Taco Seasoning

A staple recipe for homemade taco seasoning that’s flavorful, super easy to whip up and delicious on everything from meat and veggies to rice, salads and beans.

I always have taco seasoning on hand because I use it in so many recipes. It’s certainly convenient to pick up a packet at the store, but maybe you’ve run out or perhaps you want to know exactly what’s going into the mix. It’s time to learn how to make your own!

Luckily homemade spice blends are super simple to make and tend to be cheaper than store-bought. As an added bonus, you can control the amount of sodium and adjust the spice level to your taste.

What is Taco Seasoning?

Let’s start with the basics… taco seasoning is a savory (sometimes spicy) blend of spices that have a unique warm, spicy, smoky flavor. As the name suggests, it’s great for adding flavor to protein and veggies for tacos, but it can also be used for other recipes like soups and casseroles.

Taco seasoning mixes you can find at the store can often have quite a bit of sodium and added ingredients beyond just the spices like corn starch, flour, sugar and natural flavors.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s a staple seasoning blend to have on hand for a variety of different dishes.
• Takes just 5 minutes to make!
• It’s perfect for when you come across a recipe that calls for taco seasoning but you don’t have it on hand.
• Loaded with flavor and can easily be customized.

Ingredients Needed

Here’s the spices you’ll need to make your homemade taco seasoning. There’s a good chance you have all of these in your pantry! This blend is a tad on the spicy side. If you want it to be mild, simply omit the crushed red pepper.

• chili powder
• ground cumin
• paprika – sweet paprika or smoked paprika will work.
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• dried oregano
• crushed red pepper flakes – cayenne pepper will work if you don’t have red pepper flakes on hand.
• fine sea salt – feel free to reduce or omit the salt if needed.
• black pepper

How to Use Taco Seasoning

Taco seasoning is so versatile. This blend tastes amazing on pretty much all vegetables, any protein (including tofu, tempeh, chicken and shrimp) and a variety of different recipes like soups, casseroles, tacos, salads, etc. Here are some recipes that use taco seasoning:

• Mexican Quinoa Casserole
• Healthy Taco Salad
• Spaghetti Squash Taco Bake
• Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Casserole
• Tempeh Tacos

How Much Seasoning Equals One Packet?

A lot of recipes call for one packet of taco seasoning, which is typically 1 ounce or 3 Tablespoons. This DIY taco seasoning yields 3 Tablespoons so you can use the full amount to equal one seasoning packet. Just be mindful that some packets do contain thickening agents like flour and corn starch so you may need to add this to certain recipes to get the desired result.

How to Store

I recommend storing this taco seasoning in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Homemade seasoning should stay fresh for about 6 months, so I typically make a big batch. Then I always have it ready to go when I need it. I like to use an 8 oz mason jar with a plastic lid for storing.

More Homemade Seasonings

• Blackened Seasoning
• Thai Curry Spice Blend
• How to Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

Be sure to check out the full collection of healthy Mexican recipes on EBF!