There's no need to buy that grocery store packet. -- Make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning instead! Taco seasoning is super easy to make, using a handful of spices you most likely have in your pantry. Plus, making your own gives you flexibility to control the seasoning's spice and heat.
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Do you find store-bought packets of taco seasoning too salty? Wish you could tone down or amp up the spice and heat? Or, do you just prefer to prep your own ingredients yourself?
Then skip buying the packet and make your own taco seasoning at home!
It's really easy to make Homemade Taco Seasoning, with a handful of spices you most likely already have in your spice collection. Mix up a batch, and you'll have taco seasoning on hand to use whenever that taco craving hits.
I love that making my own homemade taco seasoning gives the flexibility to more readily control the flavor and heat level of the mix.
Not only do I love how easy it is to make, I love that making my own homemade taco seasoning gives the flexibility to more readily control the flavor and heat level of the mix.
Don't love the saltiness of store-bought packets? -- Easily reduce the salt in your homemade mix. Want milder spiciness? -- It's easy to tone down the heat of your own mix by simply adjusting a couple of ingredients. Or, just the opposite -- add more of those same ingredients to amp up the heat level, if you'd like.
Our Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe shared in this post results in what I would call a medium-hot mix. Try it out as a base recipe, and adjust if needed to suit your personal taste.
The ingredients you'll need to mix up a batch of taco seasoning are:
- Paprika
- Dried minced onion
- Ground cumin
- Cornstarch
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Cayenne pepper
- Dried oregano
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Many of these are pantry staples that are most likely in your cupboard, which makes whipping up a batch of mix quick and easy.
What does each of these spices contribute to and do in the mix? Let's take a quick look, because knowing what each spice contributes allows us to better adjust the seasoning mix as we'd like.
Flavor
The majority of homemade taco seasoning's 11 ingredients are there to create taco seasoning's distinct flavor. The ingredients primarily there to create and contribute flavor are:
- Paprika
- Dried minced onion
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Dried oregano, and
- Sea salt
While I don't recommend completely omitting any of these ingredients as the combination of all is what creates taco seasoning's distinct flavor, adjust any of them up or down as you'd like. For example, our 10-year-old daughter is not a big fan of cumin flavor. I sometimes use a little less cumin in the mix to tone that flavor down for her.
Knowing what each spice contributes allows us to better adjust the seasoning mix as we'd like.
Heat
3 spices are responsible for the bulk of the heat in the mix. They are:
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper
These three spices are the ones to target to change the spicy heat level, especially cayenne pepper. Increase the amounts of these to make a spicier mix, and decrease them to make a milder mix.
Thickening
Cornstarch is in the mix solely to serve as a thickening agent. You know when you stir taco seasoning and some water into browned ground beef, and it creates a thickened taco sauce as it simmers? That's the cornstarch making that thickening happen.
Then store the seasoning in a jar or other covered container until you need it.
When it comes time to make tacos for dinner, use 2 to 3 tablespoons seasoning mix for every 1 pound of ground beef, according to your personal taste.
Brown & drain the ground beef and stir in your homemade taco seasoning. Then stir in 1/3 to 1/2 cup water and simmer everything over medium to medium-low heat until thickened, which takes about 5-10 minutes.
Easy!
So if you're one who would like to have some flexibility and control with the flavor or spice of your taco seasoning, give making homemade taco seasoning a try.
Keep in mind this taco seasoning recipe yields a medium-hot mix. Try it out as a base recipe, and the flex the spices as you'd like to adjust the spice level to suit your personal taste.
In addition to seasoning meat, homemade taco seasoning can also be used to make dips, season popcorn, or season snack mix. Try it in whatever your heart desires!
But whatever you choose to make, with this Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe you can skip buying that grocery store packet.
Use Homemade Taco Seasoning in these Tex-Mex favorites:
Check out these other homemade seasonings & mixes:
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Yield: about 11 tablespoons seasoning
Homemade Taco Seasoning
There's no need to buy that grocery store packet. -- Make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning instead! Taco seasoning is super easy to make, using a handful of spices you most likely have in your pantry. Plus, making your own gives you flexibility to control the seasoning's spice and heat.
Prep time: 5 MCook time: Total time: 5 M
Ingredients:
- 2 T. paprika
- 2 T. dried minced onion
- 1 1/2 T. ground cumin
- 1 T. cornstarch
- 1 T. chili powder
- 1 T. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Instructions:
To Make Taco Seasoning:
- Combine all ingredients together in a jar or small mixing bowl.
- Stir until well mixed.
- Store in a lidded jar, spice jar, or other covered container.
To Use Taco Seasoning:
- For 1 pound of ground beef, use 2 to 3 tablespoons mix according to your personal taste. Brown & drain ground beef; stir in homemade taco seasoning.
- Stir in 1/3 to 1/2 cup water and simmer over medium to medium-low heat until thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
- This mix yields a medium-hot taco seasoning. Flex the spices as you'd like to adjust the spice level. Keep in mind cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes add the bulk of the "heat," so are good spices to target to change the spice level.
- In addition to seasoning meat, homemade taco seasoning can be used to make dips, season popcorn, or season snack mix. Try it in whatever your heart desires!
You might also like these other spicy favorites:
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