Name: Homemade Taco Seasoning
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons cumin; 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (smoked or regular); 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 1 1/2 teaspoons chili pepper (ancho, chipotle, etc); 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne; 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

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Make your own homemade taco seasoning with just a handful of spices in under 5 minutes. This taco seasoning recipe will leave you never wanting to buy store-bought packets again!

closeup of homemade taco seasoning in a glass hinge jar next to a flour sack towel and bundle of fresh oregano on a reclaimed wood farmhouse table

A pantry staple our family always has ready on the shelf is homemade taco seasoning.

As you could imagine, living in Texas means we love Tex-Mex and eat the cuisine quite frequently. It is my go-to for quick and easy meals such as chalupas or simple ground beef tacos.

This homemade taco seasoning is not only simple to mix up, but also saves you money and tastes so much fresher than the store-bought packets.

cooked ground turkey seasoned with taco seasoning in a cast iron skillet with a small glass bowl of homemade taco seasoning next to the skillet

Tips for Making Homemade Seasonings

One of my favorite ways to save money in the kitchen with our groceries is buying spices in bulk and mixing my own seasoning blends.

By doing so, this saves me 3, 4, and even 5 times the expense of buying the small jars of spices and blends at the grocery store.

My favorite places to purchase bulk spices are online or through a local co-op.

Check out my full guide on how to save money on herbs and spices.

Meal Prep Idea: Make large batches so you always have some on hand for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner of taco soup or taco pie.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Saves money! Much cheaper than purchasing taco seasoning packets at the store.
Buy individual spices in bulk to save even more money.
Tastes better and fresher than the store-bought stuff, especially with homegrown oregano!
There are no unwanted ingredients such as sugar, GMO cornstarch, flavorings, vegetable oils, anti-caking agents, or preservatives.
Customize to your family’s taste and spice level tolerance.

glass bowl with small piles of spices next to a flour sack towel and bundle of fresh oregano on a reclaimed wood farmhouse table

Kitchen Tools

Airtight container – I prefer to store food in glass instead of plastic. A mason jar or my favorite hinge top jar work well for use with measuring spoons.

Measuring spoons

Ingredients

Cumin – one of the many spices I buy in bulk to use in a variety of dishes and homemade seasonings.

Smoked Paprika – can use regular paprika, but smoked gives it some extra delicious flavor.

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Dried Oregano – For the absolute best flavor, I highly recommend growing and drying your own oregano. It is incredibly resilient, making it easy to grow, and has so much more flavor and scent than its grocery store counterparts.

Chili Pepper – can use ancho, chipotle, or even chili powder. Our preferred is ancho chili pepper. I like to use pure chili pepper since chili powder is a blend of spices, many of which are already ones in this recipe.

Cayenne – this is where the heat comes in to play. Tailor it to your family’s preferred level of spice. We love spicy foods, but find the ratio in this taco seasoning recipe to be both delicious and tolerable for our toddlers.

Black Pepper – freshly ground pepper is best. If you want overall less pepper in the recipe, you can leave this one out or you could try subbing it for the cayenne for a very mild seasoning.

Salt – I always recommend pure real salt full of naturally occurring minerals over processed bleached table salt. Also one of the best ingredients to buy in bulk.

Full recipe and ingredient amounts available in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

homemade taco seasoning in a glass hinge jar next to a flour sack towel and bundle of fresh oregano on a reclaimed wood farmhouse table

How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning

This recipe makes enough for 4 pounds of meat which is equivalent to 4 packets of store-bought taco seasoning.

I like to quadruple this recipe that way I always have some of this tasty goodness on hand.

Step 1: Add all of the ingredients into a glass jar.

Step 2: Mix until thoroughly combined.

How Much Taco Seasoning to Use

Use two tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning per one pound of meat, which is equivalent to a packet of store-bought taco seasoning.

When making taco meat, add 1/4 cup broth per pound of meat with the seasoning to make it extra delicious!

Storage

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

This seasoning can be stored for up to one year, but it never manages to sit on the shelf that long in our house.

Note: Do not wash and quickly dry a container for storage. Only use a completely air dried container to prevent the seasoning from spoiling.

Recipe FAQ

Yes! There is no wheat in this recipe making it gluten free.

No, there is no sugar in this recipe and one of the reasons I started making my own taco seasoning.

More Delicious Farmhouse Recipes

Find more homemade recipes here!

Try this recipe and love it? Please leave a comment below to let me know!

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5