This easy homemade taco seasoning recipe is made with five ingredients and is preservative-free, gluten-free, and delicious! Better than store-bought, this homemade recipe is great for tacos, fajitas, and more!
Looking for more delicious homemade seasoning recipes? I think you’ll love my easy Ranch Seasoning Recipe, Italian Seasoning Recipe, and my Stone House Seasoning.
We absolutely love tacos so many Tex-Mex recipes! A definite favorite is my quick and easy taco recipe that we have on regular repeat at my house!
As much as we love these recipes, I do not like store-bought taco seasoning packets. They usually contain ingredients like preservatives, fillers, and other things that I would rather not eat. I prefer to make my own delicious and easy homemade taco seasoning so that I know exactly what is in it – and what is not! It’s only five ingredients and is ready in minutes!
How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning
I’ve realized over the years that I am sensitive to some of the preservatives used in store-bought mixes, and since I’ve made my own, I feel so much better! And I feel better about using my homemade version of mixes in recipes that I serve to family and friends. There is no guessing if the person is sensitive to MSG or so many of the other chemical-based preservatives and other additives.
Even if you don’t have those concerns, you’ll still love this simple, easy, 5-ingredient taco seasoning powerhouse!
This taco seasoning recipe is quick and easy to make and uses a handful of ingredients you will probably already have on hand in your pantry.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Paprika
- Salt (optional)
Recipe Tip
Make sure you start with fresh spices. Check the expiration dates of each individual spice and smell them all well to be sure they still smell strong and like they should. If any of the spices that make up the recipe have lost their potent aroma, then it will impact the aroma and flavor of your final seasoning recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Measure each of the ground spices and salt. Then, combine them all in a large mixing bowl.
Mix. With a whisk or fork, mix all of the ground spices together until well blended.
Use and store. Use immediately and/or decant the taco seasoning into an airtight container.
Storage Tips
To store. Place your blended seasoning in an airtight spice container with a lid that seals well. Store away from light and moisture for best results. This taco seasoning mix is best and the most fresh when used within one year.
Favorite Recipes with Homemade Taco Seasoning
While it is delicious on the tacos I mentioned earlier, it’s delicious sprinkled on other meats, fish, seafood, and vegetables. It is so good in my Taco Soup Recipe for a warm and satisfying easy meal. I like to make Taco Cups for entertaining or for a simple supper.
Add a pinch of it to pinto beans or black beans for a little something spicy as a side dish. I sprinkle it on sweet potato fries (trust me, so good!), and mix it into my ranch dressing for a little kick.
Makes a Great Gift!
Make an extra batch or two of this taco seasoning mix and then funnel some into glass spice jars with airtight lids. You can then tie a ribbon around it and attach a nice printed label and share it with friends or neighbors.
It also makes a great housewarming, hostess gift and holiday gift! Prepare this seasoning in a spice jar and fix a basket or gift box with other homemade spice mixes and flavorings like Pumpkin Pie Spice or Apple Pie Spice, and Vanilla Extract for baking. Then add a jar of spicy brown sugar dry rub, and Stone House Seasoning and maybe even a jar of Homemade Hot Honey for cooking. Stick a note with my website address so they can see all the recipe ideas using these homemade goodies. You have a present that your friends will love receiving and using all year long!
Here’s my Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe. I think you are going to love it!
Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Use and store. Use immediately and store any remaining taco seasoning in an airtight container for up to a year.
Notes
Storage Tip
To store. Place your blended seasoning in an airtight spice container with a lid that seals well. Store away from light and moisture for best results. This taco seasoning mix is best and the most fresh when used within one year.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Do you add water to the ground beef along with the seasonings?
Hi Sheila,
If you are asking about using this taco seasoning in my tacos, here is my Quick and Easy Taco Recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Is the “chili powder” the mix of oregano, chile, onion, cumin etc that you buy premixed or is it one ingredient: ground dried chiles?
Mary,
I use the premixed bottle of chili powder that is a mixture of chili peppers, oregano, and salt. Hope you like this recipe!
Thank you so very much for this recipe. My son in law has Celiac, along with several of our friends, this will
be just perfect for them. I’m going to make up some and put it in a jar for our daughter to have in her kitchen.
It will definitely save her money as the gluten free
mix is quite expensive. Your recipes have been a huge
success everyime I make them!
Ginny,
I have friends who have Celiac and know how hard it can be to make sure foods are gluten free. I’m so glad you can use this for him. Thanks so much for you sweet comment! xo
How much of this is equivalent to a packaged mix? My hubby recently had a heart attack and we are looking to reduce sodium in our diet and this will help with that. I use taco seasoning in so many things! (Do you have recipe for onion soup mix? I haven’t had a chance to search for one yet!)
Denise,
This recipe makes 5 tablespoons. I’m sorry but I don’t have a recipe for onion soup mix. I hope your husband has a speedy recovery and is soon back to good health.
I love the flavor! Thank you for sharing; I made a quadruple batch.
Some of my recipes have a quantity for taco seasoning, and others simply say “one package”. What would you suggest as the amount to use of your recipe when the latter is listed? I’m assuming the fact that your recipe has no fillers will complicate the answer.
Jeri,
My recipe makes 5 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Different brands of taco seasoning mix contain different amounts in their package. You can adjust the amount of the taco seasoning in my recipe according to the brand taco seasoning mix specified in the recipe or for the brand you would ordinarily use. Hope this helps!
If a recipe calls for a packet of taco seasoning what is the conversion?
Most packets of taco seasoning mix contain 1 oz. or 2 tablespoons of seasoning, Irma, but others may have different amounts. My recipe makes 5 tablespoons of taco seasoning. You can adjust the amount of the taco seasoning in my recipe according to the brand taco seasoning mix specified in the recipe or for the brand you would ordinarily use. Hope this helps!
I tried this recipe tonight and we love it. I did add just a little more cumin, but other than that it was great. No more prepackaged taco seasoning for us!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I wasn’t able to buy taco seasoning when I lived in South Korea for five years. This was my go-to recipe for taco seasoning. Even though I now live in a country where I can buy it, I still prefer this recipe to store bought. Thank you!
Oh, thank you, Nicole, for sharing this. I’m so glad this recipe helped you.
Robyn, where can I purchase the jars that you use to store your taco seasoning. Thanks in advance.
Arlene, I got the large jars and the smaller ones with the label you can place on top of the jars at Amazon. There is a link in the post “nice spice jar” for the large one. I love these jars.
Love this recipe. Simple n can be easily made with pantry items. I marinated shrimp n it was the best shrimp tacos I ever had. So flavorful.
Thanks, Archana. I’m so glad this seasoning worked so well with your shrimp.