Homemade Taco Seasoning

When you have homemade taco seasoning in your pantry, you never have to worry about running out on Taco Tuesday! This flavorful and versatile mix will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.

I’m not sure what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but it’s downright swampy here in Ohio.

I’m not even exaggerating when I tell you it has been raining for weeks.

Since we rely heavily on our grill during the summer months, we’ve been having to get a little more creative in the dinner department. Let’s be real, no one wants to grill in the rain even if you do have a cute, giant umbrella overhead.

Since our summer staples like Grilled Garlic Basil Shrimp, Sweet and Spicy Beef Kebobs, burgers and grilled pork chops are pretty much out of the question for the foreseeable future, we’re eating all the tacos.

Because for one, tacos are amazing, and for two, tacos are super easy. And quite frankly, I’m all about that easy summer life right now.

As long as I have the essentials like taco shells, shredded lettuce, cheese and my homemade taco seasoning, we’re good to go.

Why you should make your own taco seasoning

There is nothing worse than being in the middle of making a recipe only to realize that you’re out of a key ingredient.

This has happened to me an embarrassing number of times. But these moments of pantry inconvenience have resulted in a number of my favorite recipes, including my favorite pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, homemade ranch seasoning, and chai spice blend.

I figured there had to be a way to make homemade taco seasoning, too. After all, I might as well avoid any future Taco Tuesday mishaps, right?

So here’s the thing: Not only does making your own taco seasoning mean you’re less likely to run out, but it gives you total control of the flavors.

Have you ever tasted the store-bought packets of taco seasoning on their own? They’re salty. They pretty much taste like salt with a dash of other seasonings thrown in.

But the homemade version actually tastes like the spices you use. Plus, you can control the heat level and salt content to match your family’s preferences or dietary needs.

Now whenever I made my own taco seasoning, I make a big batch and store it in my spice cabinet for everything under the sun.

What you’ll need for homemade taco seasoning

You’ll need a handful of spices for your DIY taco seasoning. There’s a good chance you already have most of what you need on hand!

You’ll need:

• Chili powder
• Ground cumin
• Black pepper
• Sea salt: I like to use fine sea salt in my seasoning mixes.
• Paprika: Use smoked paprika for more of a smoky flavor.
• Garlic powder: Granulated garlic will also work.
• Onion powder
• Dried oregano: I prefer using Mexican oregano in taco seasoning.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: Use less for a milder seasoning.
• Cayenne pepper: Omit for a milder seasoning or increase the amount for a spicier one.

You can pick up all of these at any grocery store, but you can also get high-quality spices at specialty stores for even more flavorful mixes.

Storage

Once you mix all of the ingredients for the homemade taco seasoning together, transfer the mix to an airtight container.

Small Weck jars are perfect for storing homemade seasoning mixes, but Mason jars and glass spice jars also work great.

Store spices in a cool, dark place at room temperature. When stored correctly and made with relatively fresh spices, this taco seasoning should keep for up to a year.

Using homemade taco seasoning

When replacing a 1-ounce packet of store-bought seasoning, you will need about 3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning.

Obviously it’s great for using in any of your favorite taco recipes or making meat for taco salad, nachos, burritos, and more. Ground beef, ground turkey, and even ground chicken are all made better with a bit of this seasoning.

You can also use it in any recipes that call for taco seasoning, such as soups and stews like crockpot taco soup, taco casserole, spicy taco cheese ball, 7-layer dip, and more.

It’s even great on roasted veggies, such as air fryer roasted potatoes.

I even like to use it as homemade chili seasoning, too.

Gasp! Yes. I know it’s controversial, but I like to use the same mix for tacos and chili.

I’ve found that taco and chili seasonings are usually so similar in flavor that it made sense to consolidate them in my pantry and use this mix for both! So I add it to hearty chili when the weather gets cold.

Turns out, being well prepared with flavorful homemade spice blends in your spice drawer can lend lots of flavor to nearly any recipe you make.