Homemade Taco Seasoning

Always have taco seasoning on hand with this homemade blend of chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and dried oregano.

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About Homemade Taco Seasoning

So, how many times have you started to whip up a recipe and discovered you forgot a small (yet crucial) ingredient? And, more times than not, how many times is that missing ingredient is a spice?

I know how you feel. We’ve all been there.

And if you’ve come to this page, I’ll bet your current missing ingredient is taco seasoning.

Those little packets just have a way of eluding us, don’t they?

But don’t worry; this page has exactly what you need. Taco seasoning is easy to make at home and takes only eight simple ingredients that you probably already have in your cabinets.

What’s in taco seasoning?

For this particular recipe, you’ll need the following spices on hand:

• Chili powder – Taco seasoning wouldn’t be taco seasoning without a little heat.
• Ground cumin – A potent little spice, it helps give this seasoning it’s kick.
• Smoked paprika – This can also be replaced for paprika, but you’ll be missing the depth that the “smoked” in smoked paprika brings.
• Garlic powder – Becaus garlic. Plus, it brightens and enhances the flavor.
• Onion powder – Like the garlic powder, this helps balance the flavor and compliment the foods it’ll be used with.
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Dried oregano – Another spice for balancing the flavor. Dried oreago tends to be a little “leafy”, and if this isn’t to your liking, you can put finished taco seasoning in a food processor for a few pulses until it’s ground down some.

How much taco seasoning is in a packet?

Many recipes will call for “one packet” of taco seasoning, but that can be problematic if you’re in the habit of making your own custom spice blends (like this recipe).

But fear not! The math on this one is easy.

A standard taco packet holds about 1.25 ounces, which equals about 2.5 tablespoons of taco seasoning. You can safely use this amount of your homemade taco seasoning for any recipe that calls for one packet.

How long can spices be kept?

It doesn’t take long to accumulate a cabinet full of spices, but like all foods, they do have a “best buy” date. When determining how long to keep (or whether to use) a spice, these are the general rules of thumb:

• Whole spices (not ground) can stay fresh for four years.
• Ground spices stay fresh for two to three years.
• Dried herbs can be used for one to three years.

This taco seasoning has a combination of ground spices and dried herbs, so it should remain fresh for one to three years.

What recipes can you make with taco seasoning?

an old friend of mine and I tend to shy away of spice, but taco seasoning is one of the few that we can handle. A few of our favorite taco-spice-inspired dishes are:

• Taco Pasta Salad
• 7 Layer Dip
• One Pan Cheesy Taco Skillet
• Chicken Taco Chili
• Mexican Spaghetti
• Fully Loaded Nachos
• Chicken Taco Soup
• Southwest Shepherd’s Pie
• Chicken and Black Bean Tacos
• Taco Stuffed Shells

More useful spice recipes

More recipes with heat

How to make taco seasoning at home

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.

Step 2 – Mix it all up.

Step 3 – Store and enjoy as needed!