Homemade Taco Seasoning

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Toss together a blend of spices to make your own Taco Seasoning in seconds! With this easy Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix on hand, you’ll be prepared to make delicious Mexican-inspired meals whenever the craving strikes.

Use this homemade seasoning mix in our delicious Instant Pot Taco Chili recipe! So easy to make, and we’ve got directions for stove top and slow cooker too! Or give our easy beef taco casserole a try soon!

Why Make Your Own Seasoning

We are big Mexican food fans in my house. It’s a rare week when some kind of taco (or taco salad) doesn’t show up on the menu so we go through a LOT of taco seasoning!

I started making my own seasoning mixes years ago and I’ll never go back: homemade spice blends are so much more cost effective than the little bottles of store bought stuff.

Cost is one reason why you really should be making your own taco seasoning. Taste is another. When you make your own, you can tweak the flavors to your family’s particular liking. Make it more or less spicy, reduce the salt for a lower sodium option or play with different proportions to get your perfect blend!

And unlike most premade spice mixes from a packet or jar, homemade taco seasoning is free of additives, preservatives, fillers and sugar. This version is low carb and sugar free. It’s so quick and easy to mix together your own taco seasoning that you really can’t afford not to try it!

Add this homemade seasoning mix to our slow cooker taco meat for an easy dinner.

More Homemade Seasonings:

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients needed for homemade taco seasoning mix.

Here’s what I put in my Taco Seasoning Recipe:

Chili powder – Hotter varieties will make your seasoning spicier
Cumin
Dried minced onion – You can substitute onion powder
Paprika – Use smoked if you like a smoky flavor in your tacos
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Oregano
Red pepper flakes – Add more flakes to give your seasoning mix more heat

Recipe FAQs

How should you store homemade taco seasoning?

Keep this in a cool dry place in an airtight container. I store mine in a labeled glass jar and keep it in my spice cupboard.

How much taco seasoning do you need to make taco meat?

Start with 2 tablespoons of seasoning for every pound of taco meat and adjust from there. 2 tablespoons is equal to one store bought packet, if you want to use this in recipes that call for seasoning packets.

Is this taco seasoning mix spicy?

This blend has a slight kick if you make the recipe as written, but we don’t find it overwhelmingly spicy. The beauty of making your own blend is that you can always reduce the red pepper flakes if it’s too hot for your taste or add more if you want to make it spicier.

Homemade taco seasoning in jar with teaspoon.

Tips and Tricks

How to use taco seasoning: Along with adding this to ground beef or turkey for tacos and taco salads, you can use taco spices to add instant flavor to tons of other meals. Stir some into cooked black beans, add to tortilla soups or chilis or sprinkle onto grilled chicken.
Gift idea: A jar of homemade spice mix makes an easy personalized gift for birthdays, holidays or just to show your appreciation. Wrap your jar with a ribbon, add a label and a note with your favorite taco recipe!
Storage: While I prefer to keep mine in a jar, you can also store this in ziploc bags to save space. Just make sure they are well sealed to keep the flavors fresh.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

Yield: 11 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Stop buying store bought packets of Taco Seasoning with added sugars and fillers. This low-carb, sugar free, totally delicious Homemade Taco Seasoning adds the perfect Mexican flavor to everything from tacos to soups.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp minced onion
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

Combine seasonings in a small jar. Mix or shake until blended. Use as you would regular taco mix.

Notes

Most taco seasonings have fillers and sugars, this easy blend is delicious and low carb!
Store in airtight container in a coold, dry place.
One packet of taco seasoning is about 2 Tbsp of homemade. In a recipe, use 2 Tbsp for every pound of meat.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 11 Serving Size: 1 tsp
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 6Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Stop buying store bought packets of Taco Seasoning with added sugars and fillers. This low-carb, sugar free, totally delicious Homemade Taco Seasoning adds the perfect Mexican flavor to everything from tacos to soups.