Easy homemade taco seasoning that ensures your tacos are bursting with flavor and made from high quality ingredients. This blend is ideal for medium spicy tacos, but I'll give you some tips on adjusting the spice level as well.
I have been making my own homemade taco seasoning for at least 10 years. Back then, you couldn't find organic taco seasoning in the grocery store. I also didn't like that most regular taco seasoning packets contained monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other additives. I just want the spices, so I started making my own seasonings.
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Ingredients
Taco seasoning is a combination of 7 different spices.
- Chili powder (American)
- Cumin
- Paprika (I prefer smoked)
- Mexican oregano*
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
*Not all grocery stores carry Mexican oregano. It would typically be with the other Mexican spices or possibly in a bulk spice section. It's also on Amazon. If you can't find it or don't want to buy it, you can substitute regular oregano.
What is in chili powder?
Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a jar of American chili powder? It's actually a spice blend not a pure spice! It usually contains red chili peppers, oregano, garlic and salt at a minimum. Watch for anti-caking agents in any spice blends too. Why would I want to eat anti-caking agents? I'll just shake my spice bottles, thank you. It's not that hard. Also, American chili powder is made as a blend so that it's not too spicy. If you want to use pure red chili pepper powder in this seasoning mix, you can do a one-for-one substitution if you want a spicy seasoning, or use half for a medium spicy seasoning.
Substitutions
- Paprika - I love using smoked paprika for taco seasoning. It adds a nice hint of smokiness. You can substitute any other kind of paprika, though be careful with hot paprika.
- Oregano - if you don't have Mexican oregano, you can substitute regular oregano.
- Chili Powder - for a spicy version, substitute pure red chili powder for the American chili powder. For a milder version, cut the American chili powder in half.
Storage
I store my taco seasoning in glass jars. Spices are best kept in a dark place away from heat and moisture.
Next Level Tips
- I usually make 4 servings at a time in an 8 oz jar. 2 servings is perfect for a 4 ounce jar. That way, you always have extra taco seasoning on hand!
- Taco seasoning isn't normally something you have to measure out once you have made it. Just generously cover the meat, veggies, tofu or whatever you are cooking with the seasoning.
- I highly recommend organic spices. I buy a lot of spices in bulk from Amazon, Costco or bulk food sections. If you buy spices in bulk, organic spices are actually cheaper, ounce to ounce, than their non-organic counterparts from regular grocery stores.
- Try something new! Smoked paprika is amazing! And Mexican oregano adds nice flavor to taco seasoning.
- Homemade taco seasoning makes a great little gift too!
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder (American)
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Paprika Smoked
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a jar and shake.
Notes
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