Today I am sharing how to make your own taco seasoning, Almost everything is better homemade and that definitely holds true for taco seasoning. You’ll love how easy it is to whip this up on the spot.
Whether you need it for taco Tuesday or to make taco pasta, you’ll love this homemade spice mix.
Why This Recipe?
Making your own allows you to choose your ingredients and leave out the preservatives. Many people started making their own taco seasoning because of food allergies like gluten, and then never looked back because homemade taco seasoning is tastier, cheaper, and very easy to make. I make my own taco seasoning to reduce the sodium content without sacrificing flavor!
Ingredients for Taco Seasoning
Garlic Powder. Almost everything needs garlic. So much flavor!
Onion Powder. Bumps the flavor. Onions form a kind of base for flavor. Also, you can add diced onions with the ground beef as you cook it to add even more flavor.
Dried Oregano. Adds a refreshing brightness.
Black Pepper. Adds depth and a hint of spice to any dish.
Paprika. Forms the base of the taco seasoning flavors.
Salt. Less than store-bought, but just enough to be perfectly seasoned!
Chili Powder. Brings a tiny bit of heat and a punch of flavor. If you want more heat, see the tips below!
While this is an overview of the ingredients, please see the full recipe card for exact amounts.
How to Make the Taco Seasoning
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine all ingredients together.
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Whisk until well combined.
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Transfer and store in an airtight container of your choice.
Timesaving Tips
Make your taco seasoning in advance. Get a big jar. An old empty spice jar from your warehouse club days or maybe a glass canning jar will work. Mix up a recipe or two and add them to the jar. Keep mixing and adding until your jar is full or you run out of the required spices. Store sealed airtight and shake before using. You can keep the mixture for as long as you would keep the individual spices.
Add some heat. You can up the heat in this recipe by adding a little sprinkle of ancho chili powder to your pan when you add the spice mixture. It doesn’t take much! You could also dice jalapenos or habaneros and add those when you brown the ground beef so they have time to get sauteed as the meat cooks.
Make-Ahead and Freeze Taco Meat. You can go ahead and prepare your taco meat of choice and freeze it in dinner portions. This allows you to throw together a meal fast on busy weeknights! You can quickly thaw the cooked meat and serve tacos quesadillas, taco pasta or whatever you want a little taco meat for! I’ve listed some great recipes below.
FAQ
How much taco seasoning do I use? If you are making tacos, use two tablespoons of seasoning mix for each pound of meat.
How else can use this mixture? You can use my homemade seasoning on chicken, beef, vegetables, or sausage for a variety of dishes. Anywhere you’d use a store-bought mix.
How do I add it to the meat? Do I need a recipe for that? I add 1/2 Cup of water and the two tablespoons of seasoning per pound of meat once the meat is fully cooked. If you want a more “sticky” sauce you can add a teaspoon of cornstarch when you add the spice mixture. You do not need a recipe, you can use our taco seasoning in whatever way it works best for you1
Related Recipes
Taco Pasta with Ground Beed. A favorite with kids of all ages1
Make-Ahead Taco Salad. Perfect when you know you’ll be busy.
Mango Mimosas. Just Because. Okay? Just. Because.
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Tamara says
That looks so good! We always get so frustrated with store bought taco seasoning. Some of them have bad additives or not the right spice combinations.
This is a winner!