Taco Seasoning Recipe – the best!
Homemade taco seasoning without MSG or additives. 100% natural and delicious. Make extra to keep on hand! It’s not only for tacos — you can use it in so many recipes!
I’ve made about a bazillion batches of this taco seasoning. It includes great spices like chili powder, cumin, garlic, red pepper flakes, and paprika and it’s definitely not only for tacos – keep on reading to see all the places I use it!
It is 10,000 times better than the seasoning that comes in a packet labeled “taco seasoning.” And if you’re watching your sodium intake, this is the only way to go.
Why you should make this homemade taco seasoning recipe:
I quickly searched for a popular brand of taco seasoning (most brands are similar) and found that it contains these ingredients: Yellow Corn Flour, Salt, Maltodextrin, Paprika, Spices, Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color (sulfites). Most other brands have similar ingredients.
Spices? Is it some big secret or something?
Natural flavor? Yeah, I’m sure.
Caramel color?
I think I’ll pass.
Also–I’m passing on 430 mg of sodium per serving (1/6 of the package).
PS: This is also Whole30 compliant taco seasoning and is also Paleo which is fantastic!!! It works if you’re on a keto diet, too!
Whether you make your tacos with ground beef, ground turkey, pulled chicken, ground chicken, or tofu–this spice mixture is a winner.
I also use it for fajitas and other dishes that need a quick pinch of Mexican flavor (see the end of this post for a lot of really great uses of this homemade taco seasoning!).
Make this taco seasoning your own – here are some suggestions:
- If you prefer a more mild taco seasoning, leave out the red pepper flakes.
- Like it on the hot side? Add more red pepper flakes and/or cayenne.
- Not a cumin fan? You can make this taco seasoning without cumin. It will not taste exactly like traditional tacos so I highly recommend adding the cumin. However, if you just can’t get down with it, leave it out! That’s the great thing about DIYing it. You’re the boss!
- If you want to add some smokey flavor, try adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
- Watching your salt intake? Leave it out!
Love making your own spice blends? See my whole list of homemade spice blends for inspiration! You’ll find a large batch of this seasoning, fajita seasoning, beef stew seasoning, herbes de provence, and mild curry powder.
Needed for this recipe:
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Homemade taco seasoning with no MSG or additives. 100% natural and delicious. Make extra to keep on hand!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In small bowl, mix all ingredients and store in airtight container. (Or you can mix it together in the container you are going to store it in–just give it a shake!)
- Add 1-2 tablespoons (or up to the full amount if you like it spicier) of this mixture plus 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water to one pound of cooked meat of your choice - see note about flour. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until there is very little liquid left in the pan.
- Serve with your favorite taco toppings! I recommend lots of sour cream, fresh salsa, guacamole, lettuce, cheese and tomato.
Notes
- Add a tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the pound of cooked meat to thicken up the mixture a bit.
- I recently posted a new version of this recipe that yields two cups: Large Batch Homemade Taco Seasoning.
- I’ve had some comments that this is quite spicy. If you’re not a huge spicy food fan, I’d cut down on the amount used per pound of meat — start with one tablespoon and add more to taste. Alternatively, you could leave the red pepper flakes out of the mixture for a more toned-down version of this taco seasoning.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1/4 tablespoon spice mixAmount Per Serving: Calories: 9Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 587mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Husband’s take: Hubs loves tacos. I think he could eat them every day. I’m not sure he could tell the difference between this and store-bought, but I can. And I told him it is better.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: So very easy!
I think this would make a great gift. Actually, it would be kind of fun to give it layered like sand art and the recipient could mix it up themselves. Isn’t it pretty?
UPDATE: Per reader request, I have created a recipe for a large batch of taco seasoning. I did the math for you.
UPDATE: I’ve developed a slight addiction to adding this taco seasoning to everything but the kitchen sink. If you’re looking for something outside the box, try these recipes:
Taco Chicken Tenders
Taco Turkey Burgers
Creamy Southwestern Orzo Salad
Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken for Tacos
Southwestern Homemade Flour Tacos
Southwestern Homemade Wheat Thin Crackers
Southwestern Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Bean and Cheese Taco Rolls
Southwestern Cream Cheese Tortilla Roll-ups
Southwestern Mac and Cheese with Ground Turkey
Southwestern Mini Meatloaves
Southwestern Slow Cooker Barley Casserole
Healthy Taco Meat (in 30 minutes!)
231 Comments on “Taco Seasoning Recipe – the best!”
I don’t see where the sodium content was fixed. What is the real number? Why is there any sodium in this? Not necessary.
Hi John,
This spice mix does have some salt in it since it does add critical flavor to the taco meat. Of course, you’re more than welcome to leave it out and then the sodium content would be reduced. Most chili powders have a little salt in them too, so keep that in mind.
You said up near the top, “I’ll pass on 430 mg of sodium” that you find in store bought seasoning, yet your nutrition facts says your recipe has 587 mg of sodium…..how is that better?
Hi Taylor! Thanks for pointing that out. The serving size used to calculate nutrition info was off, so it was skewing the numbers. It’s fixed now.
this is really great! I love your creative mind! Thanks for the sharing your recipe with me
Thank you! Enjoy!
I am so looking fwd to making the stew with your stew seasoning (saved on another page) & others. I’ve put together a shopping list last night, got those ingred today & low on some seasonings. I’m wondering why haven’t you included majoram in any of your seasoning mixes? Last but not least, I googled seasonings, what I read is disturbing. I read that powdered seasoning have sand, fine glass & other things that make the spice flow freely rather than get stuck at the bottom of the jar? IDK how true this is. I would also like to ask if you have a preference of ratios for making cin rolls? I like to put br sugar & pecans on the bottom of the pan, turn the rolls over & let them sit awhile so the br sugar can drip to the inside of the rolls.
I haven’t made anything yet but getting ready for winter baking & cooking. I look fwd to the spice mixes.
Thanks for the comment, Debra! I hope you love the spice mixes! I’m not an avid baker, but King Arthur Flour is one of my go-to’s when I need a baking recipe; I’d look there for cinnamon roll recipes. :)
This is very tasty. Might I suggest using some corn flour (masa harina) instead of flour or cornstarch to thicken the meat. It adds an excellent flavor.
Yes! Masa is so good with taco meat! Great recommendation. :)
Rachel, thanks for putting this concoction together and sharing it with us. It’s delicious! I also used the Mexican oregano, as ‘Mom’ (Halloween, 2011) suggested. It’s different from the oregano used in Italian dishes. Makes a difference you can really taste.For those cutting down on salt, may I suggest leaving it out of the mix and just offering a spice grinder with pink Himalayan salt instead? The grinder lets you get away with adding much less salt overall than you might otherwise, and the taste buds are satisfied because when the crystals hit the tongue–Zing! Also, tomatoes have a naturally rich sodium content; if you have a lot in your dish, you may find it’s just salty enough even without the grinder. Wish I could give you six stars!
Mom always has the best advice…so much so that she’s now an official part of the Rachel Cooks team! Great tip/suggestion about the salt! Thank you so much for the kind kind comment and the six stars ;) I really appreciate it!
What a TALENT! I will be looking forward to future recipes from this source. THANK YOU.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
This is my new favorite taco seasoning, thank you!
Oh I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
I was looking for a replacement recipe for my favorite seasoning but without all the additives. And THIS is it! Loved it! And, yes, cumin is the key in this recipe! Thank you!
SO glad you liked this one! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Perfect! Just what I was looking for. I love that it’s sans additives and no MSG.Thank you!
So glad to hear it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
I went for the big batch as I was trying this
recipe. I am glad I did. It is excellent!
I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
This is. So. Good. Thank you so so much for sharing!! I no longer buy taco packets. I love it and my family does too!!!!
I’m so glad to hear you like this recipe! It reminds me that I need to refill my jar, it’s empty! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, it means so much to me!
Some additives aren’t harmful and serve a valuable purpose in seasoning.
Have you tried this taco seasoning? You might find it delicious. I’m not sure what valuable purpose caramel color adds to seasoning…but I’m also not sure what valuable purpose your comment adds to this conversation.
Haha best response ever. You have a new follower! Will. E trying this tonight. Thanks girl!
Haha thank you so much! I hope you love the taco seasoning!
Yeah I haven’t even tried your seasoning mix yet, but I’ll be bookmarking your site just because I love your reply. Hoping to try your recipe for taco night!
Ahhh thank you so much for your support! :)
Great recipe! I will def look through these ideas on how to use it. Making burritos tonight.
Thank you! So glad you like this recipe. Burritos sound fantastic!
Nice bean and taco recipe! come with newer recipes.
Thank you!
I made this as written except with a little bit extra red pepper flakes. I also used Spanish Paprika. I added 7 tablespoons to 4 pounds of meat and it was FANTASTIC!!! Spicy with a good hint of Cumin and so much less sodium. I have been making taco salad during Super Bowl week for 18 years and this was the best ever! I will be using this from now on, and will be trying it with Chicken too! Thank you!
So happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment – it means a lot to me! Loving the idea of taco salad for Super Bowl week – yum!!
This is a great recipe! I made it exactly like the recipe the first time. Then the next batch I used some chipotle chili powder, which gave it a nice smoky flavor. I’m here today picking up the recipe for the big batch to mix up a jar to keep on hand. Thinking of lots of ways to use it. First up, I plan to mix it into some ranch dressing to spice up my salad. Tomorrow I’m using it with some leftover holiday turkey to make taco filling. The possibilities are endless. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you like this seasoning mix! Love the idea of adding it to ranch!
I need a package of taco seasoning mix and this looks really good. Can you tell me how much you would use in place of one store bought package?
About two tablespoons. But I recommend adding 1 tablespoon per one pound of meat and adding more gradually to taste. Enjoy!
This tasted great on our tacos! I left out the red pepper flakes as I am a wuss with spice. Next time I will make the big batch recipe!
So glad to hear that – I use this recipe more than any other one on my site!
Good
Thanks, Tom! Appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
This was DELICIOUS will never buy another
package in the store
YES! This made me smile. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
I made your home made taco seasoning only bc I didn’t want to go to the store. I knew I had everything I added a dash of ground jalapeño with my recipe. I made Taco soup. There isn’t any left I’m looking forward to using this taco seasoning again. I’m going to see if you have one for ranch dressing only I don’t want to put powdered buttermilk init I would use sour cream instead. Great recipe very easy taste so much better then store bought. Thank you ! Rachel
Hi Gigi! I’m so happy to hear you love this taco seasoning! I do have one for ranch dressing – it does use buttermilk, but you could leave it out and use sour cream instead. Here’s the recipe: https://www.rachelcooks.com/2017/05/10/homemade-ranch-seasoning-mix/. I hope you love it!
This taco seasoning was delicious on 1lb of ground white turkey and healthier than store bought pre-made packets. I made two batches already and can’t wait to use this seasoning again.
I’m so glad you like this recipe, Christy! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
HI, Thanks for the recipe! I think some of the extra spiciness some readers have experienced is because the term Chilli powder could refer to the store bought concoction of paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and silicon dioxide OR it could mean just dried chillies that are powdered. I think your recipe is referring to the store bought compilation of herbs and not straight chillies dried and powdered.
I love using this recipe. I make it in large batches and store it in an old taco seasoning container from when I used to buy it at Costco. :) For Christmas this year I made a large batch and put it into pint size canning jars to give as gifts. I typed up an ingredient list and directions for how to use it into a circle shape, printed the labels on sticker paper, and put a sticker onto the plastic lids Ball sells for canning jars. I gave them to the ladies in my small group, my sister-in-law, and some co-workers. A few people have asked for the recipe so I’ve sent them a link to this page. :)
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! And thank you for telling your friends and family about this recipe, it means so much to me!
Homemade Taco seasoning is the best. I make mine similar to yours +/- a few things due to my sons food allergy. Now I have to try some the recipes you’ve used it in. Looks good.
We’re a food allergy family too, so I get that! I’m so happy you found my site, thanks for commenting!
This looks like a good recipe. I did want to let you know I found one of your photos used on another website: [link removed]
Not sure what you do about that but just wanted to pass it along.
Thank you so much for letting me know! I made a decision a long time ago to not waste my time chasing down the folks that sink low enough to steal. It’s frustrating, but I don’t want to spend time or energy on it, ya know? I really do appreciate you letting me know – it means so much to me!
I substituted about 1/8 tsp of ground cayenne pepper for the chili flakes since I didn’t have the chili flakes. It had just the right amount of heat! Yummy!
So glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave your feedback!
Delicious and I cut the salt out completely. Very good if you are trying to get flavour into a diet. Does the trick.
So glad you like it!
Best ever
Thank you!
I used to make my own taco seasoning, but I “relapsed” when I received a Costco membership as a gift. They had big containers of taco seasoning and we eat a lot of tacos! I’m going to make a batch of this tonight but I’m actually going to skip the water. Just going to season the beef as it cooks! I received a HelloFresh box of tacos that had you just season the beef without adding water and they were sooooo good, so I’m trying it out my own way!
That’s what I love about this seasoning, you can adjust it to your taste — it doesn’t have a thickener in it so it would be perfect without water! Hope you enjoy!
Homemade taco seasoning is the best!
I love using it in everything from tacos to dips to dressings.
I’m not a huge fan of spicy foods. I cut down on the chili powder and that made it less spicy.
I love this idea, a taco on the go is really essencial specially to busy moms and individuals who are always on the rush. I do love mexican dishes and this will really helps me not only in tacos I think, but other recipe too, aside from the fact that it will save me time in the kitchen. Dads who are not into cooking, grab a bottle and follow instruction will really appreciate this. Thank you for sharing.
Once the seasoning is made and canned. How long can it be stored for?
It will keep as long as the individual spices in it :)
This is now the only taco seasoning i use, and i’ve sent this link to at least half a dozen people. we add a little less salt and extra red pepper flakes, but we like it spicy, too. a few weeks ago, i had run out of chili powder, so i couldn’t make a new batch (i make the large batch recipe and keep it in a tupperware container in the cabinet), so i used an old seasoning packet from the cabinet – the same stuff i’d used for years before – and i couldn’t finish my dinner. it was gross. this seasoning is SO much better than anything you can buy, and preservative free – i really love it! thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks so much for the nice comment! I haven’t gone back to the packaged seasoning since making my very first batch of the homemade stuff – it would be interesting to see how that tastes now!
Could you please tell me where I can find/how I could make, chili powder that doesn’t have yucky stuff? Mine has silicon dioxide I think it was and I can’t find any that doesn’t.
Interesting! I’ve never looked at my chili powder and am not home right now. I would think a spice retailer with quality spices (such as http://www.spiceologist.com) would carry only pure spices — try this for chili powders: http://spiceologist.com/collections/all-about-chiles-or-chilis.
Otherwise, you can grind most any dried chili to make your own chili powder using a spice grinder or mortar/pestle.
My family eats a lot of spicy foods that contain similar spices to this recipe (think authentic Indian food), so we are no strangers to the very spicy. That being said, this was so spicy as to be inedible. I love, love, love the idea of making your own taco seasoning so you don’t have to pay for artificial crap, but I will need to look elsewhere for a recipe for taco seasoning. Even toning it down some didn’t work. I even put more beef and more water than the recipe called for. It was so blistering hot that I couldn’t taste any of the spices. So disappointed!
We’re sort of wimps when it comes to spice and we LOVE this seasoning – as well as many, many people we’ve served it to. Perhaps you measured something incorrectly? I’d definitely try decreasing how much you put into one pound of ground beef if it seems too spicy for your tastes.
FABULOUS! I don’t like pre-package seasoning for the additives and the expense! Pinned this to add to the pantry. Thanks!
Hope you love it! I just made a new jar last night…we go through it like crazy. Check back tomorrow for a new use for it! :)
Going to try this tonight! It sounds like it’ll be a hit from all the comments I’ve read. Thanks for sharing. :)
I agree Rachel,Too many additives in the commercially bought taco seasoning mix. I’ve always said that when they state “natural flavor” on the ingredient list that it gives them a right to put anything in there that they consider natural. Some people consider sulphites and MSG natural. I’m with ya honey!!Thanks as I used your taco seasoning recipe for my kids tacos tonight. I just omitted the chili as I didn’t want any little noses turned up at the chef…..hehe (aka….me…..aka….mum).Stay well and yes you do take great photos!Eileen.
Absolutely love the flavor of this!! Do you have any suggestions on how to make it not so spicy? I am sweating!!! Thanks for the post though, you totally got me out of a bind tonight!!!
Absolutely! Just reduce the red pepper flakes or cut them out completely. :) Or just add less to your meat. I don’t always use 2-3 full tablespoons depending on who I’m serving it to :) Glad you liked it though!
Thanks! Will try that next time :)
So excited to try this! Our family loves tacos but I am always weary about all the salt. Thank you :)
I have recently been (secretly) trying to cut down on the sodium intake for my family and this is great! I substituted about 1/2 the salt with salt substitute and it tasted very good. I made taco salad last night and have realized that I really like salt and could taste the difference. I decided next time if I add some fire roasted tomatoes to the mix that it will not raise the overall sodium content too much and will most likely help my horrible salt craving…:)
I just mixed up the taco seasoning. Can’t believe I have been wasting my money all these years on store package seasoning. They are 90 cents a pkg, and that is only enough for 1 lb of gr. beef.Thanks
So glad you like it!
You can buy msg for less than $5 a pound, it makes all the difference and there is no reason to handicap your cooking when there has never been a study showing that it makes people feel bad or suffer any negative side effects. That aside though, the autolysed yeast extract is very good stuff and cheap while packed with vitamins and other goodies. I even put it on my popcorn instead of butter, but it still needs a bit of salt. Speaking of salt, I use msg as a salt substitute. A plate of chicken parmessan will have fare more sodium and glutamate from all the tomatoes and cheese than pure msg would add to your typical meal. I’m just tired of the bad rap it gets. Much like lard, a perfectly healthy ingredient that has been demonized by advertisers.
Back to the recipe though, great stuff, I just added the yeast and msg and it’s so much tastier and cheaper than the packets. I sometimes add a bit of cayenne for a picante batch. Good stuff.
Absolutely my favorite taco seasoning mix…….it’s all we use now :-)
Hey all, just one thing to add; as noted in her breakdown of the ingredients, most store-baught taco seasoning mix contains a starch to help thicken and hold the final seasoned taco meat together in the taco shell. I would add a full Tablespoon of cornstarch to this wonderful recipe. This will combine with the oil from the meat to make a roux to help thicken the final taco meat after the water is added. So good!
Yes! Great advice. Some times I use all-purpose flour as well to thicken a bit.
This is the BEST taco seasoning I have ever used. I will never used anything else again. Thanks for this recipe!
So glad you like it! Thanks for the comment :)
Great idea! Thanks so much for posting :)
We have a paprika allergy in the house…. I know weird. So I’m wondering if eliminating the paprika will change it much or if you can think of a replacement.
Any ideas?
Hmm — the taste won’t be identical, but you could try adding in more chili powder or another mild chile powder (ancho), or maybe tomato powder or paste (the paste you’d have to add in during cooking, obviously…not into the seasoning mix). The tomato will help with the color but won’t replicate the flavor of paprika, but the bulk of the flavor of this spice comes from the cumin and chili powder so you should be okay! You could probably leave it out all together and it would still taste great. Hope that helps. Enjoy!
My sister found this pinned on Pinterest and she sent it to me. I’m definitely going to try this! I have really acute reactions to Mono-sodium Glutamate and have a hard time finding packaged taco seasoning that doesn’t have this in it. Thanks for an additive-free seasoning that I can really use!!
Jennifer in GA
Found your recipe on Pinterest. So glad I did. We used it tonight on our tacos and all of us loved it much more than our traditional Lawrys taco seasoning. I pinned your updated recipe for larger batch and added some of the larger ingredients to my shopping list. I will not buy taco seasoning anymore. Thank you, thank you.
Thanks Cathy! One of my favorite recipes as well. :)
Tonight I am baking a taco casserole. I searched the web looking for “best store bought taco seasoning” and you’re blog post came up. Great thing about your recipe is most of the ingredients can be found right in your cabinet! Thanks to you I was able to make homemade seasoning that will last for awhile. We will be taste testing the finishing product tonight! I will write another comment once we try it out.
Great! Hope you love it. It is one of our favorites.
I have been wanting to try making my own taco seasoning for awhile. My fiancé and I finally tried this and we were both so happy with the turnout! We are going to be using this from now on, instead of buying premade packets. Thank you so much for sharing!
So glad you liked it, Debbie!
Found this through Pinterest and made it last night. It was great! I had to substitute some cayenne pepper since I was out of red pepper flakes but we like spicy so it was ok :-) I used the tomato sauce/water idea I saw in someone’s comments and the whole thing turned out perfectly. My 10 yr old loved it and my boyfriend (who doesn’t like tomatoes and isn’t even a huge fan of tacos) even said it was good. Thanks for the recipe! I’d tried some other homemade taco seasoning recipes before and not had quite the same luck. Think I’ll be keeping this one!
Glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know!
I would love to blog your recipe on our site and make a printable label for the jar. I was thinking we could link to each others’ posts. Thoughts?
Hi Tasha! I sent you an email :)
Just have to share that I make a very similar taco seasoning mix but I also add a little corn starch to help thicken up the taco “juices” just a tad. My tacos have become famous by using this recipe mixed into one pound of ground beef as well as one package of chorizo (I think it’s just under a pound in weight). The kids and all their friends are constantly begging for me to make them. :)
Sounds perfect!
Do you think this seasoning will work as a potato wedge seasoning? I used to buy Old El Paso wedge mix, but it seems to have disappeared off the shelves here!
I think that would be delicious! They would definitely have a southwestern flair–I’m not sure what is in the wedge mix that you use. I think it would be great though.
Before you brown off meat try chopping up one onion(sweet red work well) and chopped garlic, sauté with one can of Hunts diced tomatoes and 1/3 of spice mix. When onions are translucent, pour into bowl. Then use seasoned pan and brown off meat. And rest of spice and sautéed ingredient e. final touch, add two ounces of tequila, light it for flambé . This will give your recipe more depth with layering your meat mixture.
Have a great Cinco de Mayo!
Sounds great!
Thank you SO much for this! I hate buying taco seasoning from the store — I’m not a very big fan of onions and the little onion chunks in some of them. I can’t wait to try this!
You’re welcome! Hope you love it! We do!
How do you sub this in a recipe that calls for the packet?
I would do it based on how much meat the recipe calls for. Use 2-3 Tablespoons of this per pound of meat, depending on how spicy you like it.
I just bought a big container of dried onion flakes at Costco, could I use that in place of the onion powder?? Thanks !!
I think that would work great!
Everyone writes about how good this recipe looks but I actually just made it with turkey tacos and it was absolutely amazing. I will never use packaged taco seasoning again
So glad you liked it!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I have been using the Neuva Cocina Taco Fresco seasoning sachet which tastes great with Turkey. And is relatively healthier then other brands (no msg and I think they have made it lower in sodium) but I am eager to try your recipe. Thanks again.
I’ve always spiced up my taco meat from scratch – this is pretty close to what I do – it’s only missing a can of tomato sauce and I love to add a squirt of tomato paste. If you do this you can reduce water to just a 1/4 cup. That gives it a rich layer of flavor.
Great idea!
If I don’t have ground cumin, what can I use otherwise?
Hi Bambi! This seasoning will taste drastically different with any substitution for the cumin. Maybe coriander or smoked paprika, but I really would recommend running out to the store for the cumin! It’s important to the taste of this mix. :)
Thanks a bunch!!
I’ve made this three times now and it is fabulous; the flavors are so nicely complementary. We’ve used it to make tacos, chimichangas and even Welsh pasties. We were so fed up with all of the super high sodium mixes, which seemed to be the only options at the grocer, that we were at wits end. Thank you so much for this!
So glad you like it! It is one of our favorites as well.
I was gearing up to make taco meat for the new taco shell bowls I made (thanks As-Seen-On-TV Shelf at Walmart!), when I realized that after a $400 grocery store trip, I didn’t have taco seasoning! No way I was going back to the store! I came upon your recipe and gave it a try. I was only missing a few ingredients: onion powder, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. I was only able to sub in ground red pepper. And you know what? It still came out great! I know when I have all the ingredients and add the corn starch or corn flour for thickening it will far outshine the store packets. Thanks!!
So glad you liked it, Danielle!
Rachel, this is excellent!! The flavors are perfect. We just had taco night and it’ll be our new go-to taco seasoning. Thanks for the great recipe! xo
I have all of these spices on hand already! Yeah!
Way too spicy for my 7 and 4 year old, but my husband and I loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
This was fantastic, had a great “Kick” to it! Thanks for sharing!
You asked the question “spices?…is it some kind of secret?” I have read recently that in the ingredient “spices” is MSG.
Thank you for sharing this seasoning. I would be interested in others that are low in sodium.
This is all I use for tacos now…it’s a delicious blend and so much healthier than the store brands. Thank you for sharing this!
So glad you like it, Alexis! We go through a ton of it too.
I didn’t read all the comments but this recipe doesn’t seem to make enough for 3 T. much less enough to have to store it. Am I reading something wrong here????
This recipe makes enough for one pound of meat, but I usually quadruple the recipe to store for future use. Sometimes I use less of the spice too, depending on who I am cooking for.
If you read the recipe you can see that the ingredients add up to 3 Tablespoons plus 1.5-2 teaspoons depending on how much salt you add. That said, when I make it, I always add extra cumin just because I like it.
Haven’t tried this yet, but I will. Why does the main photo of the jar of spices list the recipe with Tablespoons of every spice and the actual recipe list the ingredients as mostly 1/4 teaspoons of spices?
Hi Connie,
Follow the measurements listed in the recipe to make the spice mix. You then use 2.5 to 3 tablespoons of the mix per pound of meat.
This looks great, but I’ve recently found out that I have an allergy to cumin and chili powder (two spices that I love!). Any suggestions on replacing them with a different spice? Thanks!
Oh Melaney, what horrible things to be allergic to! I’m so sorry! Unfortunately, without those two spices, the taco seasoning will be drastically different. With that being said — I did consult some other food bloggers and here are some of our ideas for you: using coriander instead of cumin, adding spices such as smoked paprika or small amounts of cayenne. One blogger mentioned this: Depending on what you’re allergic to in chili powder (which is a blend) you could try a straight chile powder, like ancho. Another great way to flavor a taco is with fresh cilantro and lime. Or you could marinate your meat in garlic, lime, olive oil and salt and pepper.
So that’s that! Hope it helps. Please be careful, as your allergies are unique and I wouldn’t want you to have any adverse reactions to any of the things I mentioned. You might want to check with your allergist first! Good luck!
I will be making this tonight. Im trying something new this year where I make my own foods, after watching a horrible film on our food, where it comes from, what’s put into it etc. thanks to facebook! lol. This year I’m going to grow a garden (first time so excited) and start canning, making my own spices and everything! Thanks for sharing! And I agree, I can’t stand going back and looking at my old photos to now, i just want to cry! But great photos! Love them!
Fun! I want a garden but we live in a condo. Some day! But I have a black thumb…
Just made this. The only thing I think could be improved is if you scaled it for a whole jar. I tripled it and it is about half a jar. We made tacos a lot so making a whole jar once every month or two sounds great
Great idea! I always at least triple the batch when I make it too. I use in a lot of other stuff too, not just tacos. I’ll work on scaling the measurements!
Hi Tracy–took your suggestion and ran with it. Today I posted a re-work of the recipe that yields about two cups of the seasoning. :) Here is the link: https://www.rachelcooks.com/2013/03/25/homemade-taco-seasoning-large-batch/
Thank you !
This recipe is SO good. I love that it has a little kick to it. It is way better than those packets! Never buying those again! Thanks so much for sharing!
2nd comment ;)
To use with deer : Entire recipe + 1c water + 1.5 lbs veniso
(an
And it is delicious!!
I shared your recipe on my blog after finding out my store bought mix contains cocoa powder :(
You are officially a global site now :)
Huggles from Holland
Jacquie
Hi there,
I found your blog using google. I bought a store pack and figured i could probably make this myself to make it healthier. My store pack contains weird stuff like…cocoapowder not to mention the dextrose and lemonacid.
I am going to spread your recipe on my blog …..so i guess you are going global hahahaha
Huggles from Holland :)
Jacquie
Just a dash of corn starch works very well with this to thicken it up I make a very similiar recipe and I also add a tsp. sugar. : )
Great idea!
I make my own taco seasoning as well, have for years, because I have a child who was born allergic to wheat. Instead of adding water to the seasoning and meat, add 1 small can of tomato sauce/passata (per pound) as a way to sneak in extra veggies.
Great idea, Nikki!
I always say that stuff about labeling everything “I get it from my dad too” lol very funny..I’m going to try it too.
My two year old loves spicy food. I do not. In fact, after discovering how much she liked it (at her first birthday), I add crushed red pepper flakes to new meals, so I know she will try them.
Ps. Theres tons of cute, printable, free, labels for canning jars, on Pinterest.
Good tip about the labels!
Wonderful Idea! I would be so excited to receive this as a gift!!
It would make a terrific gift!
Yummy! I think I’m going to sub some chipotle chili powder for the red pepper flakes and part of the regular chili powder. It has a delicious smoky, spicy kick.
Great idea!
Made this last week with lean beef and it was amazing!! I had 2 pounds of meat so I dumped the entire mixture in, perfect! Thank you so much for posting this :)
So glad you liked it, Lauren!
I’m SO happy to find this. I just found a new recipe that called for a packet of taco seasoning and started to buy some at the store today but rejected it after reading the ingredients! I really try to avoid anything with MSG and the word “spices” is often a cover for that. I love making my own combos using organic spices and a good quality sea salt. Thanks!
Thanks! Enjoy!
Don’t hesitate to give your youngster the foods you eat…spicy and all. (obviously nothing way, way too hot- common sense still applies) Give her a variety of things to eat. You want her to develop a taste for the things you normally cook, you don’t want to become a short order cook for a child! My middle child refused baby food, we just fixed her whatever we were eating in either very small bites or smashed up when we could. She eats everything now. Is not picky in the least.
Oh for sure–my daughter eats everything. I think she likes spicy food more than I do!
Can this be used in the crock pot? I made tacos this week with turkey and that dreaded store bought crap and it wasn’t that great.
Absolutely! I just made a huge batch of chicken in the crockpot for tacos using this seasoning.
Your taco seasoning recipe is delicious! I will definitely use it again. My family enjoys tacos, always prepared with venison, since my guys like to hunt. Thanks for sharing! Great job on the blog!
Thank you, Ashley! I’ve never had venison. I hope I don’t get kicked out of Michigan for that. ;)
I’ve been making my own taco seasoning ever since my son was diagnosed with a kidney disease. He has to be on a low sodium diet, which means no more taco seasoning packets for us! This is a great recipe, but I still reduce the salt in this recipe. As is, this recipe puts about 2,300+ mg of sodium into 1 lb of ground beef so it’s really not any better than the store packets in that regard. Just thought I’d mention that since you mentioned the high sodium in the packets being one of the reasons you switched over to making your own. Regardless, it’s still better than the store bought variety!
Hi Melanie, thank you for reading my blog! I’m sorry to hear that your son has a kidney disease, I can imagine that is stressful and difficult. Typically, I use the lesser amount of salt but the really great thing about this recipe is that if you wanted to, you could leave the salt out all together which would be a good idea, as you pointed out, if you really needed to cut down on sodium.
Doesn’t the corn flour in the store-bought serve a purpose? Besides a little flavor I’m sure it’s there as a thickener to help hold the wet meat together and it would take less simmering time to cook down the water you add. thanks!
Yes! It does do that. But we like it fine without. Corn flour isn’t something I typically have in the house, so I left it out. What I like about this seasoning is that I can always make it with ingredients I have available. You could definitely add some corn flour if you wanted a texture more like store-bought seasoning.
Made this recipe this evening. Delicious. I will make more of this seasoning. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I just refilled my jar of it this week :)
Going to try this tonight to see how it does. With taco seasoning going for a hefty $2.00 a packet and my already having these spices in my pantry, this becomes a no brainer. Will try tonight and let you know what happens.
My boyfriend and I make extra lean turkey tacos at least once a week (and it takes us two days to eat a batch). This seasoning is awesome! I just made a big batch and we love how spicy it is. Thanks Rachel!
So glad you like it, Monica! We go through it really quickly too–mostly for turkey tacos as well! :) Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hi Rachel,
Wonderful recipe.
If you wanted to make
a jarfull for frequent use
could you just increase all
ingredients by 6-7 times?
I wasn’t sure whether increasing some ingerdients
might overwhelm the rest?
Thanks very much
Richard
I often do this! As long as you keep the ratios the same, it works out great!
Hi Rachel… I know this is about a year late, but YES!!! Don’t be scared to give your lo spice. You could even reserve some and add half the amount of spice to it if it makes you nervous. My 14mo old son eats everything we do… at least a sampling of it. I think it’ll make him a much more adventurous eater later.
PS… thanks for the recipe! We eat tacos at least once a week and I hate, hate, hate the ingredient list on those packets!
Thanks! Obviously the food we give her has changed a lot since that post, she is given whatever we are having these days. Glad you like the recipe!
After making several single batches of this and always running out (my family eats ALOT of tacos!!) I decided to just make this x10! My daughter who is not even two even loves this! I would definitely try giving it to your daughter, just make sure she has milk to cool her little tongue if it is too spicy ;)
Thank you! My daughter eats it all the time now–that was an older post where she had just turned one :)
I will never buy taco seasoning in a packet again after i made this recipe. Delicious
Wow! Thanks so much, you made my day!
just found your webb not a computer person, but found what i wanted from Racheal ray she’s great
This is one awesome blog post.Really looking forward to read more. Really Cool.
Oh yay! So happy I found this! I love making my own whenever possible because I hate buying things that have ingredients that I’ve never heard of! Thanks so much for this :)
Enjoy! It is something that I always have to have on hand :)
Is that 1 & 1/2 tsp cumin. I just want to make sure I am reading that correctly, I have bever seen someone write it as 1.5 tsp in a recipe.
Yup, 1 and a half teaspoons of cumin.
JUST USED IT FOR 3 LBS OF TURKEY, ROCKIN GOOD! THANKS!!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know!
Love this! Re-blogged and linked you!
Thank you! My son has requested “walking tacos” for his graduation reception and I was wondering if I could make some kind of homemade taco seasoning for 40 pounds of hamburger! This should do the trick… now I just have to figure out the math to make it for that much hamburger, LOL!
That is quite an undertaking! Good luck and let me know how it goes! I usually double the batch and probably get 4 (?) pounds of meat from it…going a little light on it, maybe 1-2 tablespoons. So…maybe start by multiplying the recipe by 10? Unless you like it spicier–then you’ll want to do more. You better go to Costco ;) Let me know how it goes!
OMG! Loving this article!
Took me a little longer than expected to get around to making this, but so glad we finally did. Super tasty and so much better than the packaged seasoning (that contains stuff I can’t even pronounce). We mixed this with ground turkey for taco salads. Great!
Yay! Glad you liked it, Chris!
So I JUST got around to making this… DELICIOUS. Easily the best tacos I’ve made. I found that the recipe is just the right amount for a package of ground turkey… keeper
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know. I’m glad you loved it!
This is perfect timing! It’s summer here in Australia and we’re firing up the barbeque – this seasoning would be perfect for it. Thanks for sharing and I cannot wait to try it out.
I’m going to try this out today. We do tacos almost weekly, and I make my own seasoning b/c we’ve got gluten allergies in the family (most store bought packages have wheat in them). We use TVP instead of meat for our tacos–and you can’t tell a difference. Thanks for sharing!
this is inspiring. haha this could make for a good christmas gift :))
I will add this to my list of gifts to give along with your Pumpkin Pie Spice. Thanks again for sharing.
I’ve done this for years–once I discovered the great taste of cumin, which totally makes the mix. So much better than the packets! I actually never make an actual mix, just add a little bit of this and a little bit of that and simmer away. I like your idea of making the mix and you have a great combination of spices. I’m definitely going to try this one. Penzey’s has a great Mexican oregano that would taste great in this.
Ole!
Love these! They would be such a great gift. I’ll definitely try this next time I make tacos.
Great idea on making your own taco seasoning! You are right – who wants to eat all those chemicals in the store-bought spice mixes!
Oh i can’t tell you how many times I end up having to make my own taco seasoning and each time i tell myself to do this ahead of time to just have on hand. I always forget and have to mix it up real fast. The store-bought version is nothing compared to this! Love it
I can’t wait to try this one!
I make one myself that I’m honestly not that thrilled with, so I’m going to print out your recipe and give it a try! :-D
This looks great! I love making my own spice blends. So easy and way more delicious!
This is the same recipe I use! I haven’t bought taco seasoning in like 2 years because I’ve been making it from scratch! This is so much better!
I love the pictures! Especially all the layers in this one. Reminds me of making sand crafts when I was a kid. :) Great idea by the way!
I need to make my own taco seasoning soon! So easy, and so good! Great pictures!
I make my own Taco seasoning as well. Why buy it and eat all those ‘natural’ ingredients when you can whip it up at home and know exactly what you’re eating?!?
Thank you for sharing your taco seasoning, sounds great for tacos!
Nice taco seasoning. I am also a fan of taco recipes. Keep up the good work.
Love tacos so I really need to get around to making my own spice mix. Thanks for the reminder! :)
Awesome! I’ve got all these ingredients in my pantry, I’m going to use this next time we make tacos (Which is almost every week, hah
Thank you soooo much for this recipe. I love tacos and would love to make my own taco seasoning. :)
So awesome! (I saw this on twitter) And what a fun project. That would be a great stocking gift for the foodies in our lives. :) Well done!
PS I’m having my first ever giveaway today. Come check it out! :)
LOVE this idea! :)