Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

This made great beef taco filling. I used this for a pound of ground beef and used a little more than 3/4 of a cup of chicken broth and let it simmer until the liquid was gone, which was about 15 minutes on med-low. This wasn't spicy, but certainly not bland either and it didn't need anything to make it better. I did use the cayenne and crushed red pepper and used kosher salt instead of sea salt. Great recipe, thanks Kathy!

Tasty and smells very nice! Easy to make.

We really enjoyed this seasoning mix. I much prefer it over those pre-made packets. A lot cheaper to make and no scary "filler" ingredients. FYI - this recipe seasoned one pound of meat perfectly. Thank you!

It's better than the package stuff, but, like almost all of the other recipes it's missing the sugar. That's the "missing" ingredient everyone tries to find. The packages have about 4g's of sugar per TBS. That's what balances out the heat and amplifies the seasonings.

Giving it 4 stars because i haven't cooked with it yet. Just mixed it up and tasted it. Did one sub - used smokey paprika instead of regular - really gave it good flavor! I changed the servings to 50 so i could get a whole jar full to last me a month or two so used 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes since i wasn't sure how much a pinch was and wanted to keep it mild for my younger children. Can't wait to try it. So glad to find a recipe without cornstarch/flour/sugar!

Great taco seasoning....and yes....I do love that I can control the salt. I used regular chili powder and omitted the cayenne and pepper flakes so my kiddos would eat it. Used this mix in a pound of extra lean ground chicken to top nachos. I only ended up using 1/2c of water as well. Delicious and thanks!

This is a great, easy to make taco seasoning. I made a bigger batch, filling 2 small mason jars. My wife and I like our tacos a little spicier, so I added a little bit more cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes than it calls for. It was excellent, 2 tbsp. of mix and 3/4 cup water to 1 lb of ground beef. Lots of good spice and flavor, highly recommended.

This isn't just a great spice mix -- it's also a great spice rub for beer can chicken or just a whole chicken that you roast in the oven. Coat your chicken with butter or canola oil, then press the spice rub in. You'll probably need to triple or quadruple the spice amounts to cover an entire chicken, but the end result is a chicken that tastes like no other. Yum, yum!

Followed the recipe 100%. This was awesome! Thanks for a great recipe!!

Great seasoning mix. As good or better than the package Old El Paso that I normally buy. I added the seasoning after fully browning the meat and draining the grease. I used a cup of water and let it simmer down for about 10-15 min.

Loved this recipe! I've tried some other "homemade taco seasoning" that "tasted" like the store bought, but they were not that great. This one is the closest I've come to it. Great flavor. I used just regular chili powder b/c my kids don't like spicy and used beef broth for my water and let it simmer for a while....this is now my go to for taco seasoning...Thank You!!!

I love this recipe. I have tried many but these amounts seem to come together the best for my taste. The main one that needed pleasing was the hubby and he loved the taste of his tacos with it. I also sprinkled it all over chicken breast after they had been rubbed with olive oil. I then baked them in a 350 degree oven. They were fantastic!

Thought it was better than the pre-packaged stuff but it didn't wow me. We thought it was good but, after reading the reviews, we were expecting it to dazzle us. Not impressive, but good.

Awesome recipe. I made into a marinade by adding olive oil and touch of vinegar and water. Marinade about 1 hour. The chicken was very tasty and flavorful. thanks for the great recipe. Made for great Super Bowl tacos.

Made this for navajo tacos while the grandkids were here. I held back a fourth of the chili powder to keep it mild for the grandkids, and left out the salt (to start with) for my blood pressure. After simmering it in the meat with half the water listed for some time, I sampled the meat, and found it disappointingly bland. So to try to improve it, I added some seasoned salt, which made it a little better. Since it was still quite wet, I simmered it longer to reduce the moisture. Once the water was simmered away, HOLY COW! Night and day difference!

This was really great! Tried it when I had planned chicken soft tacos for supper and realized there was no taco seasoning. Easily whipped up with spices that were readily on hand. Didn't have cayenne and only had smoked paprika, also added about a tablespoon of cornstarch to get a thicker consistency. Brilliant Thank you!

This had just the right Tex-Mex flavour. And it is nice to be able to control the salt, and adjust the heat up or down according who we're serving. My hubby and I like it hot, bot not all our friends do. I'm sure not buying the commercial stuff anymore!

In addition to the seasonings above, I also add a small can of tomatoes to simmer with the ground meat for a few minutes after the meat has been cooked up and any fat has been drained. Much better tasting than those prepackaged seasoning packets!

This made delicious taco meat. I didn't change anything. My husband who doesn't usually like tacos enjoyed the tacos made with this seasoning.

Fantastic recipe. We get compliments on our tacos when we have guests. We usually use it with ground turkey.

Fantastic! I triple, or even quadruple, the recipe because we eat a lot of tacos. Sometimes I add ancho chili powder if I have it.

this is a great taco seasoning. I doubled the recipe and it seasoned almost 2.5 lbs of ground beef perfectly. I added 1 1/14 cups of water and the seasoning mix after browning and draining the meat and cooked for an additional 15 minutes or so. Was awesome, will use this every time we make tacos now.

I discovered this recipe after I had my heart attack. (I was looking for something low in sodium.)I have omitted the salt and adjusted the amounts to my own tastes. Okay I don't really measure I just toss in as much as I feel like that night. I do have one suggestion, instead of using water when you make your tacos either use the broth of the meat that you are cooking or beer, I use Dos Equis when I have it.

Made this the first time as written.....I did need to use more than what I would normally use to season our meat. But then we like it really hot! Just made 100 servings (fills a 1 quart jar perfectly) We're from Cali so we have many different chili powders to choose from, so for the chili powder I use 1/2 Pasailla/Ancho and 1/2 California/Anahiem chili powders, instead of cayenne and red pepper I use a good portion or Abrol chili powder which is a bit hotter than cayenne but has more of a "Mexico" flavor. You can pick up all these different chili powders at your local Mexican/Latin market for about $0.89! If you haven't shopped at your local Mexican store do your self a favor and go there!!!! All kinds of spices, produce, and fresh cut to order meats for about 2/3 the price of the big supermarkets! Spices and produce less than 1/2 the cost!

I needed a quick taco seasoning mix to add to the Slow Cooker Taco Soup found on this website. Made this exactly as instructed, with all spices shown. It was the perfect amount for seasoning, proportions are right and is equivalent flavor to a 1.25 oz package of commercial taco seasoning mix.

. No need to ever buy pre-made taco seasoning when you can make your own from scratch! This was simple and delicious. I doubled this recipe when I made taco soup. Awesome. Thank you!

Way better than that infamous packaged mix!

I use this recipe all the time now. I have never been a fan of pre-packaged mixes and so this is a very good substitute. I did not change anything in the recipe and I'm satisfied with the results.

Try using Ancho Chili Powder and/or Chipotle. Got into a pinch, found I did not have a premix so I tried this. Won't be buying any more of the premix except for travel situations where I dont have my full spice cabinet!

Better than the bought package!

I made a batch of this and put it in a jar (used the ingrediants X 5) and have used it with chicken and beef. Delish!

Well it does smell really good. However maybe its me. But its a bit bland. I was waiting for an oinion or garlicy flavor but nothing. Even adding extra spiced to it didnt do much. I suggest maybe fresh oinion and minced garlic instead sauted first then added. Btw i used very little salt like a half a teaspoon.

I quadrupled this recipe and used 2 1/2 tbsp. to make beef fajitas for supper. I sliced red and green peppers and a yellow onion into 1/4 inch slices and then sliced up l lb. of sirloin steak and added the seasoning and a little olive oil. I let it marinade for about an hour and then cooked in a sizzling hot cast iron frying pan. They were delicious. I could add some ground chipotle pepper for a little heat. I might do this next time. With my home made salsa and a dab of sour cream it was a delicious supper. I stored the rest in a glass jar in my spice cabinet.

This works. I'm allergic to onions, among several other things, and can't eat in restaurants any more. I missed Mexican food so much! This is tasty and easy and I make it in humongous batches then store it in a jar. Gluten free, too, which the packages versions are not. No down side!

awesome recipe, Kathy! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

Great recipe. I added a little more heat and a little more salt. It's delicious. My only wish is that there was some guidance as to how much to add per pound to the meat. Luckily I cooked my meat in three batches and was able to dial down the seasoning on the final batch so I could mix it all together. Don't get me wrong though. It's great to have a tasty taco seasoning mix that doesn't have all the junk ingredients that the packaged stuff has. UPDATE: I've been using this on just about everything. It's great on eggs, on meat, stir it in with avocado to make quick guacamole. I finally made a big batch of it and put it in an oversized canister so I can shake it as a spice when I cook. UPDATE 2: For Christmas this year I made a big tub of this and put it in canisters and gave it away as gifts, calling it "Dave's Famous Meat Rub" (a play on Famous Dave's). I've had lots of great feedback from family and friends. They've been putting this seasoning on just about everything.

Perfect taco seasoning for my kids with just enough kick, not too much, not too little. My hubby and I can kick it up a notch with a little more chili powder, cumin, and cayenne after we get the kids portions served and it's perfect for our spicier taste buds as well! GREAT Flavor, not bland at all- even without the hotter spices. Tastes a lot like McCormicks (which is my family's fave) but I take comfort in it being made by me...so MUCH healthier and no hidden ingredients!

I liked it and will make it again, but I think I'll add more cayenne, red pepper flakes for a spicier flavor.

This is a perfect blend of spices. I had to make myself eat only two tacos but I could have easily eaten four they were so good. This recipe is a keeper.

I used chili powder versus hot chili powder and just a very small pinch of cayenne, and for me it still had a little kick.

I made no chamges and love this recipe. It tastes better and no preservatives or too much salt. Yea from me

tried it in some refried beans i was making- needs more salt and onion powder in my opinion. but over a good blend of flavors.

Awesome! I went for the 'mild' version as I was feeding kids-- omitted the black pepper, red pepper flakes, and used regular chili powder. I mixed into 1lb of ground beef, added about 1/4c water, mixed together and heated well. It was delicious. I will never buy taco seasoning again.

Very good love the no salt aspect. Very flavorful!

Made this today.Used smoked paprika and no pepper flakes. Used ground turkey for meat and it came out great.Will make again

I made this last night with ground turkey and both my husband and I liked it very much. I used a chipotle chile powder and it gave it a little extra kick, will definitely do this again!

used it before never buy prepackaged again

I used to purchase taco seasoning from a "boutique" spice shop locally, but after stumbling upon this recipe I don't bother. I love this recipe. I amped it up a little with some extra Cayne and Chili powder, but other than that this one is good to go.

That being said, I omitted the red pepper flakes and everyone loved it! I think I doubled the rest of the ingredients.

I stumbled upon this recipe when I was making tacos and discovered that I didn't have any store bought mix in the house. I made this and discovered that this was way better. I keep a batch in the house at all times now.

Great taco seasoning! My family loves it with all the optional ingredients, too. We use it to season both taco and burrito fillings. I especially love that there's no MSG (like in the store-bought junk).

This is a huge hit in my home. I used regular chili pepper powder and did not use the optional items, and it was perfect for everyone!

Used this in ground beef and I will never use this again. Needed more salt, but that alone can't fix it. Not flavorful.

Reviewers that give a low rating after changing so many of the ingredients really annoy me. I've made several different taco seasoning mixes from this site and narrowed it down to my two favorite. Today I made both of them so I could do a side by side comparison. I'm kind of obsessed with garlic so I doubled it in both recipes. This one is the winner! It has a good depth of flavor, very tasty. We're having taco salad for dinner tonight and I'm so looking forward to it!

This is my favorite taco seasoning I have made so far!! I tripled the recipe so I'd have some for later and used about 3 Tbs for 1 lb. of meat. After you add the seasoning to the meat and stir it all around really good add about 1/4 cup of water with a little flour stirred into it. Keep adding more water if too thick and let cook for about 10 minutes or so. Perfect!!

Tastes great!

A great alternative to pre package taco seasoning. However, I did have to make a few adjustments. I added the salt separately and a small amount at a time to ensure it wasn’t to much. I also added a little more cumin and added cilantro. My son couldn’t tell the difference. I definitely will be using this again.

I thought that this was wonderful. I would definitely use again! I substituted smoked paprika and Ancho chili powder for those called for in this recipe with a great result. I also used this mix in my refried beans - also very good!

I will never buy packaged again! Inexpensive to make and easy to make taste to personal preferences (more garlic, less pepper etc). Its great. I had to use more water and let it simmer to get flavors to soak in. Love it.

Excellent flavor. I used minced onion instead of onion powder, and used an 8 oz can of tomato sauce instead of water after the meat was completely browned. Worked great for the casserole I was making that called for seasoned taco meat.

It was lovely, omitted onion salt coz didn't have any. & switched red pepper flakes for chilli flakes. Ate it with mince baby boiled potatoes & courgette with garlic cloves chopped all on the pan. It was a bit hot for me so added natural fromage frais. I'll use this again. Melissa

Excellent recipe.Better than store bought can adjust to your liking.

This is the only taco seasoning I use. I love being able to add heat or not depending who is coming over to eat.

Absolutely the best taco seasoning. Completely homemade and fresh. Definitely keeping this recipe.

Great taco seasoning for those concerned about their sodium intake!

This recipe was great. Super quick and easy. I didn't add the cayenne or peppers and did add some dried cilantro. I will be making this again for sure.

this is my go to taco seasoning. it's sometimes hard to find a good store bought seasoning that doesn't have fillers like wheat or corn starch.

Added 1\2 tsp of cayenne, made it mo'better

I discovered how much better and cheaper “make your own” taco seasoning is a few years back when I went to grab a packet out of the pantry to learn that I was out. I have always used Allrecipes ‘Taco Seasoning 1’ and thought I’d try this one for something different. I think the other recipe has more flavor so will go back to it. This one is good and the ingredients are things most people have on hand, and it would be easy to alter for personal taste.

We wanted more heat and salt. As Texans are used to more cumin as well. Thanks for posting because we enjoyed it with small modifications. Added another 1/2 tsp of chili powder; about 1/4 tsp more cumin; more salt; more cayenne; and 1/3 of the paprika was the smoked paprika. Cooked it the way she suggested but added 2 tbsp tomato paste into it as it simmered low with the water. Worked out very nicely and no MSG. Thanks for posting this recipe!

great seasoning! i added turmeric for a healthy antioxidant boost. i will never buy taco seasoning again!

Used on chicken and delicious. Threw the leftover chicken in a prepared box of velveeta macaroni. Will make again and will likely not buy the dry packaged mix again

We eat a lot of Mexican dishes. This is a great way to enjoy the savory flavor without the high amount of sodium. I did not alter the recipe at all and it tasted great!

Uses common ingredients. Worked well in my recipe.

I really like this. It's a good balance of seasonings and it's fun to know the oregano came from my garden. I mix it all up in my coffee grinder or processor depending on the batch size. I'll never buy the blue bottle again :D

This had no flavor. I had to doctor is up a lot!!

Only thing I don't put in is red pepper flakes (it's a texture thing for me-I hate biting into something and getting seeds). I love this and won't go back to premade seasoning, and it's nice to know what ingredients in which amount are going in. I just need to experiment and figure out if the ratios hold up if made in much bigger batches, because we go through this like crazy in our house! Highly recommended.

Made this several times. My go to for all tacos. Grandkids love it!

I didn't have hot chili powder so I used regular chili powder and doubled the cayenne and chili flake. I definitely would make it again.

My family loved this!

I have made this for years. My kids love it.

This taco seasoning recipe gets 5 stars as written. It is also very easy to customize to your own tastes. I increased the serving size to 200 then added 1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp of dried cilantro leaves. After browning 2 lbs of ground meat (turkey, chicken, beef, pork) and draining off any fat, I add 1 can of diced salsa style tomatoes including juice and 4 Tbsp seasoning mix then simmer until thickened. Store leftovers in airtight container for future use.

Very tasty! I used this with a pound of ground beef and about 3/4 cup of water. Such a great alternative to the packets!

Easy, fast, and just as good or better than store bought.

I followed the recipe directions and it turned out Wonderfully! A surprisingly excellent flavor.

I found this recipe rather bland (initially). I much preferred the El Paso package. However! I continued on, I added more SALT, onion and garlic powders plus 1 teas cayenne pepper, as (we like it hot). Once the water simmered away, the taste came alive! So, Yes, I will use this instead of store bought from now on!

The recipe goes with one pound of ground beef. I used 93% lean ground beef. I used no cornstarch or flour. I added just over 1/2 cup of water, brought to a boil, then simmered until all the liquid cooked away. This recipe stands on its own, and it's nice knowing exactly what is going into my dish.

I quadrupled the amounts and made this for 5 lbs of taco meat for a big get together. It worked out great! Just the right amount of spices to give it a wonderful aroma as well as a great flavor. I used regular chili powder (instead of the hot) and just bumped up the cayenne pepper a little to compensate. Overall I am very pleased with this combination, and will be using it (and variants upon it) in the future :)

Best one I or my wife have made very flavorful. "Authentic"

This is a very good beef taco seasoning recipe. It reminds me of the Old El Paso taco seasoning. I use it with 1 lb of beef and adjust if we are making more. We add an extra 1/4-1/2 tea spoon of cumin for our taste. We will make again. I noticed I don't get the indigestion with this mix vs. the store mix and this version has less salt.

I will always make it from now on

I love this recipe! I have everything that's needed in my spice rack and it's so simple and easy! I use it all the time now instead of taco packets from the store. My whole family loves the flavors when I mix it with ground beef for tacos. I also used it to make pork burritos! This mix is now a staple in my house!

Perfect.

super easy, we don't like heat so used regular chili powder and it was delish. I'll never buy the package again!

Very tasty as written. I added a bit of sugar as per some other reviews and it's a real hit at my house! No more sodium rich prepackaged mixes for me! The meat does not develop that gooey texture that the cornstarch or whatever in the packages does either!

easy to make! You know what the ingredients are. Great results

Excellent. My family loved it and my kids are die hard fans of the commercial packets only. Great go to when I forget the packet or want to save money.

Better than the store bought mixes. I will be make a few batches and storing in individual bags so I won't have to measure it each time. I used it with two pounds shredded chicken with 1 cup water and it was perfect. Not too spicy.

As good, if not better than the purchased taco seasoning.