• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Savory Soups
  • Recipes
  • Skinny Swaps
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Make It Skinny Please logo
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Savory Soups
  • Recipes
  • Skinny Swaps
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Make It Skinny Please » Recipes » Sauces & Dressings » Authentic Taco Seasoning

    Published: Aug 17, 2022 · Modified: Oct 5, 2022 by Toni Dash · 6 Comments

    Authentic Taco Seasoning

    Weight Watchers Points0
    Calories: 20kcal
    Carbs: 4g
    Protein: 1g
    Fats: 1g
    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    authentic taco seasoning made at home.

    Skip the store bought seasoning next Taco Tuesday and make your own taco seasoning! It's great to use in authentic Mexican recipes and for those familiar flavors in scrambled eggs, soups and more.

    authentic taco seasoning made at home.

    Making your own spice blends is both easy and economical. As with our chili seasoning when it's in your pantry your options are limitless in how to season your food.

    With this homemade taco seasoning recipe you can make traditional tacos and so much more with homemade seasoning. It tastes better than packets of taco seasoning mix too.

    I'm fortunate to have friends in Mexico who are wonderful cooks and have shared many authentic family recipes with me. Some shared here too for Mexican Adobo Chicken and Salpicon.

    When seeking an authentic taco seasoning blend they were happy to help out. Generally they would not use spice mixes from a packet and mix up the seasonings for a given dish at the time. However understanding the convenience of having a premade mix on the ready they shared their typical authentic spice blend for taco meat. Once you make your own homemade taco seasoning you'll be hooked!

    The best thing is you'll never be held back from not having taco seasoning packets on hand. Homemade spice blends are fast to put together and taste so much better than a taco mix packet.

    Jump to:
    • Why make homemade taco seasoning mix?
    • No Salt!
    • Recipe Ingredients Notes
    • How to make authentic taco seasoning
    • Variations
    • How to use
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • How to Store
    • More recipes you'll love!
    • Recipe

    Why make homemade taco seasoning mix?

    • Ingredient quality. If you look at the ingredients on a taco seasoning packet you'll find a number of fillers and non-spice ingredients. This home blend is just spices, all natural ingredients.
    • Flavor. After you make your own you'll notice the difference with store bought blends mainly in the saltiness. With a home blend you can tweak it for your preference.
    • Convenience. Mix it up, store it in a jar and it's always available.
    • Cost. Over time mixing your own is more affordable than buying packets of seasoning.

    No Salt!

    If you've used packet of taco seasoning you'll notice they can be very salty. One packet usually contains sodium levels between 300-380mg.

    Instead of adding salt to the taco seasoning mix, add it to the food you are making. Then you are in control of the salt level which may vary for each way you'd use the seasoning.

    Recipe Ingredients Notes

    authentic taco seasoning labelled ingredients

    Chili powder. This is a blend of different chili peppers and spices. You can use it for a richer flavor, but if you don't have it on hand, use ground chili pepper of your choice OR a singular chile powder (ancho chile powder, chipotle chile powder, etc).

    Ground cumin. Adds a lot of flavor and it's part of the traditional taco seasoning, but it can be omitted if you don't like it.

    Ground smoked paprika. This gives a wonderful full bodied smoky flavor. Regular ground paprika (sweet paprika) can be used instead of the smoked paprika if desired.

    Garlic powder. Adds garlic flavor.

    Oregano. You'll use dried oregano. You can use regular or Mexican oregano if you can find it.

    Red pepper flakes. Optional for a spicier blend.

    Salt and pepper. See notes in Variations.

    How to make authentic taco seasoning

    homemade taco seasoning recipe steps 1-4.

    Combine all the spices in a bowl (photo 1). Mix together well (photos 2-3).

    Place in a glass jar (photos 4-5), seal (photo 6) and store in a dry location away from sunlight.

    taco seasoning recipe steps 5-6.

    Variations

    Cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper can bring a lot of heat when its used but if you love a spicy Mexican food a bit of cayenne pepper is an easy way to heat up this spice combination.

    Adding salt. If you know you'll use the taco seasoning in dishes where you would rather not salt them separately you can add ½ teaspoon of sea salt or kosher salt to the easy homemade taco seasoning. You can even add ½-1 teaspoon of black pepper too.

    How to use

    This homemade authentic taco seasoning can be substituted wherever taco seasoning is used in Mexican dishes. Here are some ideas:

    • tacos (chicken tacos or ground beef tacos)
    • fajitas
    • casseroles
    • marinara sauce
    • soups
    • enchiladas
    • sprinkle over roasted vegetables
    • stews
    • Mexican-themed bowl recipes and wraps
    • taco salad
    authentic taco seasoning in jar with label overhead.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much to use?

    Use around two tablespoons of taco seasoning per pound of meat. You'll want more for a pound of ground beef than you will for ground turkey or chicken. Or sprinkle into other dishes as desired.

    How to Store

    Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark location with other spices. Use within 3 months for best flavor.

    Spices don't go 'bad' in the traditional sense but their flavors become dull if stored too long.

    More recipes you'll love!

    • Roasted Carnival Squash (Oven + Air Fryer methods)
    • Air Fryer Tomatoes
    • Rainbow Turkey Roll Ups
    • Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST

    Recipe

    authentic taco seasoning in jar with label crop.

    Homemade Taco Seasoning

    Weight Watchers Points0
    Click to track Weight Watchers Points
    Skip the store bought packets of taco seasoning to make your own with these authentic spices. It's great in so many dishes and can be changes to fit your desired flavors and heat level.
    5 from 59 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Seasoning, Spice mix
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 4 1-tablespoon servings (total yield: ¼ cup)
    Calories: 20kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper optional
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt optional
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper chili flakes

    Instructions

    • Add all the ingredients to a shallow bowl or a plate.
    • Mix to combine all the ingredients.
    • Transfer to a closed glass jar/container and store away from direct sunlight in a cool temperature.

    Notes

    Variations
    Cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper can bring a lot of heat when its used but if you love a spicy Mexican food a bit of cayenne pepper is an easy way to heat up this spice combination.
    Adding salt. If you know you'll use the taco seasoning in dishes where you would rather not salt them separately you can add ½ teaspoon of sea salt or kosher salt to the easy homemade taco seasoning. You can even add ½-1 teaspoon of black pepper too.
    How much to use?
    Use around two tablespoons of taco seasoning per pound of meat. You'll want more for a pound of ground beef than you will for ground turkey or chicken. Or sprinkle into other dishes as desired.
    How to Store
    Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark location with other spices. Use within 3 months for best flavor. Spices don't go 'bad' in the traditional sense but their flavors become dull if stored too long.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 347mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 1354IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Please share it!Mention @MakeItSkinnyPlease or tag #MakeItSkinnyPlease!
    « Fresh Avocado Corn Salad
    Skinny Spicy Greek Feta Dip (Tirokafteri) »

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutritional Coach and certified Weight Loss Specialist, writer/blogger, photographer, chief recipe developer and creator of Make It Skinny Please. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her slimmed down recipes using real food ingredients bring excitement to the dining table and never taste like 'diet food'. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

    Free Email Course

    AWESOME SKINNY TIPS & SWAPS
    Want to slim down your favorite recipes?
    These SECRETS do that and so much more!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Diane V says

      August 17, 2022 at 8:49 am

      5 stars
      This is amazing and so easy to make. We made tacos last night!

      Reply
    2. Gina Abernathy says

      August 17, 2022 at 8:34 am

      5 stars
      I use a lot of taco seasoning. This is perfect to make ahead, keep on hand, and use all of the time.

      Reply
    3. Tara says

      August 17, 2022 at 8:16 am

      5 stars
      Such a fun homemade recipe! Definitely better than store bought and I already have all those spices on hand.

      Reply
    4. Kelley says

      August 17, 2022 at 7:58 am

      5 stars
      This is such a great recipe to have for when you need taco seasoning and don't have a packet! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    5. Tayler says

      August 17, 2022 at 7:48 am

      5 stars
      I love homemade seasonings, and I will be keeping this one in my spice cabinet all the time!

      Reply
    6. Katherine says

      August 17, 2022 at 7:29 am

      5 stars
      This is just perfect! A great blend and so versatile!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Picture of Toni

    Welcome! I’m Toni. I'm a Certified Nutrition Coach and NASM certified Weight Loss Specialist. I'm excited to share Classic Recipes made more calorie friendly using real food!

    More about me →

    Air Fryer

    • Copycat Chipotle Chicken (Air Fryer + Oven methods)
    • Air Fryer Poached Eggs
    • Air Fryer Side Dishes
    • Air Fryer Greek Chicken Bowls
    Salad recipes cheat sheet image RS

    Trending Recipes

    • Instant Pot Boneless Turkey Breast Roast recipe
    • Sparkling Champagne Punch recipe
    • How to make a Skinny Easy Charcuterie Board
    • Blackened Air Fryer Mahi Mahi

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Contact | About | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | Accessibility Statement | Cookie Policy


    SIGN ME UP to get FREE recipes directly to my inbox!


    Copyright © 2021-2023 All Rights Reserved

    Make It Skinny Please is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.