Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Once you make this easy Homemade Taco Seasoning, you'll never go back to buying those overpriced packets again! It tastes incredible, is healthy, super frugal, and has none of the fillers you'll find in most store-bought versions.

You'll love this delicious taco spice for sure, and the taco meat cooking tips will take your tacos and taco salads to the next level.

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Many years ago, around the time that I started this site, I shared a taco seasoning recipe here. It was great, but I always wondered if it could be better.

So I spent hours one morning working on it and well, it's now truly amazing and my whole family agrees wholeheartedly.

The day that I recreated this recipe, we were super busy and all worked through dinnertime on various things. Suddenly, it was 10 pm! Too late for taco salad? Nah, I knew how good it was going to taste so I pushed through to make a very late taco salad dinner, and boy was it worth it!

Now, I don't recommend eating dinner at 10:30 as a regular habit, but I do recommend you make this taco seasoning a habit and keep it on hand at all times.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe is great for so many reasons.

• Great Taste — As mentioned above, this recipe is so great, it's worth cooking with it even after an exhausting day when most people would typically turn to eating something out of a can or box.
• Control Over Ingredients — No icky MSG-type stuff or fillers. For example, did you know that many taco seasonings have lactose (milk sugar) in them and sometimes cornstarch is the main ingredient?
• Save Money — Individual seasonings are simply less expensive than blends. And those small taco seasoning packets are so pricey!
• Have Fun with Kids — Making seasoning blends is an easy way to involve your kids in the kitchen.
• Save Money and Time — No last-minute trips to the store to get something that you can easily make yourself.
• Freshness — Homemade seasoning blends are a lot fresher than what you'll find in the store.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need. For the amounts, scroll to the printable recipe card.

• chili powder – use whatever chili powder you like, but we love my homemade version.
• cumin
• smoked paprika – brings a nice smoky flavor to the mix, but regular paprika or ancho pepper can be substituted.
• garlic powder
• onion powder – you can easily grind dried onion flakes to make your own.
• oregano
• salt
• black pepper
• red pepper flakes
• cocoa powder
• coconut sugar – this adds a caramelized flavor to the recipe along with a hint of sweetness. You can add stevia or another low-carb option if you like instead but you'll only get the sweetness.
• coriander (optional, but highly recommended)

Ways to Use

There are so many ways to use taco seasoning. In fact, we often have this DIY Taco Seasoning as a standby seasoning on our table because of how versatile it is. Try it on:

• Tacos (of course) — with regular or Grain-Free Taco Shells (AIP).
• Tortillas — with regular or Paleo Tortillas.
• Taco Salad
• Veggies
• Salad
• Popcorn
• Chicken
• Beef
• Fish
• Sides (like rice, potatoes, etc.)
• Veggies
• Soups (like this Creamy Root Vegetable Soup)
• Ice cream  (yes, it's true. Try it on chocolate ice cream and see!)

Expert Tip

For amazingly good taco meat, brown 1 lb ground beef over medium-high. If the meat is too fatty, spoon off a bit of the fat. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the seasoning plus 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Cook and stir for 30–45 seconds. Add ¼–½ cup water or beef broth, scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and simmer 5–7 minutes until thick. Add 1–2 tablespoons lime juice. Taste and adjust salt.

Storage

Taco Seasoning should be stored in the fridge to prevent oxidation of peppers that are in the recipe. I also recommend storing all spices in glass spice jars instead of in plastic. Here are some great options.

• Quilted Jelly Jars
• Small Mason Jars
• Hexagon Spice Jars
• 8 ounce Ball Jars – I like using larger jars like these, especially for spices that we use a lot of so I spend less time refilling them!

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Amount to Use: Use 2–3 tablespoons of the seasoning mix per pound of meat. 2 tablespoons yields a more classic taco meat, while 3 tablespoons gives “bigger” flavor without being overdone. Use about 2 tablespoons for every 2 cups of cooked beans.
• Red Pepper Flake Options: Aleppo peppers are a good alternative that has a nice depth of flavor.
• Salt Options: You can use pretty much any type of salt. If using kosher salt, use about 1 1/2 teaspoons due to the larger flakes. Just make sure to taste test and adjust as desired. Starting with less is best; you can always add more later!
• Multiple Batches: Just as I like to do with bulk baking, I recommend making more of this homemade taco seasoning in advance so that you have it on hand when you need it.
• AIP Option: Sadly, you can't easily make this recipe AIP, but this AIP Taco Seasoning is a very tasty alternative.

More Homemade Spice Mixes

Here are some more homemade spice blends to try.

• Quesadilla Seasoning – not just for quesadillas!
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Homemade Celery Salt
• Keto Cinnamon Sugar
• Curry Powder – literally one of the best curry powders I've ever had.
• Herbes de Provence (4 variations)

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

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