Homemade Taco Seasoning ~ Why buy a pre-made package blend with unknown ingredients when you can make this with all the spices in your spice cabinet.
Tonight, I went to make dinner. I was working on a new post (out Tuesday or Wednesday, if all goes well) and I needed taco seasoning. It’s been over a decade since I last purchased a packet of taco seasoning.
I have just been opening all the necessary spices and sprinkling here or there as needed. Tonight, it just got to me, having to open 8 different seasonings and spices to make one dish was just too much, particularly for something I use frequently enough. I actually found myself longing for the packet of premixed stuff. Yes, I was being a lazy cook. That got me thinking about making my own homemade taco seasoning blend.
I thought to myself, ‘you know how to put together your own blend, be like Nike and Just Do It.’ So I just did it. It literally would have taken 3 minutes to put the blend together if it weren’t for the fact I had to put them all in little bowls, take pictures and then put them on a cutting board, take different pictures, and finally blend them so I can take even more pictures.
But here you go. Make your own homemade taco seasoning blend, it’s better for you, tastes better and you know exactly what is in it. You can add more or less of anything to get the right flavor for you and your family.
I added 1 teaspoon of cayenne to mine. It’s at the max level of heat I can physically stand. I have a sensitive tummy. But my daughter went to town on the dinner without being phased in the slightest by the level (or negligible level) of heat. Yes, my 4 year old can handle more heat than her Mommy! I am a wuss!
If your family likes things hot, well add more cayenne or add some chipotle too. This is a base recipe, but by no means a ‘one size fits all’ recipe. We all like things a bit different so play with it until it is perfect for you and your family. If you have questions about how to best adapt it for your family’s tastes, please leave a comment, send me an email, or message me on any of the many social media platforms. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne
Instructions
-
Mix all in a bowl until well blended
-
Keep in an air-tight sealed container
27 Comments
christine
November 17, 2014 at 5:22 amI love making my own seasonings. This looks great. And the photo is a beaut!
Michelle
November 17, 2014 at 9:10 amThank you Christine! Love that you used the word Beaut too! LOL
Victoria
November 17, 2014 at 10:01 amYay for homemade seasonings!! I have been too lazy to figure out my own. But this looks fantastic 🙂 can’t wait to make a batch!! My husbands favorite dish is fajitas…I’ll try making them with this seasoning mix! I’ll let you know how it goes!
Michelle
November 17, 2014 at 12:23 pmThank you Victoria. It’s really easy. And now I want Fajitas. 🙂
Kelly @ TastingPage
November 17, 2014 at 6:53 pmSo smart to make it yourself so you know exactly what’s going in, and there’s lots of good spices in this mix!
Michelle
November 17, 2014 at 7:06 pmThank you Kelly! I like being able to control how much of what is in a blend.
Sandra Shaffer
November 17, 2014 at 8:43 pmMaking Your own taco seasoning so much tastier than store bought! Nice photo naming each spice!!
Michelle
November 17, 2014 at 9:41 pmThank you Sandra. I agree, much better than store bought.
Sandra Shaffer
November 17, 2014 at 9:04 pmHomemade seasonings are so much better than store bought. Economical too! Love your photo naming all the spices!!
Michelle
November 17, 2014 at 9:40 pmThank you Sandra!
Darren
November 17, 2014 at 10:47 pmMichelle, The picture shows cumin but the recipe does not have it listed.
Darren
Michelle
November 18, 2014 at 1:20 amThank you Darren, that’s what happens when I can’t read my own notes! Updating now.
Hein
November 18, 2014 at 9:39 amYou can never beat a homemade seasoning! This will be such a great dry rub.
Michelle
November 18, 2014 at 4:26 pmOh, I hadn’t thought of using it that way! Genius, my friend.
Debra Clark
November 18, 2014 at 12:45 pmAnother yay for homemade seasonings – need to do this myself – thanks for the recipe! Love to know what goes into my food!!!
Michelle
November 18, 2014 at 4:23 pmThank you Debra! It’s really easy to put together. And so much better for you.
Patty Haxton Anderson
November 19, 2014 at 5:28 amMichelle, I love making my own seasonings at home. Love your photos in this post.
Michelle
November 19, 2014 at 10:02 amThank you Patty, I still struggle with photography, but I appreciate the encouragement.
3-Bean Chili con Carne
December 10, 2014 at 1:27 am[…] 2 tbsp taco seasoning […]
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
March 8, 2015 at 10:06 amWhat a great recipe! Homemade seasoning tastes so much better than store bought!
Michelle
March 8, 2015 at 12:04 pmThank you so much, and I agree, much better than store bought. No chemicals or preservatives.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
December 22, 2015 at 5:35 amLove making my own seasonings! I own just about every spice and herb you could ever need, so making my own mixes is always super easy and makes more sense 😛
Christie
December 22, 2015 at 7:13 amI never like to buy taco seasoning either. Love that I can make it myself now. I’ve got all the spices on hand.
Kristen
December 22, 2015 at 7:33 pmI love your “just do it” attitude when faced with making your own spice mix. This sounds delicious. I love making my own spice blends, too!
Julie @ Texan New Yorker
December 22, 2015 at 8:05 pmI absolutely love making my own spice blends! Your pictures came out so gorgeous too.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate
December 22, 2015 at 8:38 pmBeautiful photos, even if they did slow down your process 😉 What a great idea – so simple to do and yes, I’m sure it tastes better than anything you can buy in a bottle!
Easy Skillet Nachos - Dutch Oven Daddy
January 8, 2020 at 9:46 pm[…] feel free to use a homemade blend. Here’s a recipe from my gal-pal Michelle over at The Complete Savorist. See the recipe notes on using a homemade blend like […]