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
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!