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Home » Recipes » Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

February 15, 2018 Updated: March 5, 2020 By Julie Menghini 20 Comments

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Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning allows you to season dishes exactly the way you like making it perfect for people on special diets or those who like to control intensity!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Have you ever read the back of those seasoning packets? If you can’t pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t be eating it and with the preservatives, in many of them, you wonder how fresh can they really be? Homemade Taco Seasoning tastes better and you have exactly what you want at any given time.

It’s no secret that my mother didn’t enjoy cooking. That being said, I thought she made the best tacos, chili, and cheeseburger macaroni recipes.

A lot of her recipes was printed on the back of a packet or a box but we were good eaters and didn’t care.

She inherited my grandmother’s spice rack and I just always figured it was something every kitchen had on the wall and never used.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I got one of those spice racks after getting married and kept spices that I didn’t use or even like for years too. Waste not and all of that I guess. But my OC got the better of me and I had to get organized.

As a result, I surveyed my foodie friends and asked for their suggestions and you can see the results in this post.

Now I only buy what I use and make a lot of my own seasoning blends for these reasons:

  • no preservatives
  • intensity control
  • flavor and freshness
  • no waste
  • availability
  • salt control

Homemade Taco Seasoning is so good in so many dishes! Here are some favorites!

  • Chicken Taco Salad Bowl
  • Instant Pot Pulled Pork Tacos
  • Crockpot Chipotle Chicken
  • Spicy Sloppy Joe Recipe

 Don’t have time to make it now? Pin it for later!

Homemade Taco Seasoning
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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning allows you to season dishes exactly the way you like making it perfect for people on special diets or those who like a lot or a little intensity
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 6 teaspoons
Author Julie Menghini
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano dried
  • 1 tsp cumin ground
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne ground (1/2 for more heat)
  • 1/2 tsp paprika ground
  • 1 tsp salt kosher

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in an airtight container such as a spice jar

Notes

I use 3 teaspoons of taco seasoning per one pound of meat.
Nutrition is per teaspoon

Nutrition

Calories: 5kcal | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 14mg | Vitamin A: 260IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Tried this recipe? That’s awesome!Mention @hostessatheart or tag #hostessatheart!

This taco seasoning was a lot of experimenting. John likes a lot of heat. I like more of a subtle heat. Taco seasoning isn’t just for tacos either and making homemade taco seasoning means I have it on hand for when I need it. What is the most popular seasoning mix in your kitchen? Leave me a comment below with your answer.

Here are a couple more of my homemade seasonings that are always in my cabinet.

Blackened Seasoning Blend Recipe

Homemade Blackened Seasoning Blend recipe

Julie’s Spice Rub Recipe

Julie's Spice Rub recipe


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Mexican· Recipes· Sauces and Condiments

« Swedish Pancakes with Raspberry Compote
Spicy Beef Sloppy Joes Recipe »

Comments

  1. Liz @ spades, spatulas, and spoons says

    March 8, 2018 at 11:42 am

    I’ve pinned this one, such a useful mix. So many of the commercial ones have MSG, sugar and too much salt. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      March 12, 2018 at 6:51 am

      Thank you so much Liz! I think I’m sensitive to MSG and try not to use any products that use it.

      Reply
  2. frugal hausfrau says

    March 4, 2018 at 10:10 pm

    I love making my spice blends, but I’m checking out your very own house seasoning, next! I think my favorite blends are the Mexican style ones.

    Mollie

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      March 7, 2018 at 8:22 am

      Thank you, Mollie! It makes it easy to have on your hand when you can blend your own!

      Reply
  3. Petra says

    February 20, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    There is something so satisfying to make your own spice blends isn’t it? I have never tried a taco seasoning and it sounds delicious! 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      February 21, 2018 at 10:05 am

      Thank you, Petra! I think we all have our go-to combinations that we use a lot and I just decided to pre-blend them and use this one a lot.

      Reply
  4. Mimi says

    February 17, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    Such a great idea, especially if you use this kind of seasoning a lot! I remember the first time I bought a package of taco seasoning, as per my husband’s suggestion, I’m guessing, and I thought, “Heck, I can make this myself!” I don’t like either garlic or onion powder, personally, but I use enough actual onions and garlic to sink a ship whenever I cook!

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      February 18, 2018 at 7:54 pm

      I’m inclined to agree with you Mimi! I use a lot of onion and garlic too. What can’t be improved by them right?

      Reply
  5. Jeff says

    February 17, 2018 at 8:59 am

    I’ve always admired homemade spice mixes from afar, thinking that I just don’t have the time and energy to delve into them. I’m lucky to have a couple spice shops nearby. However, if I were to do it – and now I’m thinking that’s likely – a taco mix would be just the thing. They’re all so different and, although I know what I like when I taste it, I’m not sure what that exact mix would be. I think it would be fun to try it, and tweak it around until I love it. Thanks for teeing this up for me!

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      February 18, 2018 at 7:50 pm

      Thank you, Jeff! I did a lot of experimenting with this one and use it a lot. I love having it on hand so when I want to make a Mexican dish I don’t have to add a bunch of individual spices. I love going into spice shops and my spice cupboard is living proof!

      Reply
  6. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

    February 16, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    This is a great item to have prepared in advanced for when you decide on tacos for dinner!! I’ve stopped buying the store-bought packages of taco seasoning, so I’m excited to try your version!

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      February 18, 2018 at 7:42 pm

      Thank you, Katherine! We love Mexican dishes and this is a great lend to keep on hand for us.

      Reply
  7. Judith Graber says

    February 16, 2018 at 7:27 am

    Good timing Julie as my brother was just asking me about recipes. He gets a lot of tortillas and other ingredients free from a local Mexican restaurant (he lives on the big island of Hawaii) and wants to make his own seasonings. I have to watch my salt so I am always checking labels on not just seasonings but all food! I should take a bigger interest in making my own so I can be in more in control 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      February 18, 2018 at 7:39 pm

      Thank you so much, Judi! I really think that the commercial spice blends use so much salt because it’s cheap. Good spices really cut down on the need for salt. I’d love to have a relative living in Hawaii! Do you go often?

      Reply
      • Judith Graber says

        February 21, 2018 at 11:17 am

        Mike was in the Peace Corps and met his Hawaiian wife and stayed there. I don’t fly any more – Gene and I traveled so much together that now I am content to stay at home or drive where I need to go.

        Reply
        • Julie Menghini says

          February 22, 2018 at 6:24 pm

          It’s a beautiful place but I think I might miss the seasons.

          Reply
  8. Elaine @ foodbod says

    February 16, 2018 at 12:25 am

    I LOVE making spice blends, as much because I enjoy it, but also, as you say, because I can then control what goes into them. Commercial spices blends are always so salty, I literally can’t use them. I’ll be saving your recipe to add to my list 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      February 18, 2018 at 7:37 pm

      Thank you so much, Elaine! So sweet of you to stop by too!

      Reply
  9. Sonal says

    February 15, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    Lovely recipe Julie!! Sharing it on my social media.

    Reply
    • Julie Menghini says

      February 18, 2018 at 7:37 pm

      Thank you so much, Sonal! Are you still developing your spice blends?

      Reply

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