Quick homemade taco seasoning loaded with chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano. This perfectly balanced taco seasoning mix makes the BEST seasoning for tacos, burritos, chicken, and much more!
Taco Tuesdays just got a whole lot better! Homemade taco seasoning is a MUST in my pantry. I used to go through packs of taco seasoning every week but why use the packaged stuff when you can make your own? Don’t get me wrong, store-bought taco packets are very convenient and taste so good but are loaded with a whole bunch of fillers and ingredients we can’t even pronounce.
This quick DIY homemade version tastes even better and will save you a lot of time and money. You can mix a big batch and store it in a large mason jar or just mix a 2 tablespoon version to make the equivalent of one taco mix packet.
Homemade DIY Taco Seasoning: What you will Need
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried onion
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
Add all the spices to a mason jar. Cover tightly and shake! Enjoy on chicken, shrimp, or beef!
Tip: 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning is equivalent to 1 packet of store-bought taco seasoning.
The BEST Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon minced onion (dried), optional
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon corn starch, optional
Instructions
- Add all the spices to a mason jar or large zip-seal bag. Close and shake until fully combined.
Notes
Thank you🌻
This is great!
Hi I love this idea but wondering what size mason jar does this fill pease?
Made this 3 times now, multiplied the recipe by 16 to make enough to share (makes just over 7 cups). I’ve made bottles of this spice mix to give as gifts at Christmas and everyone loved it! I use this spice mix on almost everything – hamburgers, soups, stews, casseroles… I sprinkle it on chicken, fish, pork… almost anything. My spaghetti wouldn’t be the same without it! It’s just a great combination of spices that elevate every dish I use it in. Highly recommend! Keep it in a mason jar to keep it fresh.
How long will the seasoning mix stay “fresh” or “good” for? Thanks!
up to 6 months!
What extra can I add if I want it hot instead of mild.
Cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes!
For a kick, use Spanish Blend Chili Powder!
What does the cornstarch do?
Acts as a thickening agent and absorbs the liquid in the meat
So simple and easy!! Love it and so did My Family
Where is the “button above” for the amounts needed for one serving of this recipe?
Hover your mouse over where it says servings 4. A bar should come up, move the bar to the left, and it will take it down to enough for one serving. Hope that helps.
It’s next to the servings you can toggle it left or right to adjust the servings the recipe makes!
I made Taco Soup for supper last night and realized that I had forgot to buy a taco seasoning packet. You came to the rescue!! I love this seasoning recipe. I made a small mason jar full and should be good for seasoning for a year! LOL Thank you for such a perfect recipe. I think it’s better than the store bought!
well i accidentally put in one TBS of garlic powder not one tsp is this gonna ruin it?
help! sincerely an idiot
You should be okay!!
Recipe says 1 Tablespoon salt. If all other ingredients were measured accurately you’re set.
Great taco seasoning very quick and easy to make. We had beef burritos with this seasoning. Very good!
How long will this keep?
One question: did you use cumin seed? or cumin powder? or roasted cumin powder??
Thank you.
I used seed ground in a spice grinder.
I making my own cumin powder at home by blending fresh cumin seeds.
Wow!! I had always tried to make my own seasoning from reason the ingredients of packets I used to use, never came out that great. I eyeballed all measurements using all the ingredients you listed and !!! Super on point!! Glad I found something where I am not missing taco seasoning packets! Who needs them all the extra fillers and added preservatives when you can make a better one at home! Thanks!
Great recipe! Made it tonight, loved it! My only substitution, instead of salt, I used 1 Tbsp of Adobe .. no more store bought for us!
Thank you!!! We used this recipe last night and it was so yummy 😋 way more flavour than store bought.
It’s unfortunate that you keep getting comments about the salt because people aren’t reading the recipe properly but we think it was perfectly balanced.
This was the first homemade recipe I tried so I’m so glad I’ve found it. I think now I’ve convinced my boyfriend to eat the home made version instead of the store bought one he loved so much.
That’s great to hear, Rebekah!!
hi, what about the salt? I haven’t seen comments and planning on making tonight
The mixture makes for several batches. You only need 2 T of the mixture for 1 lb of hamburger.
This is my go too recipe!
I didn’t notice the part where it said 2 tablespoons of the mixture is one taco packets worth of seasoning so I used the entire amount in my tacos tonight. Needless to say, my partner and I are now suffering. I’m sure if we used the proper amount it would have been amazing though 😂
I need to update the recipe to make just 1 serving because this has happened to a few people as well!
I used this recipe for taco seasoning last night when I realized I didn’t have any more Frontera beef seasoning packs in my pantry. I added a bit of cayenne for a little kick, added some beef broth to the ground beef and thickened with organic tomato sauce. My family said it was the best they’ve ever had and I should make tacos this way from now on! Thank you for this recipe…it kept me from running to the store when I was late with dinner prep to start.
This may be an old post but, I wanted to say, thank you for sharing your recipe. Your ratios were on point! I also added a teaspoon each of dried cilantro, and dried Mexican oregano. Used it to make Vegan taco salads using Impossible Burger Plant Based product.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
How much water do you add for every 2 table spoons of seasoning
You add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water plus 2 T of the taco mix.
The recipe is awesome if u do a tablespoon of salt you’ll definitely want sour cream, i cooked the meat in the seasoning then drained added water and a little more seasoning mostly for color I did less meat on the taco more veggies. My family loved them…will be making my own seasoning from now on
I love this recipe! I use it to make my own vegan ground beef substitute by combining with drained tofu, crumbled, and drying it in my air fryer. I’m saving a ton of money vs buying meat substitute and even my carnivore friends have loved chili and burritos and thought it was meat!
This is the best! Just what I want for my tacos!!
Confused. 2 Tbls equivalent to 1 taco packet but says one serving. Taco package says 6 servings or 12 tacos
You only need 2 T of the mixture plus 1/4 – 1/2 c of water.
Wish I had read the comments beforehand, already put in too much salt 🙄
Yes, ONE Teaspoon of salt for this recipe!
Someone needs to update this recipe so people don’t get sick.
The salt is for the entire batch of taco seasoning which makes the equivalent of about 4 packs of taco seasoning.
Loved this recipe & salt was good for us. I doubled all the ingredients & ended up doubling the amount I used in my ground beef, I also added 1/2 tsp of cayenne for a little more spice. I’m making my own taco seasoning from now on!
Thanks for the feedback!
Excellent taco seasoning recipe! I didn’t have paprika on hand but had cayenne so substituted that and used less salt! Nice to have a batch ready for next time! (I made chicken tacos and added roasted corn and salsa to the gr chicken!) I’m glad I didn’t have the seasoning packet! (I thought I bought the kit!?)
I didn’t have cumin so I substituted it wit h curry
How much water do you add for 2 table spoons of seasoning
1/4 cup should be enough but it would ultimately depend on the recipe you’re making.
Wish I had seen your post before I just made mine! Yikes – gonna need a lot of sour cream!
How long will this keep for? Thanks
Delicious! I used lite salt and felt it was still a little salty, so I’m going to use less next time. We don’t use that much salt in our cooking. Browned and drained the meat, added spices and 1/4 cup of water. Cooked on low for about eight minutes and it was perfect.
Tastes a lot better than pre-packaged seasoning. Loved it!
Is this really spicy? Mild?
It’s mild but a little on the spicy side.
Great recipe. Made a few changes. Less salt and added some turmeric. Family loved the tacos on Taco Tuesday.
This is very good and it taste better than the store bought mix. Thank you for posting this recipe.
How long does this last?
i was so amazed with this seasoning
a coworker gave me a taco 1 day at work i was amazed at how great it was
when asking him what seasoning packet he used, he said him and his wife made it homemade
gave me the recipe
i will never buy packets again
so much flavor
i myself did not use the cornstarch as it said its optional
I have many kinds of chili seasoning-what’s your favorite to use for taco meat? Dark, ancho, chipotle? Others?
I personally always go for ancho, or with a blend of ancho, serrano and poblano, as I feel chipotle has so much of its own flavor. If that’s what your into for the dish your making, then absolutely go for it! But ancho or ancho/poblano mix makes a great taco seasoning.
Just my 2 cents!
I added freshly ground coriander seeds x 2 table spoons and instead of chilli powder I added 6 freshly ground dried peppers as well as a pinch of brown sugar. It makes for a sweeter and spicier seasoning
Are used a mixture of ancho and Chipotle chili powder’s and this was a great seasoning mix
Do you use water
Absolutely amazing
two TBSP equals 1 packet. Do you also add water? if so how much? love your site bye the way! Thank you
Thanks so much, Floria! Yes, 1 packet of taco seasoning is about 2 tablespoons. Do you mean add water to the dish? I guess that would depend on the dish you’re making. For ground beef, I add 1/4 cup for every pound of beef.
Could you Substitute onion powder for dried onion and if so how much do you think I could use
Yes, feel free to go ahead and substitute using a 1:1 ratio.
Justctrid this recipe using the 1 tsp salt. It was perfect. We made taco pizzas the the meat. VERY TASTY!
This is the best taco seasoning recipe that I’ve ever used. I will be using this all the TIME now.
How much seasoning w shrimp?
Do i add water to seasoning w beef?
The seasoning would depend on the recipe you’re making and the volume of the shrimp. Yes, I would add 1/4 cup of water to a pound of beef.
WE HAVE MADE THIS WE ARE RUNNING LOW SO OFF TO SAM’S CLUB!!! THANK YOU IT REALLY IS AWESOME!!!
Better than the store bought stuff and so easy to make. It’s excellent
Way too much salt!!!!
This is a complete seasoning mix so no extra salt needed.
You are only to use 2 T of the mixture plus 1/4 – 1/2 c water for 1 lb of hamburger.
I’ve been looking for a good home made taco seasoning for years. i don’t exactly love most of the store bought packets except for Chi Chi’s here in Mn. This mix is what I’ve been looking for and my family loves it!. Instead of 2 Tbls chili powder, i use 1.5 tbls chili powder and .5 tbls chipotle chili powder. I also add 2 cubes of cilantro bullion powder and cut the salt in half. I also add a tsp celery seed. It really is fantastic!
thank you
The first time i made this, i used it in everything from black beans to tortilla soup! I came back to print the recipe out so i have it handy. best seasoning i have found!
I know this might be frowned upon, but I add a bit of tomato puree to it while it’s reducing down. Test tonight on the recipe as some idiot (Me) grabbed a store fajita seasoning not taco mix. Let’s see if girlfriend can tell.
My family and I truly enjoyed this. Easy to Makeand I had all the ingredients. This tasted better than store-bought. I am making more!! Thank you!
Yass! So much better than store-bought! Enjoy 🙂
What does the cornstarch do? I know it says it is options, but would you recommend that it’s better with it rather than without?
It’s mostly used as a filler by companies but I find it helps the meat develop a crust and helps the spices stick to the meat. You can do without or without it in terms of flavor though!
WhaT PUrpose does the corn starch serve in this recipe?
The corn starch makes the crust light and crispy. It’s optional but highly recommend!
This is a great basic recipe. This time i used 2 Tbls of chipotle
Chili powder in place of plain chili powder. I used 3 tbls of the seasoning mix, 1 poUnd ground turkey, 1/2 Onion, 1/2 red bell pepper, and 1/2 cup water to make taco Filing.
Discovered this recipe a few months back. it is now the only taco seasoning this family uses; we LOVE IT!! tacos, burritos, nachos, the whole enchilada!! Thank you for this recipe. it is a game changer. no more prepackaged store bought envelopes!
I used this for the first time tonight and my husband said to never use anything else. The flavor was amazing.
I used this taco SEASONING in a chili taco soup and It was wonderful. I used ITALIAN seasoning instead of OREGANO, and I used a little bit of seasoned slat for salt. I OMITTED the minced onion and the cornstarch. It was much better then the STORE BROUGHT stuff.
just made this its amazing
This Looks wonderful but how do you use it?
I use two tablespoons of the seasoning mix in a pound of browned ground chuck. Add about a half cup of water. Simmer until slightly thickened (that’s the reason for the corn starch). To make soft tacos, I put a couple tablespoons of seasoned meat in a soft tortilla, fold it over, and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Put in a 350-degree preheated oven for 20 minutes. Yummy!
Homemake taco seasoning iN last longer can be us???
For about 6 months in an air tight container stored with your other spices.
This is a great recipe! I use onoin po instead of drIed onions i omit the orEgano and Use white pepper insted of black pepper! Yummy
so good!
This recIpe makes up to 5 pOunds of meat, to make 1 pound, ise the RECIPE aboVe and Use only about 1/4 of each MEASUREMENT it calls for.
Great stuff Right there
This recipe is the ONLY Taco seasoning i prefer to use. Have had MORE compliments on it and they are floored when i tell thEm this is home made.
Just made this it wAs wond on our taco
I added cyan pepper to mine and only half tsp salt turned out great
This is an excellent recipe! I didn’t use the cornstarch because my kids count macros for everything and I don’t need the extra carbs, every though it’s minimal per serving. It made an excellent seasoning for their dishes… And mine. I added it to some bad salsa I bought recently and made it palatable.
found this when I realized I didnt have taco seasoning. Super tasty! I doubled the garlic powder because thats how i Like it. I’ll probably use this from now on.
Started keto, there was msg in my taco mix, that raises blood sugar by alot. Made this!!! Thank y! Tastes great!!!! No added ingr i cant prono!!!
since i staRted making This… i am never going back tO packageD taco SEASONING.. so DELICIOUS and no added sugArs
I came home from the store intending to make tacos only to find that I was out of seasoning packets. refusing to go back out to the store, i went online to search for a recipe and came across this one. Best tasting tacos ever…even though I didn’t have minced onion and used onion powder instead. going to keep this recipe on repeat to use in the future!
i bought tacos from a local mexican restaurant last night. They had so flavor. We mixed up your taco season recipe and added to the tacos now they taste thEY ARE THE best tacos ever!!!
THIS IS SUCH A SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL BLEND! i WHIPPED UP A BATCH AND KEEP SOME HANDY IN A SHAKER JAR. oUTSTANDING ON POPCORN.
The recipe says serves 4 but it means it makes A large baTch for a mason jar, You must have used the whole recipe for 1 serving??
Just to CLARIFY, this should be Two tablespoons of the mix per 1-2lbs of ground beef.
One packet of seasoning in the store is two tablespoons.
Sounds great and beats the packaged kind that has a lot of fillers and dextrose.
I made this last night – it created the best tacos for cinqo de mayo!! Fast, easy, terrific!
** Did not use the corn starch – and used it with veggie crumbles – Yum!
EXCELLENT! i MADE IT WITHOUT THE CORN STARCH. wE ALL LOVED IT.
What is the definition of a serving in this recipe as far as the ground beef is concerned? Is a serving 1 lb of ground beef – or less – or more?
if i’m reading this recipe correctly, the 4 servings it mentions means that you’re making the equivalent of 4 store bought packages of taco seasoning. If you read the directions on the back of any of those packages. They all say 1 package is good for 1 lb of ground beef or whatever meat you choose to use. I’m looking at a Walmart brand of taco seasoning right now; it says brown the 1 lb of ground beef in a skillet, then drain. It then says stir in 1/2 cup of water and the seasoning mix. it then tells you to simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring often, until thickened. These are the instructions for 1 packet of seasoning mix, so to answer your question, the definition of a serving is 1 lb of ground beef, pork, turkey, vegi crumbles, etc.
I make something similar. Here are my changes: no salt, 2 tsp of smoked paprika, 1.5 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp chili flakes, extra minced onion (cause I love it). I haven’t used flour or CORNSTARCH so that will Be a new experience. I also only use a tbsp per pound of meat, u find that It is more than adequate. Cause after adding salsa, hot sauce, etc, 2 tbsp would be too much spice.
Necessity is the mother of good recipes! Thank goodness for this recipe! We had our Tastebuds set on taco salad & had no seasoning. I found this recipe & it saved the day even without the mInced onions (that i didnt have!). Delicious! No more store bought!! Thanks So much!!
Also, i use 2 lbs of ground turkey meat so should i use 4 TABLESPOONS of mixture?
I just made this but the color of yours and mine are different. Yours is more red and mine is more brown. i checked the ingredients and i put in the correct amounts.
I’ve noticed that chili powder can range in color… maybe it had some to do with using a different brand of chili powder.
what PROPORTIONS do you need for a small mason jar?
Hi, how long can we keep this refrigerated?
In my Teen children’s words, this was LEGIT! I used smoked paprika for a little twist. I might use chipotle seasoning next time and see what happens.
Very GOOD. used not quite a full tablespoon of salt. i TRIEd this because I Was out Of the packets and had everything else ready. I’m glad I was out. This had a better flavor than the premade seasonings.
Excellent
What is the corn starch for?
The cornstarch is optional but it does help the spices stick to the meat and form a nice and charred crust. It also prevents the spices from caking together if you don’t use the mixture immediately.
To thicken when added to the meat.
This is a great starter recipe for home made taco seasoning mix. I made it exactly as described and it is delicious. It is really easy to add spice (or delete the salt!) if you want or dried onion; i will keep a jar of thiS in the cuPbOard.
Very good recipe, I didn’t have corn starch so for a thickener I added 6 tablespoons of flour and increased my usage to 4 tablespoons per pound of meat. You also have to add quite a bit more water and let it simmer on low so the four cooks but doesn’t burn on the bottom.
I thought this. Recepit came up lackIng. NEeded more chili powder,garlic and onion.
Awesome recipe. I’ve been using a somewhat altered version at my work, as opposed to our usual sysco-obtained brand mix. (It’s altered because we lack paprika, but it still holds up without it.)
I have to ask; what difference does the inclusion of corn starch impose?
To kick iT up a notch just add a half tbsp of Chipotle powder.
I really like the idea of making my own taco seasoning. I use it in many recipes too! Some of my recipes call for a packet of taco seasoning. How much of the homemade would equal a packet?
2 T. Equals a packet of stOre-Bought taco seasoning.
I’ve tried and it was delicious 😋 i just need to lessen the chilli thing as I’m not a fan of spicy food BUT overall this recipe is really AWESOME! Thank you for sharing 😊
It should be called best spicy taco seasonIng. If you want it kild only add 1 tablespoon of chili powder or less. Its good but way to spicy if you have little kids that are not used to it
Surprisingly delicious! Wayyyy better than those taco SEASONING packets. I added this season to some 80-20 ground beef, and with our homemade salsa, it made the tacos the BEst i have ever had! Delicious!!!!
THis was awesome! Doctored it with some cayenne and a couple packets of saizon! let it simmer for a while ANd your meat is DELICIOUS
Delicious! I eat Paleo so I added some Nutritional Yeast Flakes to add a little Cheesy flavor since I don’t eat Cheese. I also cut the chili powder in half since I have kids. My daughter helped me make it. It’s great!
I MAKE “FIRE CRACKERS” USING MANY SEASONING. (fIRE BECAUSE i USE RED PEPPER FLAKES HEAVILY). i USE THIS TACO SEASONING AND IT WAS THE BEST FIRE CRACKERS YET. yES JUST AS YOU WROTE IT AND FOR THE CRACKERS, i ADDED TOASTED ONION POWDER. tHIS ONE IS A REAL KEEPER
To make it mild, I only used 1 Tbsp of chili powder and about 1/8 tsp of black pepper. I cut the salt in half. When i ADDEd it to the ground turkey, i also stirred in 1/2 cup water. Yummy for the whole family!
Really good flavor, but i would cut salt in half.
I too keep buying the packets for recipes and throwing away half the powder since i only need 1 tablespoon- found your recipe and already had everything i needed to make at home. thank you!