Foods Not only does homemade taco seasoning mix taste better, it’s a great way to avoid unnecessary and bad ingredients and also to save money.
I remember the first time I was cooking for my grandma after she found out she had celiac disease. It was a family function and we were having Mexican food. Yum. I was making the meat to go along with our little Mexican Fiesta. It should be easy peasy, right?
Wrong.
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I had assumed it would be as easy as picking up the ground meat, a few taco seasoning mix packets and whipping it together. What I wasn’t prepared for was the fact that all of the taco seasoning packets at the store had gluten in them.
There are certain things in life you’d just assume are gluten-free. You know, things like seasoning packets.
Why can’t life be simple?
Reasons to Avoid Pre-Packaged Seasoning Packets: wheat, money, and more
Things have changed a lot in the food industry since back in the day when my grandmother found out she had celiac disease. At that time, nobody really knew much about it. You couldn’t find gluten-free foods easily. It’s actually not nearly as difficult to find a gluten-free seasoning packet as it was then.
While some seasoning packets don’t contain wheat, I’ve yet to find one at my local grocery store that doesn’t contain other nasty (or sometimes allergenic) ingredients you need to watch out for.
Here are just a few ingredients you need to watch out for:
- whey (a problem if you need to be dairy-free)
- sugar (why, oh why, does my taco seasoning need sugar?)
- maltodextrin (often contains MSG)
- yeast extract (aka MSG)
- …and more.
There are certainly more specialty grocery stores that probably carry spice mixes with just, you know, spices. But it’s so incredibly cheap and easy to mix up your own! Why would you do it any other way?
Seriously friends, you can do this!
Below you’ll find my go-to Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix. I mix up a big batch of it and keep it in my spice cabinet for frequent use. Because this Mexican-food-lover uses a lot of Taco Seasoning mix (it’s not just for ground beef, you know)!
Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder 1 cup
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2/3 cup
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon paprika 1/3 cup
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
Instructions
- To make a small batch use the measurements on the left side. If you'd prefer to make a larger batch (approximately 3 cups of seasoning mix) use the measurements to the right of the ingredients.
- Mix your spices together and store in an airtight container.
- Season your food to taste!
What is your favorite homemade spice seasoning mix recipe? Did you try/like my homemade taco seasoning mix recipe? Let’s chat about DIY kitchen items in the comments below…
More Healthy Mexican Recipes:
- Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- Super Easy Shredded Mexican Meat
- Chicken Chipotle Chili Recipe
- Grain-Free Chipotle Style Burrito Bowl
How much of your mix would be an envelope of store bought taco seasoning?
The smaller amounts (on the left hand side) is approximately equal to one of the store bought taco seasoning envelopes.
I understand season to taste, but do you have a recommended base amount to add to one pound of ground beef.
I’d add the smaller amount (the numbers on the left) to 1 pound of ground beef. Hope that helps!
The measurements for a smaller batch is on the left side the larger batch is on the right side in parentheses
I have made this a few times and I love homemade seasonings! Most of the time I brown my hamburger in a larger batch and freeze it in lbs. I found that my meat was on the dry side when I wasn’t using the packets. I tried adding some EVOO and that seemed to have done the trick. Thank you for the recipe!!
Would the ingredients on the left make a small batch? Would the smaller batch be like using one packet of taco seasoning from the store? Thank you Jessica! Happy First Day of Spring!! Jeni
Yes, it would be similar to one of those packets!
This is awesome! I already have every ingredient in my cabinet already. Can’t wait to try it out and see how it tastes.
Hope it worked out well for you 🙂
I always make my own taco seasoning and find it tastes great without the salt which I have to watch i for health reasons. Making your own puts you in control. Thanks.
If I mix the larger amount together and place in storage container, how much should I use of the mix to equal a package mix?
Hi Anna,
I’d used 3 Tablespoons per pound of ground beef. That can always been adjusted some to your taste too. You might decide to start with a little less and then add more, but that will be aprox. equivalent to a package mix.
How long would this seasoning be good and what should I store it in? I’m trying to have my family eat better and we took a huge pay cut so budgeting ass well, thanks for sharing an awesome recipe!
I’ve never had any go bad. It should last as long as your spices last — most ground spices are good for 1-4 years!
Is the crushed red peppers the same as Chili flakes?
Yes, that should be the same thing 🙂
Thank you
I have been using your homemade taco seasoning ever since I found your recipe. It is absolutely amazing đź‘Ź. I love that I know what is going into my body and my family’s. I have said goodbye to package taco mix FOREVER. Thank you for sharing.