Homemade Taco Seasoning
On January 30, 2025
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My Homemade Taco Seasoning is a rich blend of herbs and spices that delivers bold taco flavor to your ground beef, chicken, shrimp, and more. Impress everyone at your next Taco Tuesday with this secret ingredient.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
A taco party with family and friends is always a good idea, and nothing beats the satisfaction of being the Backyard BBQ Hero who serves up delicious tacos. This homemade seasoning helps you create mouthwatering tacos bursting with flavor in every bite.
Making your own taco seasoning is not only quick and easy, but it also allows you full flavor control by using quality of ingredients. With this spice blend, you’ll be ready at a moment’s notice to add bold flavor to tacos, bean dips, queso, and more. Best of all, it comes together in minutes with pantry staples. If you’re ready to spice up taco night, let’s make some seasoning.
Ingredients for Taco Seasoning
You can make this taco seasoning in just a couple of minutes using 9 simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. Here’s what you’ll want to have ready to create this rich and savory seasoning:
- Chili powder: Adds warmth and depth.
- Sea salt: Enhances all the flavors.
- Smoked paprika: Brings a smoky kick.
- Black pepper: Adds subtle heat.
- Ground cumin: Provides a rich, nutty base.
- Mexican oregano: Offers a hint of citrusy brightness.
- Garlic powder: Brings savory depth.
- Onion powder: Balances the mix with mild sweetness.
- Cayenne pepper: Delivers an extra spicy kick (adjust to taste).
How to Make Taco Seasoning
Making your own taco seasoning couldn’t be easier when you follow these simple steps:
- Blend the seasoning. Combine all the ingredients for your seasoning in a small bowl, then mix everything together with a whisk or fork. You want a nice, even blend, so make sure to break up any clumps.
- Use or store the seasoning. You can use your seasoning immediately on all your favorite taco meats, or with any other recipes you love that use taco seasoning. Place any remaining seasoning in a jar with a lid so it’s ready when you want to add bold, spicy flavor to your tacos.
Tips for Making Seasoning
You’ll love how easy it is to customize this taco seasoning! Here are a few tips to make it the best blend possible for the people you love:
- Adjust the Heat. Cayenne adds a great combination of spice and flavor, but its intensity varies between brands. Start with a small amount, then increase gradually to suit your spice preference. You can always add more, but you can’t take it back.
- Make a Bigger Batch. This seasoning keeps well for up to 6 months. If you know you’ll be making a lot of tacos (and who won’t?), double or triple the recipe to have it on hand whenever cravings strike.
- Customize Your Blend. The beauty of homemade seasoning is that you can tweak it to suit your taste. Add more smoked paprika for a deeper smoky flavor, mix in a pinch of sugar for a hint of sweetness, or experiment with different dried herbs to make it your own.
Uses for Taco Seasoning
Don’t let the name fool you, While it’s amazing on ground beef, chicken, fish, and even shrimp tacos, you can use it for so much more. I love adding a little taco seasoning to dips, like smoked queso, bean dip, and even hummus. If you want to give your family something truly unforgettable, use this blend with my green chili pork fatty or esquites. There’s no end to the foods you can add a depth and variety of flavor to with this taco seasoning mix.
How Much Seasoning to Use
For most proteins, you’ll use around 2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning for every 1 pound of meat. Of course, how much taco seasoning your family enjoys may vary. This is roughly the same as 1 of the store-bought taco seasonings packet, so you can adjust based on what you normally use.
To use in ground beef tacos:
- Brown the beef. Place 1 pound of ground beef in a pan and cook until browned.
- Season the beef. Stir in 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and ½ cup of water, then simmer until thickened.
This recipe makes about 4 Tablespoons (or 2 store-bought packets), giving you plenty to spice up your favorite meals.
How Long Does Taco Seasoning Last?
This taco seasoning mix stores easily in case you have any left over, or if you want to make it ahead. Just place any remaining seasoning in a glass spice jar and add it your cabinet or spice rack. It will remain fresh in your cupboard up to 6 months. But trust me, you’ll be making more long before then.
Taco Night Done Right
Let me take the stress out of planning your next Taco Tuesday. Make some of my grilled flour tortillas or corn tortillas, grill your favorite meat, then top things off with some shredded cheese and these Hey Grill Hey favorites:
Remember, all these recipes (and over 750 more) are available in your Recipe Library, as well as the Hey Grill Hey App.
Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Spice up Taco Tuesdays with this homemade taco seasoning, then feel free to give the recipe a 5-star review. I can’t want to see and hear about all the delectable tacos you create for the people you love with your new favorite seasoning. Make sure to tell me your favorite ways to use it in the comments below.
Don’t forget to share some mouthwatering photos of your taco triumphs by tagging my Instagram or Facebook pages. You can also find lots of how-to videos for my most popular taco recipes on my YouTube channel to help you use this seasoning to become a Backyard BBQ Hero.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Make the seasoning. Combine all seasonings in a small bowl. Mix together using a whisk or fork to ensure there are no clumps.1 Tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Use or store. Use this seasoning immediately on ground beef, shrimp, and more. Store any unused seasoning in a glass spice jar for up to 6 months for the best flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**I originally published this post in December 2023, but recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. However, the recipe remains the same.
we tried this I thought it was fantastic my wife said a little to much heat for her so iI just added everything except the cayenne pepper with what I had made. will see how that works
Ummm… did I miss something somewhere? That adds up to a little over 4 Tbs. Just asking.
The recipe makes that amount. She is saying that 2 tbsp of this recipe is equal to a packet of store bought seasoning.