Taco Seasoning

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Taco seasoning is super easy, fresh and inexpensive. Did you know store bought packets may contain dairy, cornstarch, preservatives and sugar? Skip the fillers and make taco seasoning at home. It’s also the best way to ensure it’s gluten-free.

You can use this homemade seasoning on so many recipes including taco salad, shrimp tacostaco soup and more!

Taco seasoning spices in a bowl.

Store-Bought Seasoning – What’s Really In It?

Years ago when I started reading the labels on the back of food products I remember being shocked the vast majority of the time. Especially on items that were seemingly so simple. You’d never assume there was anything except what you thought should be inside. Oh, but there was. Case in point: taco seasoning.

If you flip a store bought packet of taco seasoning over and read the backside you’ll find unnecessary ingredients ranging from whey (dairy) to cornstarch, potato starch, caramel color, natural colors, sugar and various preservatives. Yep, that’s what’s in that little old packet. A heck of a lot of filler.

The good news is that it’s incredibly easy to make your own taco seasoning at home and once you do, you’ll never need to buy those overly priced packets again.

Taco Seasoning Ingredients

My seasoning mix is made from a handful of fresh spices, including:

  • chili powder
  • cumin
  • garlic powder
  • paprika (or smoked paprika)
  • oregano
  • salt and pepper

You could also add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a little spice kick. Making taco seasoning at home allows you to tweak the flavor profile to your preference.

Taco seasoning spices stirred together in a bowl.
Jars of spices for homemade taco seasoning.

How to Make Taco Seasoning

Just stir all of the spices together in a small bowl. The recipe I’ve listed below equates to approximately 2 tablespoons, which is the perfect amount for one pound of ground beef. But I usually quadruple this recipe and then store in these glass spice jars (make sure to grab the 6-ounce size).

If you’ve watched my YouTube videos, you know that these spice jars match my Simply Organic spice jars perfectly. Then, I use an extra fine tip water-based paint pen to write a label.

As a SoCal girl I love my Mexican food and from the recipes on this website you’ve probably gathered I’m quite the connoisseur. In fact, this taco seasoning mix is the same one that I’ve used on my Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats and Taco Soup recipes.

Making taco seasoning in a bowl.

For More Healthy Mexican Recipes

And if you’re whipping up fajitas, make sure to check out my fajita seasoning recipe!

Taco seasoning spices in a mixing bowl.

Taco Seasoning (Better Than Store-Bought)

4.95 from 37 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 serving
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Taco seasoning is super easy, fresh, and inexpensive. It's perfect for all your Mexican-inspired recipes. Watch the quick video below!

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, optional

Instructions 

  • Mix all the spices together in a bowl. Use immediately or store in an airtight container.

Lisa’s Tips

  • You can easily double, triple or quadruple this recipe to make a larger batch. Then, in the future just use two tablespoons of your taco seasoning mix per one pound of ground beef.
  • I don’t add any onion powder to this mix because I typically add freshly diced onions to ground beef recipes. But feel free to add that spice as well, if you’d like.
  • To see inside my own spice drawer, don’t forget to watch my spice drawer organization video.
  • For another delicious homemade seasoning, check out my brisket dry rub.

Nutrition

Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1300mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 2940IU | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3.1mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: homemade taco seasoning, taco seasoning, taco seasoning recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted Aug 2017, but updated to include new information. 

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.95 from 37 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




110 Comments

  1. What a great recipe! Made several batches for a large amount of ground beef. It smells soooo good, and tastes good as well. Mahalo nui for a great recipe.5 stars

  2. I made this because I was out of taco seasoning. Best stuff ever! I use it on much more than tacos. Going to make a big batch and store it.5 stars

  3. Dear Lisa,

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe!! Finally a simple and healthier way to feed my family. I just have one question, how much water is needed for the seasoning mix per one pound of meat? I didn’t see it listed.5 stars

    1. There’s no water needed for this taco seasoning! But my general rule is to use two tablespoons of your taco seasoning mix per one pound of ground beef.