How to Make Taco Seasoning

This simple recipe for how to make Taco Seasoning mix is quick and economical. A delicious blend of spices and herbs to make the best tacos, season meats, chilis, dips, and sauces. Keep on hand in a mason jar to make Taco Tuesday easy and tasty.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Started it All

Farmgirl Gourmet began in October of 2006 as a diary of sorts and morphed into a Top 100 Food blogs by 2011. In 2013, I joined forces with a chef to create a spice company called Spiceology that quickly took my focus away from making recipes here, but definitely kept me recipe developing and ideating by creating some of Spiceology’s most popular spice blends like: Cowboy Crust, Nashville Hot Chicken, and other spice blends for companies like Williams-Sonoma, celebrities, chefs, and high profile content creators like Derek Wolf.

Don’t get me wrong, store-bought taco seasoning can be a quick way to add flavor, but the store-bought packets also come with extra salt and cheap fillers we sometimes can’t pronounce. Whipping up your own taco seasoning is simple and you can control how much salt is added – or make it salt-free if that’s your jam. Making your own homemade taco seasoning uses basic spices that are easily purchased in the majority of grocery stores. Use this recipe as you would with the store-bought stuff. If you like your taco meat thickened and saucy, add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the spices before adding to the ground beef. Stir the spices into the meat and add 1/4 cup of water (or more if desired) to achieve a saucier taco meat.

If you like this homemade version of taco seasoning recipe, you should try it in these easy weeknight dinners like Cheesy Skillet Chicken Chilaquiles, or add it to Homemade Hamburger Helper, or make a big pot of Turkey Chili.

Ingredients Needed to Make Taco Seasoning

• Chili Powder – what is the difference between regular chili powder and New Mexico chile Powder? Regular chili powder is a blend of different types of red chiles and spices while New Mexico Chile Powder is only ground New Mexico chile peppers.
• Garlic Granules or Garlic Powder – for this recipe, whichever you have on hand will work. I personally like granules better than powder for the texture and less talc-like consistency.
• Ground Cumin – is one of my favorite single spices for it’s incredible aroma. 
• Onion Granules or Onion Powder – the same as above with garlic, use what you have but granules is my favorite.
• Mexican Oregano – the difference between Mexican oregano and Mediterranean oregano is 1) geography, but 2) the flavor profiles of both are quite different. Mexican oregano is more earthy while Mediterranean is more floral.
• Smoked Paprika – adds color with a little smoke hint that gives this taco seasoning a boost of flavor. You can substitute Hungarian paprika, sweet paprika, or Regular paprika if you choose. 
• Red Pepper Flakes / Chili Flakes – if you’re not a fan of chili flakes, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or omit entirely if you’d rather not have any kick. 
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper – the staple duo that really belongs in almost every kind of savory cooking. Kosher salt is less dense than table salt, so if you only have table salt on hand, half the quantity in the recipe and taste to adjust to your liking.

Find the printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed step-by-step instructions below.

How to Make the Best Taco Seasoning

Add all spices to a small bowl and stir to combine. Store at room temperature, in a dry dark place, in an airtight container like spice jars, mason jars, or deli containers.

Tips for Storing

• Keep in an airtight jar or container out of direct sunlight or heat. This will keep your spice blend fresh for the next use.

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