This easy homemade taco seasoning recipe will change your taco game (and food game in general) forever. When you take a look at the ingredient list on some of the leading brands of taco seasonings, you might be inspired to try this cleaner, fresher, and bolder recipe loaded with flavor and designed for the frugal-minded. Why rely on the supermarket for a spice blend you can make in under 5 minutes at home?
Homemade Vs. Storebought
Making spice mixes like taco seasoning from scratch is a sure way to avoid additives and preservatives often found in supermarket store spices. It also allows you to adjust the salt and flavor of your blend to your liking. So if you’re looking to cut down on salt or are interested in experimenting with flavors, you can’t beat homemade. Some popular brands of taco seasoning contain ingredients such as cornstarch, maltodextrin, corn flour, vegetable oil, citric acid, sugar, “natural flavors”, or silicon dioxide. Our recipe keeps it simple, natural, and fresh because that’s the lifestyle we aim for!
Ingredients
The ingredients for homemade taco seasoning are pretty basic, and even if you’re just a casual home cook, you probably already have them in your cabinet or pantry!
If you’re getting serious about growing your own spices, plant plenty of oregano for drying, cumin plants to harvest the seeds from, chili peppers and cayenne peppers to dry and grind, and onion and garlic plants you can dehydrate and grind. That covers almost all of the ingredients in this recipe….homegrown for the win! If you’re looking for a spice grinder to grind fresh spices, check this one out.
Our recipe for taco seasoning includes:
Chili Powder
Cumin
Paprika
Oregano
Garlic
Onion
Cayenne
Pepper
Salt
Storage & Usage
Like other spices, your taco seasoning will keep fresh longer if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark location. Technically the spice mix will last for a long time, but the flavor will diminish over time. We like to make a batch that will last us for between 6 months to a year before whipping up a fresh batch.
Some of our favorite uses for this taco seasoning involve spicing up proteins like beef, chicken, pork, or tofu in dishes such as enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, chilis, fajitas, soups, and salads. It’s also delicious when mixed into queso, guacamole, bean dip, or another creamy dip.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
It is both! Some recipes contain added sugars and gluten, but this one is safe for both the keto diet and those who are gluten-free.
Absolutely! Feel free to adjust the proportions of spices based on your preferences and even experiment with adding other unique spices to the mix.
In many cases, it can be. If you’re buying your spices in bulk, you can save money on making your homemade blends. All of these spices are common in the kitchen pantry, so avoiding the pre-packaged spice blends should save you money.
More Pantry Staples
If you’re looking for more ways to keep it natural and homemade in your kitchen, here are some of our favorite staples.
Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp chili powder
- 3 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1.5 tsp oregano
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Store your spice blend in an airtight container in a cool, dark location for longest preservation of flavor.
Notes
- Adjust the salt or ingredient measurements to your preference!
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