• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Whole New Mom
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • Recipes
  • Clean Beauty
    • Beauty & Personal Care
    • Beautycounter
  • Gardening
  • Health Topics
  • Essential Oils
  • Resources

Home » Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

by Adrienne 262 Comments Published May 2, 2011 Updated: Dec 28, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
54.6Kshares
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
collage of homemade taco seasoning in a glass jar & taco seasoning ingredients

Once you make this easy Homemade Taco Seasoning, you'll never go back to buying those overprice packets again! It's healthier and cheaper, plus it has none of the fillers. It's also great for more than just tacos, it tastes great on veggies, meats, and more.

Homemade Taco Seasoning in Glass Jar

This Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe fits in perfectly with how I run my life--and my kitchen.

I just love making my own pantry staples, from non-dairy milks (like Easiest Almond Milk and this Easiest Coconut Milk) to Powdered Egg Replacer, Easy Homemade Ketchup, Homemade Salad Dressings, and more.

But one thing that I really get a kick out of (yes, I really get into this) is making my own homemade seasonings. Over the years, we've found or developed quite a few of them including chili powder, celery salt, this all-purpose seasoning and this Dorito® seasoning, but today I'm sharing a new one with you -- a Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe.

Making your own homemade seasonings (like this DIY Taco Seasoning) insures you will almost never be out of a seasoning you need for something you're cooking, and that means time and money saving.

For example, just the other day, I had a craving for taco salad, but hadn't made taco meat in years.  So I had no taco seasoning in the house -- and on our budget (and with our food sensitivities and life-threatening food allergies), eating out is not a pleasurable or viable option so heading out for tacos wasn't going to happen.

Basically it's not my idea of a fun time to pay about $15 for my son to get a plain chicken breast and a side of steamed veggies.

Just have a few meals like that and pretty soon eating out loses its appeal.

Anyhow, it's frustrating to find yourself excited to cook something only to find yourself missing what you need.  Sometimes you can find an easy substitute, but other times, like in the case of taco seasoning, you just need to have exactly what the recipe calls for.

So I got to work in the kitchen and tried out a few recipes and came up with a DIY Taco Seasoning that fits the bill.

And it's very easy to recreate in a flash.

Why Make Your Own Seasoning Blends?

Why indeed?  Isn't it easier to just buy those pre-made blends at the store?

It can be, but here is why I love making my own spice blends.

  • Control Over the Ingredients (no icky MSG type stuff or allergenic ingredients.  For those of you with milk allergies, did you know that many taco seasonings have lactose (milk sugar) in them?)
  • Save Money (individual seasonings are cheaper than blends)
  • Have Fun with Kids - making seasoning blends is an easy way to involve your kids in the kitchen 🙂
  • Save Even MORE Money (have you seen the prices of those packaged "Taco Seasoning" mixes at the grocery store?  Ugh!
  • Save Money and Time (no last minute trips to the store to get something that you can easily make yourself)
  • Freshness - making your own seasoning blends ensures you use up your spices more quickly so spices will get old less frequently

More Pantry Basics / Homemade Recipes

I have a lot of DIY recipes / pantry basics here that are in the same spirit of this post. For example:

  • Homemade Coconut Milk
  • Homemade Protein Bars
  • Powdered Sugar (or powdered sugar alternative)
  • Homemade Sugar-Free Lemonade (a healthy version :-)!)

How to Use this Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe:

There are so many ways to use taco seasoning, including:

Tacos (of course) - you will LOVE these Grain-Free Taco Shells (AIP)
Tortillas (here's a great recipe for Paleo Tortillas)
Taco Salad
Veggies
Salad
Popcorn
Chicken
Beef
Fish
Sides (like rice, potatoes, etc.)
Veggies
Soups
(like this Creamy Root Vegetable Soup)
even Ice Cream!  

Seriously, try this homemade taco seasoning on this Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream or this Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream.It's amazing!

Convinced?  I thought so.

Oh, and if you have a loved one or friend on the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol or Autoimmune Paleo) Diet who still loves taco seasoning, here is my tasty AIP version.  You will love it whether or not you are on a special diet. Oh, and if you aren't familiar with the AIP Diet, this Simple Guide to the AIP Diet is a great introduction!)

So now on to the homemade taco seasoning recipe that tastes great on so many things.....

ingredients for homemade taco seasoning

More On this Taco Seasoning

I would strongly recommending purchasing organic spices. Many non-organic spices are irradiated and so aren't the best choice.

Taco Seasoning, like any seasoning that is, or is made up of peppers, should be stored in the fridge to prevent oxidation.

I also recommend storing your spices in glass spice jars instead of in plastic. I love some of the following for their compact shape as well as appearance (it's nice to have nice-looking things in your kitchen :)!)

Traditional Spice Jars
Small Glass Mason Jars
Simply Organic Spice Jars
Hexagon Spice Jars
Glass Jars with Hinged Lids

Really the possibilities are endless.

homemade taco seasoning in glass jar on top of colorful pieces of cloth

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission.

Substitutions for Special Diets

  • Spice Brands: For my spice shopping, I really like Frontier Brand. I've done taste tests and the Frontier Brands have won out every time and boy, are they reasonable! Starwest Botanicals, has good options too.
  • Homemade Chili Powder: If you would like to make your own chili powder, here's my recipe for The "Best" Basic Chili Powder.
  • Use approximately 2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix for each pound of ground meat (or to taste, of course. Some people may prefer 1 Tbsp, others up to 4 Tbsp).
    As with other taco seasonings, either use the mixture as is, or add approx. ¾ cup water to the beef and seasoning mixture to make a more "saucy" beef.
  • You can also flavor beans, like lentils, with this mixture. About 2 cups of cooked beans will be the equivalent of one pound of ground beef.
  • Multiple Batches: And as I said in my "Saving Time in the Kitchen by Baking in Bulk" post, I recommend making more of this in homemade taco seasoning in advance so that you have it on hand when you need it. Cook once, use two three four times or more :-)!
  • Standby Seasoning: We use this DIY Taco Seasoning even as a standby seasoning on our table. It tastes great on veggies and loads of dishes!

Recipe Notes

  • Aleppo Peppers: For red pepper flakes, aleppo peppers would add a wonderful depth of flavor but red chilis are fine.
  • Add More "Heft": For a DIY Taco Seasoning with a bit more "heft" to it, add about 1 tsp flour or starch of choice to the mix. Of course, if you use a whole grain flour, you will want to store the resulting mixture in the refrigerator 'cause whole grains will spoil at room temp.
  • Salt: We love salt. The amount in this recipe is perfect for us and for many of my readers. However, some readers have said that it's way too much. I suspect some are adding it to a dish that already has salt, which we are not.  Regardless, please adjust the recipe to your taste.
Homemade Taco Seasoning! Ditch the overpriced teensy packets with all kinds of chemical nasties--whip up this simple yummy seasoning instead!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

This Easy Homemade Taco Seasoning is so much healthier and cheaper than the store-bought packets and tastes great on veggies, meats, and even popcorn!
4.88 from 24 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Seasoning
Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, THM, Vegan, whole30
Keyword: Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 3
Calories: 32kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 2 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste--see Recipe Notes)
  • 2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Mix well.
  • Store in a tightly closed container.
  • 2 Tbsp is the standard amount to use for 1 pound of meat, but you can of course use this seasoning to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2036mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2034IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @wholenewmom or tag #wholenewmom!

I'd love to hear what you think about this recipe (or if there's another spice blend you'd like me to try to make a homemade version of.)

Let me know in the comments!

SaveSave

54.6Kshares

Come join our Healthy Living Community on Facebook

Join our Facebook Group

Related Posts

homemade hot chocolate in a glass mug with whipped cream and chocolate shavings (keto, vegan, dairy-free)
Simple Vegan Hot Chocolate - dairy and sugar free
Paleo Tortillas - A paleo tortilla recipe that is Grain free and Paleo and Vegan. An ingenius use of just a few ingredients make a fabulous recipe for those on special diet. These would make great wraps for nut butters, eggs, meat, chicken...the possibilities are endless. Great for packed lunches too.
4-Ingredient Baked Paleo Tortillas - grain free, nut free, vegan, AIP
wooden garden box with herbs growing in it for post on how to preserve herbs
The Easiest Way to Preserve Herbs

About Adrienne

Adrienne Urban is the Founder and Owner of Whole New Mom. She has a background in research, journalism, insurance, employee benefits, financial markets, frugal living, and nutrition. Seeking a better life for herself and her family, she uses research and consults with many physicians and other practitioners to find solutions to the variety of issues they have dealt with including life-threatening food allergies and thyroid and adrenal concerns. WholeNewMom.com is the result of her experiences and knowledge gained throughout the process. Posts are reviewed and verified by the Whole New Mom team.

Previous Post: « Which Saves the Most Money - Dehydrating, Freezing or Canning?
Next Post: How We Avoided Antibiotics - Escape From the Pink Stuff »

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




     

  1. Sue Eager

    August 25, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    5 stars
    Can't give it enough stars!!! This is the best seasoning I've ever had. I might tweek it bit with the flavors, but you can't go wrong with it. I add some flour to the mix and shake everything up. Easy to use.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      August 27, 2020 at 10:18 am

      So glad!!! More to come - stay tuned!!

      Reply
  2. Bryan

    July 07, 2020 at 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    Very good. Followed the instructions as listed. Wrote the recipe down and taped it to the inside of my cabinet door. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      July 09, 2020 at 5:41 pm

      So glad to hear!!!! Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  3. Mike Hermann

    April 10, 2020 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    Years of those $3 packets, yikes ...

    Thanks so much for sharing this simple money saver!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 11, 2020 at 1:07 am

      You are so welcome! Did you try it yet? Would LOVE to hear what you think!

      Reply
  4. Teresa

    March 23, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    Could you please tell me if the nutrition info for the entire recipe or 2 tbsp of it? It's a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      March 30, 2020 at 10:17 pm

      Hi there - it's for 2 T. Sorry for the delay! Glad you like it!

      Reply
  5. Casey

    March 10, 2020 at 5:10 pm

    5 stars
    I've been using your taco seasoning recipe for several years. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      March 10, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      So glad to hear it! Working on more spices so stay tuned!

      Reply
  6. Alex

    February 05, 2020 at 2:48 pm

    5 stars
    Really like this taco seasoning. Since finding it, I've stopped buying taco seasoning and always use this recipe instead. I keep some already made in my pantry. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      February 05, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      Soooo glad to hear it! I hope to be adding more seasoning recipes in the near future!! Stay tuned!

      Reply
  7. Vickie Holt

    January 19, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    I have stage 4 kidney disease could I make this without the salt

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      January 19, 2020 at 7:40 pm

      Hi there. You could certainly try it and see how it goes. So sorry you are dealing with that!

      Reply
      • Vickie Holt

        January 19, 2020 at 8:08 pm

        Thanks so much for getting back with me I so much appreciate it.

        Reply
        • Adrienne

          January 19, 2020 at 9:01 pm

          You are so welcome. I'm saying a prayer for you right now.

          Reply
  8. Zelda

    November 05, 2019 at 12:46 am

    Can I use your home made chili powder receipe for the chili powder in the taco receipe. Thanks

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      November 05, 2019 at 12:48 am

      Of course!

      Reply
  9. Sue

    October 02, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    YUK!! Too much salt!!! Ruined my dinner!! I put only 1/2 the amount called for and it was still too salty!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      October 05, 2019 at 10:59 pm

      Hi Sue - I'm so sorry that that happened to you. Seems that there is a wide span of salt tastes here since this recipe gets rave reviews and then those who say it's too salty! Maybe try 1/4 of the amount next time? Did your dish have salt in it already?

      Reply
  10. charlie Penn

    August 26, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    5 stars
    made this for my family. It really was wonderful.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      August 26, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      So glad to hear it!! You made my day1

      Reply
  11. S. Altdfis

    April 20, 2019 at 2:52 am

    No organic salt? Blasphemy.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      April 20, 2019 at 6:25 pm

      Hi there. There is no such thing as organic salt :). Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  12. Lisa

    March 05, 2019 at 9:24 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing! You don’t need any taco sauce on top of your tacos. Great favor with just the right kick! Never going back to the store bought packets.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      March 05, 2019 at 9:29 pm

      Thank you! So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  13. Mar

    January 18, 2019 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    This recipe was delicious and packed a little bit of a kick with the red pepper flakes. I made it 2 Tbsp per 1 pound of meat and added about a cup of water. My only complaint is it was very salty! I will be cutting back the salt substantially next time I make it. Overall, it is a great recipe and I will no longer be using the packets!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      January 18, 2019 at 1:38 pm

      Thanks and so glad you liked it! Salt is such a personal thing. I used to not eat as much salt but once we started using all natural salt and also since I learned about the benefits....however, I recognize that some people like less. So I clarified in the recipe now--it's to taste. Enjoy and thanks again!

      Reply
  14. Tim

    January 02, 2019 at 11:10 am

    Our family loves this recipe. The kids won’t eat store bought taco seasoning anymore! And the ingredients are pretty inexpensive.

    Although it calls for 2 tbsp per pound of meat, we do t use quite that much. Maybe 1 1/2 tbsp at most.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      January 03, 2019 at 7:56 pm

      Thank you and so glad you like it!

      Reply
  15. Ashley

    December 28, 2018 at 4:57 pm

    How much seasoning to a pound of meat?

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      December 30, 2018 at 12:13 am

      Hi there -- it's in the post but perhaps you missed it. 2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix for each pound of ground meat. Enjoy!

      Reply
  16. Tracy L.

    October 17, 2018 at 8:15 pm

    5 stars
    Definitely the best taco seasoning I've found so far!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      October 17, 2018 at 8:50 pm

      Thanks! So glad to hear it. We love it too!!

      Reply
  17. Dallas Phillips

    September 07, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight. Though I had no "organic" ingredients it was still very tasty! I think I will make up a double batch as it's WAY BETTER than store bought!

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      September 07, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      So great!!!

      Reply
      • Darla

        June 10, 2019 at 9:51 pm

        So this will have the same taste when not using organic seasoning

        Reply
        • Adrienne

          June 10, 2019 at 10:32 pm

          Yes, it will. I hope that isn't a confusing point for others. It's merely to limit pesticide exposure but also typically organic tastes better. Hope you like it!

          Reply
  18. Nadara

    August 07, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    5 stars
    This was very good, I made it today and everyone loved it. I will be making tacos with this recipe again. Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      December 22, 2018 at 11:19 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment! Sorry I didn't respond sooner--comments vanished off my blog for awhile and I just got them back recently. Trying to catch up!

      Reply
  19. margie williams

    July 24, 2018 at 4:59 pm

    So have made plenty of make a head seasoning and they get HARD over time. What do you do to prevent that???????

    Reply
    • Adrienne

      July 24, 2018 at 9:22 pm

      It depends on the seasoning ingredients. I find that a lot of garlic powder and sometimes onion powder will do that--could that be the problem? You could put a desiccant pack in there or a few grains of dry rice should help. I haven't had it happen with this seasoning.

      Reply
      • Rachel

        November 19, 2020 at 7:52 pm

        5 stars
        Love this recipe! I quadruple it and save it for later in an air tight container. I cut down on the salt significantly (1 T. For a quadruple recipe) as well as the red peppers (1/4-1/2 t. Per quadruple recipe). I am vegetarian, so add 1/4 c. To a full bag of Gardein grounds, and the same amount for my taco soup. Perfect!

        Reply
        • Adrienne

          November 21, 2020 at 5:18 pm

          So glad to hear!!!

          Reply
« Older Comments
Please note: these comments do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of Whole New Mom.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
adrienne author of whole new mom blog

Welcome! I'm Adrienne, and I'm here to show you that Healthy Living Doesn't Have to Be Hard! Here, you'll find basically everything you need to make healthy living doable--healthy & easy flexible recipes, tips for clean beauty and a natural home, essential oils, beginner gardening tips, and more. Learn more about me here.

Trending Posts

gluten free chili mac in white bowl with spoon

Gluten-free Chili Mac (dairy-free & keto option)

This Egg Roll in a Bowl has all of the great flavor of Egg Rolls, but it's an Easy One Pan Meal without the grain wrapper!

Egg Roll in a Bowl - low carb, whole30, keto, paleo, AIP

healthy fudge on white parchment paper with knife in background

Adaptogenic Phat Fudge Remake

Need a delicious, quick and healthy meal? Try this Easy Baked Homemade Chicken Nuggets Recipe. They taste like you spent a TON of time in the kitchen, but they come together in a flash. Grain & Egg Free (with AIP and THM:S options) and they freeze well too!

Easy Baked Chicken Nuggets {gluten free with paleo option}


<script data-rocketlazyloadscript='https://wholenewmom.com/wp-content/plugins/jquery-pin-it-button-for-images/js/jpibfi.client.js?ver=3.0.6' type='text/javascript'  id='jpibfi-script-js'></script>



<script type='text/javascript' id='dpsp-frontend-js-pro-js-before'>
			var dpsp_pin_button_data = {