• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Closet Cooking

Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Top Recipes
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • 6 Ingredient Meals
    • Slow Cooker Meals
    • One Pan Meals
    • By Course
      • Main Course
      • Side Dish
      • Dessert
      • Appetizer/Snack
      • More
    • By Diet
      • Gluten-free
      • Low-carb
      • Vegetarian
      • More
    • By Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Lamb
      • Egg
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
      • More
    • By Cuisine
      • Cajun and Creole
      • Chinese
      • Greek
      • Italian
      • Japanese
      • Korean
      • Mexican
      • Thai
      • Vietnamese
      • More
    • By Type
      • Burger
      • Cake
      • Cookie
      • Dip
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Salad
      • Sandwich
      • Soup
      • More
    • By Ingredient
      • Avocado
      • Bacon
      • Cauliflower
      • Mushroom
      • Pumpkin
      • Quinoa
      • Shrimp
      • Strawberry
      • More
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
Never miss a recipe! Subscribe to the email Newsletter!

Taco Seasoning

[heart_this] · Sep 11, 2015 · 40 Comments

Taco Seasoning

Homemade taco seasoning that is perfect for taco night with ground meat or to season chicken or to season chili, etc.

Taco night was always one of my favourites when I was growing up and the key to good tacos is a tasty taco seasoning. Back then taco night was always from a box or a package and although I remember those meals fondly when I take a look at the ingredients and see things that I do not recognize and can’t really pronounce I just have to make my own. Homemade taco seasoning is actually really easy to make and you can control the amount of each ingredient so if you like things spicy you can increase the chili pepper powder and it you want to reduce the sodium you can easily cut back on the salt etc. This homemade taco seasoning consists of chili powder (ground chilies), cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. This recipe makes enough for one taco night dinner with one pound of ground meat but feel free to make a much larger batch so that you have some on hand and you don’t have to make it every taco night. Once you try this homemade taco seasoning you will never go back to the store bought packaged stuff!

Taco Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning
Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Servings: 1(3 tablespoons)

Homemade taco seasoning that is perfect for taco night with ground meat or to season chicken or to season chili, etc.

ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder (toasted and ground dried chilies)
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
directions
  1. Mix everything thoroughly.
Option: Add 1 teaspoon corn starch to thicken.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 58, Fat 2g (Saturated 0, Trans 0), Cholesterol 0, Sodium 336mg, Carbs 10g (Fiber 4g, Sugars 1g), Protein 2g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
Use in:
Taco Seasoned Ground Beef
Tacos
Taco Burgers
Taco Salad
Taco Dip
Taco Pizza
Taco Stuffed Shells
Taco Quesadilla Pizzas
Taco Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Fajita Burgers
Hot Cheesy Bean Dip
Zucchini and Corn Taco Seasoned Quinoa Salad
Chipotle Tuna 7 Layer Dip
Taco Lime Grilled Chicken
Chicken Fajita Pasta
Creamy Avocado Zucchini Noodle Pasta with Taco Lime Grilled Shrimp
Taco Lime Grilled Shrimp
Chicken Fajita Soup
Baked Chicken Santa Fe
Pico de Gallo Chicken
Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet
Chicken and Avocado Tacos
Cheesy Taco Pasta
Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Nachos
Salsa Verde Baked Chicken
Taco Soup
Chile Con Queso Baked Chicken
Cheesy Beef Burrito Skillet
Mexican Beef and Bean Skillet Rice
Taco Egg Casserole
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Fajita Casserole
Chicken Taco Tortilla Roll Ups
Mexican Street Corn Baked Chicken

Similar Recipes:
Cajun/Creole Seasoning
Garam Masala
Za’atar
Italian Seasoning
Cajun Seasoning
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Shawarma Seasoning
Cocoa Crusted Steak with Shishito Peppers
Everything Bagel Seasoning
Dry Rub

Food, Gluten-free, Low-carb, Mexican, Recipe, Spice Blend, Texmex, Vegetarian

eCookbook Bundle Cover

Get ALL 16 Closet Cooking eCookbooks in a bundle for 70% off! Enjoy some of the tastiest recipes from Closet Cooking along with exclusive cookbook recipes!

Get the Cookbook Bundle Now!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    August 2, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    A great seasoning! I make my own too…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  2. Tecla says

    August 2, 2009 at 6:35 pm

    Wow, it's really incredible that you make everything yourself, down to the seasonings! I could only dream of such patience. But I'll definitely try this recipe!

    Reply
  3. Chris says

    August 2, 2009 at 7:03 pm

    I loved when my mother made tacos and back then, that meant the Old El Paso variety out of a box.

    But now, I make our own taco seasoning, grill steak or chicken, and have great tacos. Ground beef works, but shredded beef or chicken makes it phenomenal.

    Reply
  4. Kerstin says

    August 2, 2009 at 7:05 pm

    Mmm, that does look good, what a great idea! I just saved the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  5. screwdestiny says

    August 2, 2009 at 7:28 pm

    Wow, that's impressive. For some reason I thought I was just doomed to using those packets. Well, I probably still am since I'm moderately lazy. But at least you show there's an alternative!

    Reply
  6. pigpigscorner says

    August 2, 2009 at 8:21 pm

    Wow, the seasoning sounds great! Very versatile too!

    Reply
  7. Tender Branson says

    August 2, 2009 at 8:28 pm

    Thank you! Love veggie tacos but have avoided them simply because of the packets. Now I can begin enjoying them again.

    Reply
  8. Palidor says

    August 2, 2009 at 11:19 pm

    Oooh, I love tacos but hate the packaged seasoning 'cause they're so salty! I'll have to give yours a try.

    Reply
  9. Psychgrad says

    August 3, 2009 at 12:51 am

    Definitely want to try this seasoning. To think I've been using the packaged stuff…

    Reply
  10. Michelle {Brown Eyed Baker} says

    August 3, 2009 at 1:36 am

    Thank you for posting this! I have been wanting to make homemade taco seasoning for such a long time, but never came across any recipes that inspired me. This one (and your resulting tacos) definitely did! Can't wait to try it!

    Reply
  11. Arabic Bites says

    August 3, 2009 at 1:59 am

    Sounds like a great blend you have here,I also like to make my own spice mixes.
    zainab 🙂

    Reply
  12. Pam says

    August 3, 2009 at 8:14 pm

    This is good to have on hand!

    Reply
  13. Cyn says

    August 3, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    I'm glad to see other people abandoning the packets, which generally have way too much sodium to be healthful.
    This is the same recipe from Allrecipes that I've been using for a while because it let's me reduce the salt content of our taco meals (my husband has high blood pressure).
    Besides using your own peppers to make the powder (which is good for controlling the heat when serving kids), you can also saute the meat with fresh garlic and onions instead of using the powdered garlic and onion in your mix. I also sometimes add a teaspoon or two of sugar depending on the bitterness from whatever pepper I'm using and also add between a couple teaspoons to a tablespoon of cornstarch to the dry mix, and about a third of a cup of water during cooking to the mixture. That makes it a little saucier (my kids seem to like it this way).
    By the way, I can't say it enough — I always enjoy reading your blog.

    Reply
  14. Katerina says

    August 4, 2009 at 1:19 am

    I am so impressed that you can get such a good picture of your seasoning.

    Reply
  15. Esi says

    August 4, 2009 at 3:15 am

    This is a great seasoning and so much better than what you can buy in a packet at the store.

    Reply
  16. Cooking with Michele says

    August 4, 2009 at 5:54 pm

    I've started making my own seasoning mixtures as well – two of my favorites are my porcini mushroom dry rub for beef:

    http://cookingwithmichele.blogspot.com/2009/06/snow-creek-ranch-strip-steaks-with.html

    and my homemade seasoned salt which I wrote about in a food column for a local magazine:

    http://www.cookingwithmichele.com/resources/Holiday+Food+Gifts+-+Buzz+Dec+2008.pdf

    Reply
  17. Tim says

    August 12, 2009 at 12:05 am

    If you get your hands on some sweet smoked paprika try using that in place of regular paprika. The smokey flavour is amazing.

    Reply
  18. Tiffiny Felix says

    August 14, 2009 at 9:07 pm

    Hi Kevin, I had to tell you I made this taco seasoning and it was wonderful! I raved about it on my blog 🙂 Thanks!

    http://bakeoff-flunkie.blogspot.com/2009/08/homemade-taco-seasoning.html

    Reply
  19. TheFlyOnTheWall says

    November 14, 2009 at 4:47 am

    Mmmmn, I love tacos and I hate buying the seasoning so I will give a homemade seasoning a try once again. I tried another one before and well it just wasn't very good. But this one sounds good just looking at the ingredients.

    Hope you don't mind, gave some link love to ya on my blog.

    Reply
  20. Kat says

    January 18, 2010 at 10:38 pm

    Thanks for the seasoning recipe. I used it tonight when I made tacos. I used the Mealstarters meat substitute and this as my seasoning and it was great!

    Reply
  21. Natalie says

    January 25, 2011 at 1:05 am

    I love that you post these types of recipes! It de-mystifies some of the spice blends that are pre-packaged out there.

    Reply
  22. Olli Engelschalk says

    March 12, 2011 at 10:35 am

    Thanks for this recipe – you really disenchanted the store bought mix! Way to go!

    Reply
  23. Anonymous says

    August 16, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    I've made this twice now, Its very, very good.

    Reply
  24. Maria says

    September 11, 2015 at 10:30 pm

    Fun seasoning for so many things!

    Reply
  25. Dee Dee says

    September 11, 2015 at 11:03 pm

    Love skipping the grocery store lines, DIY all the way! We've been doing it for years too…

    Reply
  26. Emma says

    September 12, 2015 at 8:48 am

    Looks great! I am preparing the same seasoning taco and other herbs. Luckily, I have a garden and some of my seasoning are directly from my garden. I love your blog, keep posting 😛

    Reply
  27. Gaby Dalkin says

    September 13, 2015 at 12:14 am

    it's always better homemade! Especially when it comes to all things taco!!

    Reply
  28. Food Junkie says

    September 15, 2015 at 11:28 pm

    It is a good blend but I would kick it up with either chipotle pepper or smoked parpika, hot of course.

    Reply
  29. DORIS CASTILLO says

    November 30, 2016 at 5:23 pm

    la pimienta de cayena es la que en peru conocemos con aji especial rojo si o no gracias, doris castillo

    Reply
  30. DORIS CASTILLO says

    November 30, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    la pimienta de cayena es la que en peru conocemos con aji especial rojo si o no gracias, doris castillo

    Reply
  31. kevin says

    November 30, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    DORIS CASTILLO: I am not familiar with the aji especial rojo but it sounds like it is a hot pepper so you should be able to use it in place of the cayenne pepper.

    Reply
    • Sandra Skelton says

      November 6, 2019 at 6:40 pm

      Kevin:

      I’m WAY late with my comment but I think that Doris is asking you if Cayenne Pepper is the same thing that she knows as aji especial rojo in Peru and the answer would be that, “Yes, it is very similar.”

      Reply
  32. anabanana says

    December 14, 2016 at 2:02 am

    Hi – I want to make a large jar of this seasoning and was wondering if multiplying the quantities was fine when mixing?

    Reply
  33. kevin says

    December 14, 2016 at 3:38 pm

    anabanana: Multiplying the quantities works great! I usually make big batches!

    Reply
  34. Ron says

    June 4, 2018 at 7:10 pm

    Kevin: Definitely going to try this soon. I noticed that there is no water or tomatoes sauce in the directions. Is is correct? Thanks

    Reply
  35. Karen says

    February 6, 2019 at 10:41 am

    I use this on my chicken tacos and it flavors everything nicely. Can this be used for fajitas as well?

    Reply
    • kevin says

      February 7, 2019 at 9:19 am

      Yes it can!

      Reply
  36. egg says

    August 11, 2019 at 10:12 pm

    Tastes great! I usually add a bit extra cayenne, cumin, and add some crushed chili flakes. The best thing about tacos is that you can add basically whatever you like! Sometimes I add chipotle chili powder instead of cayenne (heck, usually I just throw both in there) or add cracked peppercorns. Throwing in some lime or lemon juice while cooking also turns out amazing. Making your own spice mixes is super easy! I quadruple, quintuple, sextuple this recipe each time I make it. I never seem to have oregano on hand so 1 1/4 tsp marjoram works quite nicely, or thyme in a pinch.

    Reply
  37. Cherylynn says

    December 13, 2020 at 5:33 pm

    I love the cute little spice jars. Where did you get them?

    Reply
  38. Patti says

    July 26, 2021 at 12:02 pm

    I’m glad to see so many other people making their own seasonings. I starting doing this about 8 years ago when I had to reduce salt in things. It’s so easy, and I always have the spices around. The recipe I use which I have modified with lower salt is very similar.. I figured I can always add salt when I’m making tacos.
    I also make seasoning for Lipton Onion Soup Mix. I can control the salt on that, it’s easy to make, and you don’t have to worry about running out! (The reason I went digging to find it!)

    Love your recipes Keven, I even tag them Closetcookfing in my recipe program. That way I can always find your recipes. I use so many of them!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to the free Closet Cooking email newsletter and get a FREE copy of the eBook:
The Best of Closet Cooking!

About Me

Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
Read More

The Best of Closet Cooking 2023 – FREE eCookbook

The Best of Closet Cooking Book Cover

eCookbook Bundle

eCookbook Bundle

Top Recipes

Chicken and Avocado Burritos
Ham and Potato Corn Chowder
Mexican Street Corn Nachos
Balsamic Garlic Grilled Mushroom Skewers
Baked Firecracker Chicken
Caprese Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Balsamic Soy Roasted Garlic Mushrooms
Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet
Parmesan Roasted Carrot Fries
Asiago Roasted Onions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
About | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Copyright © 2007-2023, Closet Cooking Ltd. All Rights Reserved.