Homemade Taco Seasoning is quick and easy to make. You can adjust your seasonings to your taste and have fresh seasoning on hand at all times for your Mexican recipes.

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HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING RECIPE

What I’ve learned since I’ve had this blog is that are a couple of things that are considered taboo with the serious foodies: condensed cream of anything soups, food colorings, and taco seasoning packets. These things also tend to bring on a slew of strongly worded emails and comments. I never knew that food could bring out such anger.

I totally get the condensed soup thing. They’re not healthy and full of sodium – but sometimes throwing some chicken in a crockpot with a can of something is what I have to do to have dinner done when I’ll be gone all day. The couple of recipes I have on this blog with condensed soups in them are actually some of the most popular.

The food coloring I think should be taken in stride. I don’t think Rainbow Cupcakes once a year will kill you. I just don’t.

And everytime I post a recipe with taco seasoning in it for taco meat I get a lot of comments like “ew“, “yuck“, and “so much unnecessary sodium“.

Phew. This food blogging thing isn’t for the thin skinned.

So what I’m saying is that I hear ya; I get it. Every one is entitled to an opinion and I appreciate all of your comments (but the nice ones I appreciate more).

Does that mean that I won’t ever post a recipe with the above contraband in it ever again? Ummm, no. The reason I have this blog is because I love food.

And food comes in all shapes, tastes, and sizes. And hello, my name is The Girl Who Ate Everything so it’s my duty to not exclude anything.

But I thought I’d give homemade taco seasoning a try. Sometimes I don’t have a seasoning packet and who knew I could make my own taco seasoning with what I have on hand.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING MIX

Remember I’m all about more convenient so making my own is WAY more convenient than running to the grocery store with four kids to buy store-bought packets for taco night.

Here’s are the basic spices in the seasoning blend. This way you can control the sodium and control the spiciness by adding more or less red pepper. You can totally adjust it to your personal tastes and make sure there’s not too much salt.
Homemade Taco Seasoning

WHAT IS IN TACO SEASONING?

  • chili powder
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • red pepper flakes
  • oregano
  • paprika
  • cumin
  • sea salt 
  • pepper

This homemade version has a rich flavor that you can’t get with a store-bought taco seasoning packet. You can make it in bulk in a big batch and use it whenever you want or for every Taco Tuesday. Just store it in a dry place in your spice cabinet.

A good rule of thumb is that you use 2 tablespoons of seasoning for any type of meat.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

  1. Mix all the seasonings together and store in an airtight container.
  2. Use 2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning for every pound of ground beef. Add the spices to browned meat with 1/2 cup of water.

HOW TO ADD THICKNESS

Store bought taco seasoning usually has a thickening agent in it. If you want the same sauciness that a store bought mixture have two options:

  1. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch to the spice mixture and follow directions.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of flour with the water when simmering.

IS THIS TACO SEASONING SPICY?

Yes. I would compare it to a spicy version of a store bought kind. To make a mild version reduce the chili powder to 2 teaspoons and eliminate the red pepper flakes. To make it more spicy add some cayenne pepper.

TACO RECIPES:

You can use this taco seasoning in all of these recipes:

Homemade Taco Seasoning

4.20 from 31 votes
Homemade Taco Seasoning is quick and easy to make. You can adjust your seasonings to your taste and have fresh seasoning on hand at all times.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 ounce

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container. Yields about 2 3/4 tablespoons.
  • To use: Use about 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning for every 1 pound of meat. Use more or less depending on your preference. Brown meat and drain the fat. Add your taco seasoning along with about 1/2 cup of water. Simmer and stir until water is absorbed.

Notes

HOW TO ADD THICKNESS
Store bought taco seasoning usually has a thickening agent in it. If you want the same sauciness that a store bought mixture have two options:
  1. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch to the spice mixture and follow directions.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of flour with the water when simmering.
 
Source: Allrecipes
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: Condiment
Author: Christy Denney

 

Homemade Taco Seasoningtaco seasoning
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Christy Denney
Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!
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