Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ditch the store bought mixes for this easy Taco Seasoning recipe, made from spices that you already have in your pantry.
Our Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Our Homemade Taco Seasoning RecipeSure, those Taco Seasoning packets can be handy, but so often they're either way to heavy on the salt or full of additives that we can't pronounce.
The thing is, all the key players in that 'taco' flavor are basic elements of a well-stocked pantry, so most likely, you already have them around.
We find ourselves mixing up a fresh batch this mix quite often. The first recipe below makes about 3 Tbsp, which we have found is just enough to season 1 pound of meat. If you use Taco Seasoning quite a bit, scroll on down to the second recipe, which will make about 1 cup of seasoning. Store it in a sealed container in your pantry for 2-3 months. (If it lasts that long.)
Using Homemade Taco Seasoning
Mini Crunchwrap Supreme (Yup, it's an appetizer, real-food version to fill that chain-store craving.)
Breakfast Enchiladas (Need we say more?)
Southwest Pulled Chicken (Crock Pot and super easy!)
Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crock Pot again, and one of our most popular recipes!)
Homemade Taco Seasoning (Small Batch)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an air-tight container.
To Use For Seasoning Meat
- Mix 3 tablespoon of taco seasoning with 1 lb of browned meat in a large skillet. Add ½ c water and simmer over medium heat until the water evaporates.
- Serve with your favorite Mexican recipe!
Nutrition
Homemade Taco Seasoning (Large Batch)
Ingredients
- ¼ c + 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 3 tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an air-tight container.
To Use For Seasoning Meat
- Mix 3 tablespoon of taco seasoning with 1 lb of browned meat in a large skillet. Add ½ c water and simmer over medium heat until the water evaporates.
- Serve with your favorite Mexican recipe!
Nutrition
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
I totally agree that the convenient store-bouhgt packets are sodium laden with unhealthy ingredients and that is specifically why I make my own taco, chili, and cajun/creole seasonings. For what it is worth, here is my 2 cents. This seasoning recipe appears cumin heavy. I think it preferable to omit the salt. I don't really understand the purpose of the flour, a thickening agent, but not a herb/spice/ seasoning. I'd suggest that you try smoked paprika and Mexican oregano, and tinker some more with your recipe to include the addition of ancho chile powder (ground ancho chile) and coriander powder (ground coriander seed). Below are suggested ingredients and ratios that work well for me...
4 tbsp chili powder (Geghardt or Mexene)
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican)
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika (La Chinata or La Dalia, Pimentón de La Vera, dulce – sweet)
1 tsp ancho chile powder (ground ancho chile)
1 tsp coriander powder (ground coriander seed)
1 tsp Tellicherry black pepper, freshly ground
Thanks for sharing your version Jim. We do like our cumin and most store bought versions do have a bit of thickener in them too. We use more 'pantry staple' herb/spices, but your version sounds quite tasty. We'll give it a try!