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The smoky, earthy flavors of this Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix meld to make a heavenly addition to any Mexican-style dish, plus it’s a fantastic gift!
We’ve all grabbed a bag of tortillas, some ground beef, and a packet of taco seasoning at the store when we’re in a crunch for quick dinner ideas. What if I told you that you could make your own taco seasoning that takes only 5 minutes and can be stored to use for meals over and over again?
The best part about my Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix is that you know everything that’s in it, so you can adjust to your own family’s tastes. It’s a great meal prep item to have on hand for an easy taco casserole or taco zucchini boats for summer zucchini season. This will be your new go-to flavoring for quick and easy meals!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Elevate Taco Tuesday with this way-better-than-store-bought flavor combo!
- A quick meal prep solution for last-minute Mexican-style dishes like these family favorite crunchy baked chicken tacos.
- Never again buy store-bought taco seasoning—skip the additives and save money.
- This is a fun meal prep task that even younger kids can help tackle.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chili powder – use a basic chili powder or find your favorite specialty flavor
- Cumin – again, basic is okay!
- Smoked paprika – Please don’t substitute regular paprika for the smoked. It’s important for elevating the taste to the next level!
- Salt – omit the salt if you’d like
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Oregano – the dried leaves, not the powder
- Black pepper
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
This is seriously so simple!
- Put all the ingredients in a jar.
- Add the lid and shake.
Or mix in a bowl with a whisk.
Recipe FAQs
Every taco seasoning is a little different. I’m a big fan of smoked paprika and the earthy cumin and chili powder flavors. Those are the three main ingredients in my mix, along with salt, onion and garlic powders, dried oregano, and black pepper. You can adjust any flavors or add cayenne, turmeric, or extra herbs, like dried cilantro.
The great thing about taco seasoning is that it’s a dry mixture that’s basically self-preserving! If stored in a cool, dry area in a sealed container, it can last 2 to 3 years. However, if yours sticks around that long, you might just need to be making tacos more often!
One-hundred percent! You can use taco seasoning on various meals, and it doesn’t have to be just tacos. Use it as a dry-rub for chicken, pork, or fish. Throw it into a queso dip for an added kick and amped up flavor. Season fajitas, rice, beans, or any other Mexican dish with it. The options are endless!
Expert Tips
- New to smoked paprika? It’s a HUGE favorite of mine, and that smokiness is what elevates this seasoning mix!
- You can omit the salt if needed and then just salt dishes to your liking when cooking.
- The best part of making it at home is that the batch is large enough to use in several meals. About two tablespoons of the mix are equivalent to one store-bought package.
- This mix is also a great gift idea! Make a few jars of it, and give it away to teachers at the end of the school year or to friends at the next get-together you host.
Recipes to Use Homemade Taco Seasoning
This seasoning mix is perfect for classic taco night and even makes a fantastic dry rub for any type of meats. But in case you need more inspiration for Mexican-inspired dishes, here are some of my family’s favorites!
- 20-Minute Roasted Zucchini, Corn, and Black Bean Tacos
- Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Taco Meat
- Quick and Easy Lentil Tacos
- Creamy Taco Pasta Salad
- Cafe Rio Black Beans
More Meal Prep Ideas to Consider
Snacks for Kids
149+ Summer Snacks: Quick Snacks For Kids
Seasoning Mixes
Garlic Parmesan Seasoning – Perfect for Breadsticks
Lunch Ideas for Kids
120+ Easy Kids Lunch Ideas (With Recipes)
Freezing Foods
How to Freeze Eggs
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl or in a 2 cup (1 pint) mason jar, add all of the ingredients. Whisk to combine well, or add a lid and give it a shake.
- Store in mason jar, or transfer to another container with a lid.
- Use like you do store-bought taco seasoning.
- 2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning is about the equivalent of one packet of taco seasoning mix.
- Adjust salt and spices to your liking.
- Stores for a very long time, and makes a fun gift to give.
Video
Notes
- New to smoked paprika? It’s a HUGE favorite of mine, and that smokiness is what really elevates the seasoning mix.
- You can omit the salt if needed and then just salt dishes to your liking when cooking.
- Use it as a dry rub for chicken, pork, or fish. Throw it into a queso dip for an added kick and amped-up flavor. Season fajitas, rice, beans, or any other Mexican dish with it.
- This mix will keep well for a long time if stored in an enclosed container in a cool, dry place.
A jar of this is so handy to have on hand…..then you decide to make tacos for a quick dinner and discover the jar is empty….so dinner took a couple of extra minutes to make, but the jar is full again! Thanks!!!
This looks good! Will have to give it a go, maybe add to a mason jar salad?
Great idea!