Homemade Taco Seasoning

This homemade taco seasoning mix is simple to make. The best part? You get to add less salt and still keep it flavorful! This seasoning mix works great not only on tacos, but also veggies, seafood, beans, salads, and more!

Last week I gave you a recipe for Chunky Guacamole and it’s perfect for this weeks’ recipe – homemade taco seasoning! Tacos and guacamole go together like peas and carrots! & National Taco Day is coming up on October 4th and even though I could I could eat tacos almost every day of the week, I’ve only recently perfected my homemade taco seasoning mix.

The taco packets you buy from the grocery store while convenient are often loaded with sodium. They do offer lower sodium versions these days, so as a dietitian I’m glad there are options now. But how many times have you gone to make tacos and not had a taco seasoning packet in the house? Enter this homemade taco seasoning mix. Most times you probably have all the spices you need there in the house, now you’ll have the ratios of how to mix it up and be ready to go! And the best part is you get to control how much salt (sodium) goes into the mix!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Ingredients

1. Chili Powder – I used just a tablespoon. You could add more for a tad more heat, but I recommend starting off with the base amount and then you can adjust from here. This is not cayenne pepper.
2. Ground Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder – These are straight forward. Again, these amounts can be adjusted for your taste preferences, but start with the amounts I have listed. Add too much cumin and it’s all over. One other note – make sure your spices are fresh and not too old!
3. Paprika– I used regular paprika, but if you want it smokier in flavor, you could use the smoked paprika.
4. Salt and Pepper– I used iodized salt and I used just 1/4 teaspoon. In taco packets from the store, they typically use about 1 teaspoon. So if you find that 1/4 teaspoon isn’t enough you could add a little more. I always like for people to begin to cut back on salt when they can. And while tacos can be healthy, when you add in the cheese, the tortilla shell and a salty seasoning mix, all of a sudden you have a high sodium dish. You can always add a dash later if needed.
5. Red Pepper Flakes – I left these out as I don’t like too much heat. Add a 1/8 of a teaspoon to start with and then add more to your liking if you do like it spicy!

How To Make Homemade Taco Seasoning

This recipe makes enough for a pound of ground meat, ~3 tablespoons. I used the plant-based protein to experiment with this recipe (for you all). It comes in a 12-ounce package so I had a little seasoning mix left over.

1. Combine the ingredients: Combine everything together in a small jar, cover, and shake until evenly combined. I do make extra and store in the jar for future use. Just remember when you’re making tacos, it’s 3 tablespoons of this mix with 1 pound of ground meat.
2. Store: You can store your seasoning mix for ~6 months. That’s why it’s nice to make extra up and be ready for taco night any night of the week!
3. 1/2 cup water: After you’ve browned your meat, add in 1/2 cup water with 3 tablespoons of the taco seasoning mix. Stir to combine and mix all together. Slowly add in another 1/2 cup water as some will begin to absorb – you want it with a little sauce, just not too watery!

OTHER RECIPES THAT GO WELL WITH TACOS!

• Easy Chunky Guacamole
• Shrimp Tacos with Slaw and Salsa
• Homemade Black Beans
• Pico de Gallo

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