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Homemade Taco Seasoning is easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. Loaded with an abundance of flavor and a tiny bit of heat, taco seasoning gets used more than anything else in my spice cupboard.
It is beyond simple to stir together this Mexican spice mix and it will save you time when you are cooking later. My family eats a lot of Mexican food and for years I have used taco seasoning regularly in countless recipes.
Mexican Seasoning
About ten years ago, I decided to try making my own taco seasoning recipe and I’m so glad I did. I found a basic recipe for taco seasoning over on Allrecipes.com long ago and over the years, I’ve tweaked and adapted it to our tastes.
It makes sense to prepare a double or triple batch of this seasoning mix and keep it on hand at all times.
Just a bit spicier than standard taco mixes and completely adaptable to your individual tastes, these are some of my favorite Mexican spices in the kitchen.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
I use this Homemade Taco Seasoning at least 3-4 times a week and I keep it on hand at all times. My kids already know to stir a new batch together when it’s running low.
This is probably the most used spice staple in my pantry. Just a spoonful will add an abundance of flavor to any meal.
Homemade spice mixes always taste so much better than store-bought and they’re surprisingly easy to make too. If you haven’t tried it yet, you need to put Homemade Crazy Salt on your must-try list.
This Homemade Italian Seasoning is another favorite that gets used constantly in my cooking. Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Homemade Mild Curry Powder, and Harissa Dry Spice Mix are great ones to try as well.
Many of our favorite recipes use this Taco Seasoning. The Best Taco Meat has been a hit with everyone who tries it.
I keep a package of that taco meat cooked and ready to use in the freezer almost all the time.
Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas are a dinner that almost cooks itself and these Black Bean Taco Nachos are a kid and adult favorite for lunches and for dinners.
The Southwest Chicken Skillet is filled with plenty of vegetables and an abundance of flavor from these Mexican spices.
Kitchen Tip: I use these jars to make this recipe.
Taco Seasoning Recipe
- In a jar or small mixing bowl, combine chili powder, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper.
- Shake or stir to combine.
- Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of chili powder I used NM Red Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together all of the spices. Store the seasoning mix in an airtight container. I keep mine in a glass mason jar in my spice cabinet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 10/17/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/29/21}
I really need to start making my own mixes. It's so easy and does save time later on while making dinner!
Thanks for this! 🙂 I like trying to make things from scratch.
I need to do this instead of doing it with every recipe. How do you store it? Little mason jars?
I love making my own seasonings. Plus it can end up saving you so much money!
I really need to get some smoked paprika. I've heard so many good things about it!
I store it in standard mason jars. This recipe makes slightly less than a cup. A doubled recipe fits inside a pint mason jar perfectly.
How much do you use when cooking, say for 1 lb taco meat?
I use between 2-3 tablespoons, depending on how strong I want the flavor to be. A store-bought package of taco mix (enough to flavor 1 lb of meat) is typically about 2 1/2 tablespoons.
I have made some of my own seasonings, but never Taco Seasoning. I could use my red pepper flakes I made in this…. Good Idea Mary!
Mary, Thanks for sharing this recipe for mixing own Taco seasonings 🙂
I so need to make my own. We go through boatloads of the stuff! Thanks for the great recipe!
Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
http://www.mawhats4dinner.com
So weird, Mary, we're on the same page today! We made spice mixes with whole spices today for the grinder, but I also like the idea of having ground spice mixes around. I make chili a lot in the fall, and this would be great to have.
That's a great idea for Christmas presents I think.
I will have to add this recipe to my collection.
Have a great day.
Sounds way better than store bought seasoning.
That's easy! Thanks for sharing such a great tip!
I love making homemade taco seasoning! It's so much better than the packets and so easy!
What a great idea, it looks so much better than those store bought packets! Thanks for another awesome idea!
How cool. I've never made my own taco blend!
I am ALWAYS in the mood for a good taco! Well done :), Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
I agree on making your own seasoning mixes. I made my own blackened seasoning a while ago and I very often whip up something to flavor my tacos, but have not used an actual seasoning mix before. I am going to use this – I think tacos will be on the menu pretty soon. I like the fact that you can adjust the seasonings a bit to your own taste and can control the sodium.
Oh my goodness I am so excited about this!Our son and daughter-in-law always like as one of their Christmas presents for us to fix them a big basket of homemade things. I have already started putting together recipes to fix. They love tacos and this is going to be just perfect to fix and put in their basket!!
Making your own taco seasoning rocks but the one thing that most of the mixes I tried seemed to end up with a watery result when the cooking was done, not saucy.
Now I add just a bit of corn starch or potato starch to my taco seasoning rub and get that saucy beef.