Homemade taco seasoning is super easy to make as you just add spices in a bowl, stir up and save in your spice cabinet. Now you will have the ready components to add a little taco zing into any southwestern meal you want to make – let alone the always at the stand-by ground beef tacos for a quick weekday dinner.
Taco Seasoning is super flexible
I have been using a variation of this ‘recipe’ for probably 15 – 20 years. I’ve been tweaking it for about that long and I do change it up between batches. Sometimes I add chipotle spice or more smoked paprika or more smoke flavoring. This ‘recipe’ is a guide. Make it for your family as you need it to be. Have littles in the house? Skip the cayenne. Have someone salt free in the family – skip the salt. You can also break the recipe down into less – and try it out before you ‘invest’ in a whole jar full.
Shown here are some of the other spices I often / regularly add. You can be creative once you get a handle on which spices you like. Don’t add the 2 tsp of salt if you substitute onion salt or garlic salt or hickory smoke salt etc.
Lately I’ve been rocking the smoke flavoring. Really digging that in my southwestern foods.
Made at home and readily kept in your spice cabinet
You say, what? Jelly jar ? Well – by now you may know that I’m frugal at heart and when I empty jars (jelly / pickles etc.) frequently I save them for re-use. In this case – I have an old smuckers jelly jar that is used for taco seasoning. (#KeepingItReal)
Note – if you make the full 8 packages worth – you will have more than what fits into a jelly jar – you’ll need a spill over or larger jar than what I’ve shown here. (Old habits die hard…)
Basic Taco Directions
The ounce for ounce usage is 7 Tsp of mix + 3/4 C of water – added to 1 lb of ground beef (or turkey or chicken) and wha-la you have taco meat. This is comparable to a packet of seasoning purchased taco seasoning. You can use it in tacos or burritos or salads etc. I also use this mix in one of our family favorites – Chicken Tortilla Soup. I also toss a couple of teaspoonfuls into various other southwestern foods as the mood hits.
However– sometimes I don’t use the entire 7 tsp when I have only 1 LB of meat. Depending on what else is going on with the dinner / other components etc. Frequently I just use 5 Tsp. Consider the source of your ‘fresh’ spices vs. a packet that may have been at the grocery a while ? You could try 5 and see how you like it – and if you want more zing – add two more tsp and a bit more water – and heat / evaporate again.
Starting off with browning 1 lb of beef and then drain the fat. (Note – this pan is HUGE 13″ across – that is really 1 lb of beef)
When the beef is cooked, extra grease removed (another option of using an old pickle jar as a grease jar under the kitchen sink) then you add your spices. Try 5 Tsp – it might be enough… or go for the gold and use 7 – up to you! Add 3/4 C water.
Simmer the beef – letting it pickup all the flavors from the spices – the water helps transfer the spices to the beef. I don’t like leaving too much ‘sauce’ in the pan – sauce will sog out your taco or burrito or drop to the bottom of your salad bowl.
Finished and ready taco meat!
No additives or chemicals in your Taco Seasoning
If you like southwestern flavors – I expect you’ll enjoy having your own jar of this around the house. Now you actually know what goes into your taco seasoning. Can I get a high five for knowing what’s in your food and getting back to basics? No need for whatever chemicals / additives are included in the commercial versions of taco seasoning!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 5 Tbl Chili Powder
- 3 Tbl Smoked Paprika
- 4 Tbl Ground Cumin (Last batch I ran out (!) of cumin and only used 3 Tbl… and it was still good!)
- 4 Tsp Oregano (Mexican Oregano)
- 2 Tbl Garlic Powder (I prefer Roasted Garlic Powder if I have it)
- 3 Tbl Onion Flakes (or Onion Powder as a sustitute)
- 2 Tsp Chipotle Chile (DRIED SPICE – not from the can!)
- 2 Tsp Smoke Powder (Mesquite or Hickory)
- 1 Tsp Cayenne
- 2 Tsp Salt
Instructions
- Measure out the spices – add to a bowl and stir up.
- Store in an air tight container.
- 7 Tsp of mixed spices is equivalent to one packet of Taco Seasoning bought in the store. Please note – sometimes I don't use the entire 7 tsp when I have only 1 LB of meat. Depending on what else is going on with the dinner / other components etc. Frequently I just use 5 Tsp. Consider the source of your 'fresh' spices vs. a packet that may have been at the grocery a while ? You could try 5 and see how you like it – and if you want more zing – add two more tsp and a bit more water – and heat / evaporate again.
