Homemade Taco Seasoning
This gluten-free Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe is the perfect balance of flavors. Control what goes into your food with this easy and mild seasoning!
A SIMPLE SEASONING BLEND
Once you start making your own taco seasoning, you’ll see how easy it is to throw together and adjust the taste to your preferences! I love making my own homemade seasonings – especially if I forgot to pick up a packet of seasoning at the store. Plus, if you need to adjust the amount of salt in your seasoning or maybe you want to adjust the amount of spice in it – this is the perfect way to do it!
Excellent!! Been making for several years. Won’t use any other. Great flavor you won’t get in store bought.
– Bearded Baker
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
About 3 Tablespoons of this equals one packet of seasoning. If making tacos, for one pound of meat, you would use 3 Tablespoons of seasoning plus about 3/4 cup of water. I put a little tag on mine as a reminder.
You control how spicy or how mild you want this. My family prefers mild. Just use more or less chili powder depending on how spicy you want it. That is the benefit of making it yourself! No artificial additives or preservatives either. Also, my son loves to help make it and use it in our favorite Doritos Taco Salad or Taco Mac & Cheese.
It’s really important to put your homemade taco seasoning in a zip-top bag or a lidded container. It will keep your spices as fresh as possible for a longer period of time.
Generally, the spices will last for 6 months. Keep them in a cooler and darker storage area (like your pantry.) Check the expiration date on the bottles of spices you are using to make this taco seasoning mix. You’d be surprised how many of us are working with old spices! The fresher the spice, the longer this seasoning will last!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chili powder – if you want to keep this mild, pay attention to the chili powder. You can use less to control the amount of heat. You can also purchase chili powder that has more heat so just look for it on the bottle if you want to kick up the spiciness of this seasoning.
- onion powder
- ground cumin – personally I don’t like a tin of cumin in my taco seasoning so this will be about your taste preference. If you like a stronger cumin flavor, add a bit more.
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika – I like the smokiness added to smoked paprika but you can use regular if you don’t like that additional flavor.
- kosher (or sea) salt – trying to control your salt? Just use less or remove it altogether for a no salt alternative.
- black pepper
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING:
Measure all of the ingredients into a lidded jar (I love my mason jars!) Shake until all ingredients are combined. It’s a good idea to put a sticker or label on the jar that identifies the seasoning but also how to use it. So for one pound of meat, you would use 3 Tablespoons of seasoning plus about 3/4 cup of water.
RECIPES FOR YOUR HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING:
MORE HOMEMADE INGREDIENTS:
- Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix
- Homemade Ranch Seasoning
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Homemade Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
- Homemade Apple Pie Spice
- Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
- Beau Monde Seasoning
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Homemade Bisquick
- Homemade Velveeta
- Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce
Originally published: June 2015
Updated photos and republished: April 2025
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- ½ cup chili powder
- ¼ cup onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt (or sea salt)
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
Instructions
- Measure 1/2 cup chili powder, 1/4 cup onion powder, 2 Tablespoons ground cumin, 2 Tablespoons garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 Tablespoons kosher salt and 1 Tablespoon black pepper into a lidded jar.
- Shake until all ingredients are combined.
Notes
- This recipe makes about one cup of seasoning.
- Before each use, give it a good shake.
- 3 Tablespoons of seasoning = 1 packet
- For one pound of taco meat, use 3 Tablespoons of seasoning plus about 3/4 cup of water.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I have tried several homemade taco seasoning mixes from posted recipes. This is one of my favorites. I think using the smoked paprika makes a big difference. I have always made my seasoning using the sweet paprika. Thanks for sharing. Your recipe is a keeper.
Thank you x
Can I have your recipe for your chili?
It would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you
Hi Doris! Sure, I have a couple. One for stovetop and one for crock pot. I will put both of the links here. Stovetop: https://www.thecountrycook.net/cafeteria-chili/ Crock Pot: https://www.thecountrycook.net/best-crock-pot-chili/
Excellent!! Been making for several years won’t use any other great flavor you won’t get in store bought.
Thanks it was good !!!
I love this taco seasoning recipe! I appreciate that it’s mild but flavorful! Thank you!
I also make my own taco seasoning. I started because I realized that I had a cupboard full of seasonings yet I was still buying those little packets from the store and I thought, “I’ll bet I’ve got all of these ingredients at home!” So the crazy thing was, the first time I made the seasoning from scratch, I noticed one VERY distinct difference: my meat didn’t turn orange! THAT got my attention! What had I been stirring into my meat that was making it change color like that? Never mind. My taco meat is now a nice browned color w/ bits of (re-hydrated) onion in it and I can name every ingredient. 🙂
Hello! I love this recipe I have made it before. I do have one question, though. How much does it make altogether? Because I am having a taco bar at my daughters graduation party and I need to know how much of this to make.
Thank you
How long can you keep this taco seasoning mix?
I haven’t tried this but am anxious to. I like that it doesn’t have MSG in it. I get mixed reviews on MSG & if it is gluten-free and/or if it causes a reaction. As I’m reading your blog I’m pushing on the side of my face trying to eat cause my Sjogren’s is acting up. I feel for you. And as you’ve probably learned, since this is an older post, there are LOTS of things that have gluten. I don’t even try anything that has natural flavorings unless it specifies what it is or if it’s gluten-free. Hope you’re doing well.
Hi there! Did you use to have a different taco seasoning recipe? I have part of on screen shot and it shows a jar with a handwritten label that says 3 TBSP seasoning and 1/3 c H2O. I made that recipe and my family loved! I think it was a little different ratios that what’s is in this recipe. I made this recipe last night and it’s seemed spicier so I was just confused! The screen shot I took shows this is where I got the original recipe from!
Thanks!!
I know this is an older post, I hope all is well. My question: do you have the graphic for the little jar tag? I have about 20 homemade seasoning mixes, and would love to label the jars with that.
Thanks!
Hi Pat! Thanks for asking! Let me see what I can do about that!
What size jars are these?
Hello, I just went gluten free and I wanted to let you know I love your taco seasoning. Also I have the hand issues and wanted to know the name of the medicine.thank you
I’d really love to try this. Do you have the appropriate ratios for smaller amounts? Say, something that makes maybe a quarter cup total?
This taco seasoning recipe is so amazingly good & just the right amount of spicy.
Thanks for sharing it!
Hi Marie! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review! So very happy you love it!
I know absolutely nothing about the topic of autoimmune illnesses. However I do have a question. The gluten in taco/Mexican seasoning packets might be to help thicken it a bit. What about using Masa? It is a corn product that is used to thicken chili in some recipes. Maybe it is gluten free?
Thank you for sharing. I do have Celiac disease and my sister has lupus so I do understand your post completely. Also I wanted to mention that besides your recipe gluten free it is just so much better for you then anything packaged which has added chemicals. Also most packaged items contain gluten.
This was really good – thank you!
I would love to use this recipe but I don't make tacos very often. Would you be able to break this down into a single dinner using 1 lb of ground beef?
You sure can, if you look in the post it tells you how to add per one pound of meat. Hope you enjoy!
You can certainly adjust the salt content for your tastes.
Very tasty!
Thanks Amanda- much love to you!
Thank you for the recipe I'm trying it now. So sorry to hear you have lupus I myself have Hashimoto's. I would recommend definitely researching it as I've been told that being gluten-free is pretty much necessity for most autoimmune disease. Anyway happy cooking and thanks again
Great tip Tammy!! Thanks so much!!
I've been recently diagnosed with Celiacs and am grateful when people make the effort to adjust recipes just for little 'ole me! This recipe is 'da bomb!
I wanted to share a little tip my friend from Mexico shared with me. She says all "REAL" Mexican food has a dash of cinnamon. I understand completely that this is a regional thing, but just a dash does add a little somethin' somethin' to the dish. You don't taste cinnamon but recognize that there is a little something different. We love it – give it a try and see what you think. 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe! I'm using it in your cornbread taco bake tonight. I can't wait to taste that yumminess! Smells divine!
I love your recipes and this one is no exception. I don't think I will buy the package stuff again. It would work perfectly for your pulled taco beef recipe.
I love the recipe.
I love making my own seasoning blends – I add a little sugar to my taco seasoning. And each time I make it, its every so slightly different, depending on how heavy handed I am with certain things! Good luck to you in your quest for health!!
This sounds delicious and I can not wait to try it out. I love all the recipes I found on here and I am tickled pink I found your blog. I can not wait to visit again.
Hope y'all love it! Michele, praying for your daughter. It is a constant struggle that I totally relate to!
I was wondering if I could cut the salt out of this recipe if it would taste ok. My husband is on a restricted sodium diet due to kidney stone. Has anyone ever tried to remove the salt?
Hey Jen! You could but if you have a salt substitute like the one that Morton makes that is sodium free or the brand “No Salt” which is also sodium free, then you should be able to still use those without sacrificing the flavor. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Pinned
Linda
Somehow I had misplaced my recipe for Taco Seasoning so Thank You for sharing your recipes.
Have a wonderful weekend
Sounds DELISH- I can't wait to try it Brandie! Definitely something we would use all the time.
My daughter has been diagnosed with POTS, which is also an auto-immune disease, but she's always had constipation issues so she recently decided to try gluten free. She tried it for a brief time and then started eating gluten again, she's a big bread lover. After she started back eating gluten she started having pain in her hands and has been told she probably has non-diabetic neuropathy. But anyway, she was looking for something for the pain in her hands until her dr. appointment and someone suggested something that she ordered on-line. In the mean-time she decided to get back off gluten since the hand pain didn't start until she started back on gluten. She received this stuff in the mail, cost sixty something dollars, and discovered it contains gluten. But she said she thinks it is helping, slightly, with her pain, and after spending that kind of money for it she's gonna go ahead and take it.
Also, I made some homemade pumpkin pie spice a few months ago. We like to put it in our breakfast but my granddaughter said she didn't like my homemade pumpkin pie spice.
I would like to know what product she ordered online that helped her with her hand pain. I have peripheral neuropathy in my hands and I’m looking for something that might help.
Pots is no joke. I hope your daughter is doing better.