Homemade taco seasoning is fast and easy to make with on-hand spices and much healthier than the store-bought packets. Make a big batch today to have on hand for all your taco needs!
So I don't know if you know, but it's so simple to make your own homemade taco seasoning mix.
It's ridiculously easy really.
You just measure out the spices, mix them together and bam! You are done.
No, really. Here, I'll spell it right out for you right at the beginning.
How to make homemade taco seasoning:
- Measure and combine chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and cayenne.
- Mix well and it's ready to use!
See, super simple.
Plus, you get to control the ingredients, which means you'll have a mix that's much lower in sodium than those store-bought packets and doesn't contain any weird preservatives or unknown "flavor agents."
What does that even mean? Cryptic and a little creepy.
But with homemade, you are safe and you can make enough to have it ready to go anytime!
(Check out my homemade fajita seasoning and southwest seasoning too. Just as easy, just as flavorful!)
Also, I bet you already have all of the spices you need to make this.
What spices are in homemade taco seasoning?
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried oregano
- Cayenne
You'll just measure and mix those together and you'll have some seriously delicious, fresh and amazing taco seasoning at the ready.
We love taco night around here so it's great to have some on hand in the pantry at all times. Or to be able to replenish my stock anytime I need to to make more fun taco dishes.
Speaking of...
Ways to use homemade taco seasoning:
- Turkey taco rice skillet
- Ground turkey tacos
- Healthy taco salads
- Baked shredded chicken tacos
- Slow cooker salsa verde pork tacos
- Turkey taco spaghetti squash boats
- Shrimp tacos with lime cabbage slaw
- Healthy chicken taco casserole
I even use it in my baked taco mac and cheese casserole - such a fun, family-friendly dinner!
Having homemade taco seasoning on hand means you can also use it to add great flavor to quick skillet dinners or sheet pan dinners.
Notes on making homemade taco seasoning:
- Feel free to adjust the amount of cayenne to control the heat. 🌶
- As written, this is squarely in the low-medium heat range, meaning it doesn't seem at all spicy (even to my kids, who are sensitive to heat), it just adds flavor. But you can add more or less cayenne to suit your family's tastes.
- After you've mixed up your homemade taco seasoning, just be sure to store in an air-tight container.
- I love these small pop-up OXO containers for storing homemade spice mixes. Some cute small glass jars would work too.
- Be sure to label them though because spice mixes can start to look the same.
- This spice mixture will keep in the pantry for up to 3 to 4 months. After that, it starts to lose some freshness.
Go on, whip up a batch and feel good about going homemade for your next taco night. You'll never go back.
(And if you really want to step things up a few notches, check out this 5-minute homemade salsa too.)
Enjoy and happy cooking!
XO,
Kathryn
Homemade taco seasoning
Homemade taco seasoning is fast and easy to make and much healthier than store bought packets.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 3 tablespoons ground cumin
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- scant ½ teaspoon cayenne (see notes)
Instructions
- Measure and mix all of the spices together in a small bowl. That's it!
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 months.
Notes
Cayenne: Feel free to adjust the amount of cayenne to your liking to make it more or less spicy. As written, it's a low-medium level; meaning, it doesn't taste spicy and my kids (who are sensitive to heat) are totally fine with it. But you can add more or less cayenne to suit your family's tastes.
Storing: After you've mixed up your homemade taco seasoning, just be sure to store in an air-tight container. I love these small pop-up OXO containers for storing homemade spice mixes. Some cute small glass jars would work too. Be sure to label them though because spice mixes can look the same.
This spice mixture will keep in the pantry for up to 3 to 4 months. After that, it starts to lose some freshness.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
About 2 tablespoonsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 49Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2355mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
Sherri G
How much would you use to pound of meat?
Kathryn Doherty
I use about 2 tablespoons per pound of meat. I like it really well-seasoned and since this taco seasoning is homemade and doesn't have the crazy amounts of sodium that a store-bought kind might, it works well. Hope that helps!