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Make homemade Taco Seasoning and skip the stale store-bought packets! This easy spice blend comes together in minutes with simple pantry ingredients. Get ready to make all of your favorite tacos, or add it to soups, stews, grilled meats, and any other dish that could use a flavor boost. The best part is that when you make it yourself, you know it’s gluten free!
Why You’ll Love This Taco Seasoning Recipe
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration:Â Mexiican
- Primary Cooking Method:Â No-cook
- Dietary Info:Â Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
I love whipping up a batch of homemade spice mix, and this homemade taco seasoning recipe is one of the best and easiest ways I know to instantly add a little kick to even the simplest meal. Similar to my method for homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice, you’ll need just a handful of pantry favorites and a few minutes to stir them together.
The result is a spicy-smoky seasoning blend that is of course perfect for tacos as well as many other favorite dishes (add a little taco seasoning any time you want an extra punch of flavor). This is one of my standby ingredients, and I know you’ll use it often, too. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Versatile. You don’t need to save taco seasoning just for tacos! You can sprinkle it in a quesadilla, or a pot of soup, or even dust it over a bowl of my Homemade Hummus Recipe for extra flavor.
- Saves money (and time!). Rather than buy pre-made packages of taco seasoning, you can easily put this blend together with spices you probably already have in your spice drawer. And, once you stir it together it has a long shelf life. If you know you’ll reach for it often, make a double batch and save yourself time later on.
- Adjustable. I love that I can adjust the level of spice in my homemade taco seasoning or swap in a different dried herb if needed. Want it a bit more salty? Add a little more salt. Like it on the milder side? Lower the amount of cayenne pepper. The beauty of doing it yourself is that you can make it exactly how you like it.
- Gluten Free. All of the ingredients needed to make taco seasoning are naturally gluten free. The best part about this recipe is knowing that because you put it together it’s guaranteed to be safely gluten free with no cross-contamination that can occur with store-bought blends.
What You’ll Need
A blend of easy spices comes together to make this homemade taco seasoning. Note that you can divide or multiply these quantities to make as much or as little as you like. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Chili Powder: For color, flavor, and a kick of heat, chili powder can’t be beat.
- Cumin: I love adding cumin to spice mixes because it adds smoky flavor without any heat.
- Salt: I like to use fine sea salt in this seasoning blend.
- Oregano: You can use regular dried oregano or Mexican oregano.
- Onion Powder and Garlic Powder: These two dried seasonings add the flavors of the fresh versions to the blend.
- Cayenne Pepper: You can adjust the cayenne pepper to your taste
- Pepper: I use ground black pepper.
How To Make Taco Seasoning
This homemade taco seasoning takes just minutes to make! Here’s a look at how to do it. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Add to a bowl. Combine all of the spices in a bowl.
- Mix. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined.
How to Use Taco Seasoning to Make Taco Filling
Here’s a quick and easy recipe for taco filling featuring taco seasoning that you can use in burrito bowls, tacos, on top of air fryer tortilla chips to make nachos, and more:
- Brown 1 pound of ground beef, turkey, or chicken in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning, ½ teaspoon of cornstarch, and ½ cup of water to make a saucy consistency.
- Cook until the meat is well-seasoned and hot.
Other Ways To Use It
You can make more than just tacos! Taco seasoning will spice up any dish to which you add it, including chicken, steak, or ground beef. You can also sprinkle it into salads for a kick of heat, stir it into vegetarian beans, use it to season burgers, and more. Here are a few ideas for how to use this homemade taco seasoning recipe:
- With beef. Make your life easy and swap the spices called for in my recipes for Instant Pot Ground Beef Tacos or Ground Beef Taco Skillet for your homemade taco seasoning blend.
- Chicken. Swap the spices for taco seasoning in my recipe for Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, then use it to make Easy Chicken Enchiladas or Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos. It’s also a great way to simplify this Chicken Enchilada Skillet. You can even use it to marinate kabobs or to add a little kick to the marinade for these Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Thighs.
- In soup. My Taco Soup recipe was made for taco seasoning! Or swap the packet of taco seasoning for 2 Tablespoons of the homemade version when you make a pot of Chicken Taco Corn Chowder.
- Tacos. Choose one of my taco recipes, like Salsa Egg Tacos or Ground Turkey Tacos.
- Beans. Stir a teaspoon of taco seasoning into a batch of Instant Pot Pinto Beans, then tuck them into Gluten Free Tortillas with your favorite fixings.
- Sides. Tone down the spice and add a little different flavor by swapping the spices in my Mexican Street Corn or sprinkling on Spicy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes.
Proper Storage
Transfer the taco seasoning to an airtight container, such as a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or a spice container, and store it in a cool, dark spot (your pantry is perfect) for up to 6 months.
More Homemade Seasonings & Sauces
Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 4 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the spices in a bowl and mix together evenly. Use immediately or transfer to a bottle or jar for storage.
Notes
-
- Brown 1 pound of ground beef, turkey, or chicken in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
- Stir in 2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning, ½ teaspoon of cornstarch, and ½ cup of water to make a saucy consistency.
- Cook until the meat is well-seasoned and hot.
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