count on it lasting at least 6 months.
- How to Store: I like to keep the seasoning in a jar with an airtight lid. Like other spices, it should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place, like your pantry. You can use spice jars or any small lidded container. See our Kitchen Organization post for how we set up our spice drawer.
This DIY taco seasoning recipe is easy to make, cheaper than store-bought packets, and it tastes better, too. Plus, when you make it yourself, you’re in control of the ingredients, which means no sugar, fillers, or preservatives.
More Tex-Mex Recipes to Try
If you love this taco seasoning, then you won’t want to miss these Tex-Mex recipes.
- Easy Homemade Salsa (Restaurant-Style)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Easy Tostada Recipe
- Guacamole Recipe
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote Recipe)
Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika, preferably smoked paprika
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add all of the taco seasoning ingredients. Stir to combine and store homemade taco seasoning in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I mixed some of this taco seasoning up and used it to make tacos the other night for the first time, and we really enjoyed it. I used ground turkey instead of beef, though. I’ll keep this taco seasoning on hand from now on. It was really nice knowing that we were just getting good spices and not a load of salt.
I made tacos last night and decided to try your homemade taco seasoning and let me tell u its 100x better than the store kind!! We loved it ! Thank u for sharing!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Crystal!
Thank you for this taco seasoning recipe! I had to half the chili powder the second time around because it’s too spicy for my kids.
I used 2 tablespoons per 1 pound of ground beef. I’ve also used the seasoning for taco dip. This is my go to taco seasoning!
Sounds good! Thank you for sharing that with us, Katie. We’re glad that this is now you go-to-recipe!
hey! can I skip the onion powder? I have all the other ingredients except onion powder.
Hi Juhi! The onion powder adds great flavor to this. You can leave it out if you’d like but it will be lacking that flavor profile.
Excellent taco seasoning recipe. I was a little leery of so much chili powder but it was perfectly balanced. I doubled the recipe and added 1 TBL of cornstarch, and used about 2 1/2TBL for just over 2 lbs of cubed chicken and it was perfect.
That’s wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Best taco seasoning recipe i’ve tried! Won’t be buying the store bought packets anymore. Husband and kids absolutely love the taco salad made with this seasoning!
I’m so glad to hear that, Annabel!
Best taco seasoning! So delicious!!!!! My family absolutely loved it! Put in my favorites.
Hi Pamela, I’m so happy to hear this was a hit with the family! Thank you so much for sharing that awesome review with me!
I just found the answer. Guess I didn’t see it.
2 Tbsp. to replace one pack of the prepackaged taco seasoning. 🙂
Hello!
I just made the taco seasoning recipe. If I use a 1 lb of ground turkey, how many of tsps. of seasoning should I use?
Hi Chelle, we have a note on that in the recipe. Also, I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post, it will take you to our printable recipe where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make. I hope that helps!
This is a great recipe. My picky family loved it!! I used this to make a Crunchwrap.
Thanks for your awesome review!
I’ve used your recipe a couple of times, always dragging out the ingredients to make just enough seasoning for the dish at hand. Finally today I made a “batch”–I’m excited to have it ready to go for my next recipe that calls for taco seasoning. My husband likes spicy but doesn’t like the taste of bought taco mix–yours is the Perfect blend of spices for him. Thanks!
Hi Karen! You’re very welcome.
It would be fun to see what recipes you have but every time I enter the information an ad pops up 😳
Hi Kate, Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. But we will definitely take note of your feedback and use it to improve our website.
I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.
Never going back to the packet taco seasoning.
This was wonderful and we always opt for red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon. Just the right heat for my family.
Hi Cryss! That’s great to hear.
Love this! I couldn’t find my old, all time recipie and came on this. This was a match…thanks for sharing. Tacos for din-din tonight.
I’m so glad to hear that, Karen!
Thank you. We love this taco seasoning. I make 4 times the recipe and keep it made. I like so many of your recipes so i thought i would comment since i have used this one several times. My grown children come by and get some when making tacos. Its a perfect blend and so much better than the store bought. I never cared much for tacos sincei don’t like the store bought packages. I am making my 3rd batch tonight. Thank you so much for sharing this.
It really is the best! I’m so happy you loved it too, Stef!
Omg! I will never buy seasoning with artificial whatever in it again:) thank you so much for sharing! 💕
You’re welcome, Veronica!
Your recipe calls for fine sea salt, could regular table salt be used instead? If so how much would be used?
Hi Nedra! Yes, you can use table salt. Using the same amount would be fine.
Dobrah! Wonderful and I have tried a few others. I used ½ salt and was still fantastic. I am going to try Mexican Oregano next. I used ½ Smokey paprika and half hot Hungarian paprika. Thanks for the recipe…I will check out your other ones.
Hi Cindee! You’re very welcome. Thank you for trying the recipe. 🙂
I’m glad the smoked paprika works, because that’s what I just put in mine. I wasn’t so sure about it and did it anyway.
Tripled this tonight for a large batch of ground beef. Delish! Thank you for such a simple and flavorful seasoning.
Awesome! So glad you love this recipe.
Do you need to add water along with the seasoning to the meat?
Hi Rebecca, we address that in the “How to Use Taco Seasoning section”! I hope this helps!
How many Tablespoons are added per 1 pound of ground beef or shredded chicken? Please advise, thanks
Hi Kyle! See my notes above “How to Use Taco Seasoning” for instructions. 🙂
My family likes this blend so much that I have a dedicated shaker for it now. Thank you!
That’s great, Natallia! So glad you love it!
Decided to feed my family tacos for dinner tonight, then realized I was out of taco seasoning, so I decided to try and make my own. Made your recipe exactly as written. It took about two minutes from start to finish. It was awesome and so freaking easy! My whole family loved it and told me to never buy store-bought packet seasoning again! Thanks for the great recipe!
That’s wonderful news! Thank you for sharing that with us, so good to know that you enjoyed this seasoning recipe!
I love watching you. I love your recipes. I’m going to make this taco seasoning. The packet king is way to salty. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome, Carly. I hope you’ll love this and all the recipes that you will try from us!
How much of the seasoning do I use for 1 pound of meat? Thank you for sharing your recipes. Every one I’ve tried has been a hit!
Hi Leslie, I have notes in the recipe on ‘How to Use Taco Seasoning” & “How Much Taco Seasoning is in 1 packet?” I recommend reading through both for more info on that 🙂 I hope it helps you and that you love this recipe!
Use Mexican oregano instead, if you can’t find it Amazon has it. The flavor of it is more enhanced.
Thank you for sharing, Dale.
Great taco seasoning and soooo easy. I triple recipe so it’s always available. I was worried about the salt and cut in half and then added the other half and not too salty at all. Great balance of flavors. Many thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mary!
Thank you, thank you for sharing your recipe for Taco Seasoning. I usually use the package kind but like everything else it has gotten quite expensive.
My family didn’t know what I had done differently, but gave me good comments about how tasty the Tacos tasted.
In order to stretch my meat I added one potato diced finely and they reminded us of one of our favorite Taco places in Cancun.
AGAIN, thank you so much.
You’re very welcome! So glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe.
I used this seasoning blend with some ground beef and homemade naan, and it was super delicious! The meat was flavorful and I had all of the ingredients already. Won’t go back to the store-bought stuff, which tends to be too salty.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I am anxious to try this but wondering how much you use when a recipe calls for an envelope of the store bought seasoning?
Hi Kerri! In that situation, I would go based on weight. I believe a packet of seasoning is 1oz (28g). Homemade can be a different strength than store-bought so you might start with less and then add to your preferred level of flavor. I hope that helps.
Yes it does. Thank you! I so enjoy your videos and recipes! You make normal food and you make the recipes easy to follow. God bless you!
Thank you so much for your good comments, Kerri. We appreciate it!
Hi Natasha, You are so Awesome, I am becoming a better cook since I have been watching you (since the past 2 years) I was just wondering where I can get the spice jars that you are using, they are perfect!!!! You Rock!!!!
Hi Melinda! I’m so glad to hear that. It makes me happy that you find my videos and recipes helpful. I purchased my spices jars from SPICE IT YOUR WAY and build my own custom package with labels. 🙂
Thank You So Much, I’m going to buy some and will try and make some of my own spices…
Thanks Again Natasha:)
You’re welcome, Melinda! I hope you love it! 🙂
Natasha, could I leave out the salt for a low sodium version? Thanks Jeff
Hi Jeff! The salt enhances the flavors. Substitutions may hinder the recipe outcome. I always suggest making a recipe as written the first time around and then making adjustments to your liking 🙂
Thank you Natasha! Home made is always better than store-bought! You can make your own with organic and top quality ingredients without silicone dioxide fillers, UGH! I will make this! Thank you for making life taste better everyday!
I agree! We really enjoy homemade so much more! I hope you love this recipe!
Is there a recipe for making a larger batch of the taco seasoning? Picture shows a vial full of it.
Yes, in the recipe card, you can use the level on the servings to increase or decrease the serving size. Just hover your cursor over the number of servings in red.
the jars pictured are great but Amazon link took me to other jars not these bamboo toped ones. thought you would like ta know that had to look up glass with wood lids. you should get credit for them when I buy
Hi Joseph. Actually, the bamboo lid jars were purchased from Spice It Your Way. I referenced this in my Kitchen Organization blog post HERE. I apologize for the confusion.
no confusion here just wanted you to get deserved credit. go girl love your recipes James ,Jimmy ,Beard would have been proud to know such a hard working creative Chef he Wass my associate in the 1970s
So good, and absolutely better than store bought. I already own all these spices too, so making the mix was the easiest thing ever.
Thanks for sharing, Agnes.
This taco seasoning is SO easy to make and can be used many different ways! Love making a big batch to keep on hand throughout the year. Less expensive and less additives, too!
So glad you enjoy this recipe, Taylor.
What a lifesaver! So glad I found this recipe and didn’t have to rush to the store for a bottle of taco seasoning.
That’s great. I’m happy you found this recipe.
This seasoning looks vibrant. Perfect for using it on tacos during summer occasions. I live in a city of San Diego and it’s famous for tacos. If you visit there, then you will consistently enjoy them.