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Homemade Taco Seasoning

Name: Homemade Taco Seasoning
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons chili powder; 1 tablespoon cumin; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 teaspoon paprika

posted by Liz Berg on June 23, 2024

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Homemade Taco Seasoning is SO much better than those grocery store packets, and it’s super easy to make!

If you love making beef tacos at home, you’ll love mixing up your own, personalized Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe to have on hand to make tacos, taco salads, and fajitas whenever the mood strikes, You can adjust it to your palate from mild to super spicy!

Taco seasoning in a glass storage container.

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5 More Tex-Mex Recipes You’ll Love:

6 Homemade Taco Seasoning

Why You Must Make

Once I can find homegrown tomatoes at my local farmers’ market, I declare it taco season. I’ve been making my own seasoning for years, just dumping in the usual suspects. Always yummy, but never measured, until today!

Feel free to tweak it as desired: more garlic, more heat, or quadruple it so you have a stash for the rest of the summer!
Once you have a jar in your pantry, it won’t take long to get tacos on the dinner table.
This taco seasoning is perfect for beef tacos, but try it with chicken, shrimp or even on flank steak with a squeeze of lime for fajitas.

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Kosher Salt, Dried Oregano, Paprika, Garlic Powder
Chili Powder – A classic ingredient in Tex-Mex recipes.
Ground Cumin – A classic ingredient in Tex-Mex recipes.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Adjust the amount for more or less heat.

How to Make

Measure out all the ingredients and place them in a mixing bowl.
Whisk together until the ingredients are well incorporated.
Pour into a jar with a lid and close tightly.
Store in a cool, dry location.
Mark the date made on the jar.
Use within two years. The intensity of the spices will decrease over time.

Taco Seasoning Ingredients on a white plate with labels.

Recipe Tips

To make my ground beef tacos, start by sauteing a chopped onion and a half a diced red or green bell pepper in some olive oil till soft. Add your ground beef along with the 2 teaspoons of my homemade taco seasoning per pound of meat.
PRO-Tip: Adjust the amount of taco seasoning to your taste when making beef, chicken or even seafood tacos. Start with a teaspoon if you’re unsure about how much to add, then taste and add more if desired.
PRO-Tip: For less heat, decrease the amount of red pepper flakes.
Cook and break up the beef with your spatula until the beef is cooked through. Taste for seasoning and add more of the spice mixture or salt as needed.
Make sure to drain off any excess grease before serving this taco meat in a soft flour tortilla.
Offer a variety of toppings including diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese. Jalapenos, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped white or green onions are other topping additions to consider.
It’s such a simple summer meal, especially since there’s no need to turn on the oven.

More Tex-Mex Recipes You’ll Love:

This homemade taco seasoning mix would be fabulous in this gorgeous Taco Salad.
If you are a fan of fajitas, this Fajita Seasoning from Rachel Cooks is also a winner!
Grilled Flank Steak Fajitas
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Grilled Fish Tacos
Asian Pork Tacos
Soft Shell Salmon Tacos
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