Do you love cooking with taco seasoning? You can easily make your own taco seasoning with this homemade recipe.

You've heard me say this many times. We eat a lot of Mexican food! Taco Tuesday? We take that very seriously in this house. The refried beans are cooked ahead and ready to go before the evening.

Standard menu when the in laws come over? Black bean enchiladas with a side of Mexican rice. Lunch request from the kiddo is almost always for quesadillas.

That's a lot of Mexican food and I only mentioned a few of my standard recipes. Get this though, I don't use store bought taco seasoning packets. Like, ever.

I take out each spice individually but with this much cooking, I realized I should just have a premade mix handy. It's just like when pumpkin season rolls around. I need my pumpkin pie spice mix ready to go for all my baking projects!

Here's why I opted for a DIY taco seasoning instead of the store-bought packets.

First, I already had all the spices in the house. This allowed me to put my extra bottles in the pantry and have just one bottle of taco seasoning in the spice cabinet. Why crowd that precious kitchen cabinet space?

Second, trust me on the math. Making your own seasoning is cheaper!

Lastly, homemade taco seasoning doesn't come with maltodextrin, ethoxyquin, silicon dioxide or some unknown referred to as "natural flavor". Does this sound like stuff you need in your food? I didn't think so.

Ingredients in Taco Seasoning

Here's everything you need to know about the spices used in taco seasoning:

Chili Powder: Unless it specifically names the pepper (like ancho chili powder), most grocery store chili powders are a spice blend and tend not to have a lot of heat. I use one that's a blend of chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, garlic, and all spice. Check the ingredients to see if it's pure chilis or a blend. You will want a blend for this recipe. 

Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: These spices always pack a good punch of savory flavor. 

Oregano: For my taco seasoning, I like to use Mexican oregano, but if you cant find it, regular oregano works too.

Cumin Powder: This is a spice that is not to be skipped! It's one of the main ingredients in taco seasoning and I use it flavor all my Mexican dishes. 

Paprika: adds nice color to the seasoning and has a mild flavor. 

Cayenne Pepper or Red Pepper Flakes: This is completely optional if you want to add some extra heat to your taco seasoning. I do not use it and I would start with a small pinch (less than ¼ teaspoon) and then adjust according to your taste. 

How to Make Taco Seasoning

Make this seasoning in three simple steps.

1. Measure out your ingredients

2. Combine and mix well in a bowl.

3. Transfer to an airtight spice jar or storage container.

Store-bought taco seasoning also may contain salt. My taco seasoning recipe has no added salt. This makes it easier to gauge how much total salt I need depending on what I'm cooking.

This way nothing gets over-salted by accident. For those on a low sodium diet, this is a great way to control sodium intake.

A typical packet of taco seasoning usually contains about two tablespoons of seasoning. To make it easy for you, this recipe makes about the equivalent of one packet minus the salt.

For a bigger batch, you can scale it up according to your needs. (So if you make burrito bowls as often as I do, you will want to scale up the taco seasoning recipe by about 15 times or more!)

Storing Taco Seasoning

Like most dry spices, taco seasoning should keep from anywhere from 1-3 years. It will not go bad, but like all spices, it will lose it's potency. To prolong the shelf life, store your taco seasoning in an airtight container or spice jar in a cool dry place. 

How to Use Taco Seasoning

As a vegetarian, I usually mix about a Tablespoon into cooked black beans or refried pinto beans. If I'm making stir fried vegetables for fajitas, I sprinkle it over the veggies while cooking. 

Most store bought packets mention adding water to the seasoning mix. This is usually for cooking taco meat. The packets usually contain some type of starch which reacts with water to make a thick saucy consistency. There are no starches in this homemade seasoning. You will still get really bold flavor for your favorite taco recipes but it won't be thick and saucy like the packets. 

Want More Mexican Inspired Recipes?

• Mexican Chocolate Cake: This spicy chocolate cake is frosted with espresso buttercream and is so easy to make!
• Mexican Coleslaw: Crunchy veggies with a tangy dressing makes a great side dish.
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Shots: Spiked with cayenne and cinnamon, these chocolate vodka shots are so festive for a holiday party.
• Mexican Corn Soup: A creamy tasty soup that's another family favorite.
• Sofritas: A spicy tofu dish that makes a great vegan substitute for meats.

I first shared this homemade taco seasoning recipe on Food Fanatic so be sure to visit it there along with my other recipes.