I’m at church camp this week, loving life, swatting bugs, and trying to stay hydrated. While I’m gone, you can enjoy a re-posting of some of our most popular time-saving, money-saving, healthier eating mix recipes…
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Originally posted April, 2010
Save money by making your own taco seasoning mix. It is SO easy! And healthy! And you can put it in a jar (my favorite part)! Actually, even if you don’t have a jar obsession like I do, I recommend putting this mix in a jar as the flavors are strong and will absorb into a plastic container, or mingle with other items it may be sitting beside in your pantry.
Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
- ½ cup chili powder
- ¼ cup onion powder
- ⅛ cup ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- Put all ingredients into a jar and shake!
Um, after you put a lid on…then shake. The jar. Shake the jar. With the lid securely on the jar.
Three Tablespoons of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix is equal to one 4-ounce package of taco seasoning mix. I would recommend adding 3 Tablespoons of mix to one pound of browned ground meat for tacos.
I would also recommend shaking again before each use to make sure the spices are well distributed throughout the mix.
The jar. Shake the jar. You can shake all you want, but if you don’t shake the jar, your spices won’t be distributed evenly.
Just wanted to be sure I made the instructions clear in regard to the shaking.
Great. I can see it now. Husbands everywhere will walk into the kitchen and see their wives shaking (boogie down).
He will look questioningly at his wife, smile and say,
“Taco night again?!”
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Recipes that use Taco Seasoning Mix
- Tacos, obviously :)
- Taco Quesadillas
- Taco Corn Fritters
- Taco Potatoes
- Taco Potato Skillet
- Easy Cheesy Bean Dip
- Healthier Cheese Dip
- Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Taco Salad
As you can see, having this seasoning mix on hand is super helpful. Just grab it, shake it, and stir it into whatever you are cooking. Love it!
This reminds me of Amelia Bedelia… one of my favorite books as a child.
Dear Laura,
I was just wondering if you would recommend that we shake this mixture before using it?
Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yes, shaking would be a good idea.
I just love your posts! Thanks for making me smile! :)
I love to dance while I’m cooking!
Sooooo excited about this!!! Can’t wait to try!!! By the way, I also now LOVE jars! You did this to me!!! :)
Any seasoning requiring this much shaking MUST be yummy!
thanks!! by the way just made your tortilla recipe. Very nice!
Oh Laura you are too funny. I love the idea of making homemade taco seasoning. I make mexican food, so it is nice to know that it will be healthier. How many times do we shake?lol
lol
You crack me up!
Laura- I’ve been hearing some about on a radio program I listen to about sea salt being PINK…looks like you link to some that’s pink….. Does that mean brands like Hains is not real sea salt because its not pink? Just wonderin’ where this “pink” comes in and if its worth paying extra for Hains.
;-)
The redmonds real sea salt I use is a little bit pink I guess…mostly it is just multicolored – gray and black and another shade of gray…
Which gives it an appearance of pink I suppose. My understanding is that it is THE BEST QUALITY salt you can get. It comes directly from the sea and is not processed AT ALL. I’m not sure about Hain brand and how it is processed. I haven’t looked into it.
I went through a culinary course online and if I recall they showed several different colors of sea salt. I think it depends on where it comes from (location). Some will be higher quality than others but for the type of cooking we do at home I don’t think it matters if you have the super high quality salts. A regular sea salt should be alright. I actually use an iodized sea salt because I don’t want us to neglect the need for iodine for our thyroid health just to have sea salt. I can just imagine that the future of the country is next going to be a bunch of people walking around with goiters because they all use sea salt and are lacking iodine in their diets. lol Hope this helped.
Hmmm I always season my meat when I dump it in the pan.
Laura, I’ve been looking for jars. My local grocery store HAS jars, but only regular plastic lids, I wanted the wide mouth jars.
What have you done to me? lol First I’m making bread, then last week, I went to the Christmas Tree Shop, (high end Dollar Store lol) and I bought TWO GLASS loaf pans ($2.99 each!). Now I’m looking for jars! lol
I made tacos this week and used up my last packet of seasoning. And I was thinking I should make my own. You read my mind!
I am so excited about a homemade taco seasoning! We LOVE tacos at our house, but I hate having to buy a packet of seasoning every time! Thanks! :)
HEHE!!! :) Shakin!
As a vegan, I will post that I love homemade taco seasoning on beans for great burritos, and mixes well with Boca crumbles for use on nachos and tacos.
But my favorite way to use taco seasoning?
Cheesy Oozy Guacamole Dip recipe found on http://www.thekindlife.com
super yummy!
Dear Jar Sister,
I’m so glad I’ve found you. You seem to know exactly what I need when I need it. I spent $2.99 on a package of organic taco seasoning last week and said “NEVAH AGAIN!” Thank!
Blessings
V (homeschooling mom of 4 who is a recovering pepsi-oholic and refuses to admit to her jar problem)
YUM! Thanks! This weekend I’m making your ranch dressing/dip mix and this too! Can’t wait!
Shake, shake, Baby!
I love it Laura! You are hilarious! You are also a HUGE blessing to our family. Thank you for your posts and your humor. You make me smile! :)
I shall be making taco seasoning. I checked out the back of my current taco seasoning, ummm I can’t pronounce any of it! Thank you!
You are too funny. What I imagined was hundreds of woman who stood up from the computers so they could shake as you instructed them. :-)
I’ve been making my own taco seasoning for a couple of years. So much better than the packets that I use to think I loved. I add black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and a little corn starch to mine though. Adds a little extra heat and helps to thicken the sauce a bit.
Now I’m in the mood for tacos! :)
How long do you think it would last on the shelf? We don’t use a lot of taco seasoning, and that looks like a lot in that jar! :)
I don’t know why this wouldn’t last for a long, long time (months and months!). And…the jar in the picture is a DOUBLED recipe…I made twice as much, so that is what is in the picture!
Thanks for the dry mix recipes. I have been making my own mixes since I got a dehydrator last year and hadn’t found a good taco seasoning recipes that I really liked.
LOL, you are so funny!
Thanks for this recipe. Last time I used store bought packets, I looked in the back and it has so much sodium and other junk stuff! I will have to give away the rest of the packets that I have.
Thank you for the giggle…
My hubby want’s to know how many times this needs shaking. ;)
I just had to pop in and share that I used this taco mix tonight for Tex Mex Turkey burgers. YUM! I applied it heavely to mine and the Hubs burgers on both sides and just a little on the boys. Then I mixed in about 1/2 tsp with a few spoonfuls of Mayo and mixed to spread on the toasted buns! They were GREAT burgers! Thanks so much for this recipe. And I bought my first set of canning jars today!!! :)
My 16-year-old thinks you are hilarious, and she wants to be the one to SHAKE this recipe! ;-)
Just an FYI. I was looking for this recipe – because I KNEW I had seen it here and need it for tonight. :-) This recipe is not linked up through the recipes tab at the top – at least not under condiments or main dishes. I am excited to make this. I have wasted so much money over the years on taco seasoning packets! So one more change for the better for our house.
Laura,
Every time I make this mix I’m going to think of you and smile. On taco night in homes that follow the heavenly homemaker, there’s gonna be well, a whole lotta shakin goin on! Apologies to Jerry Lee Lewis. :)
Is this recipe spicy hot? Just wondering. I don’t like anything spicy at all so I wanted to check before I make it. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you provide. Made your zucchini bread this weekend and it turned out great.
Naw, not too spicy hot at all. My kids can handle it and most of them don’t like spicy food!
Thanks again for the recipes. My husbands family has a tradition of drawing names and are required to be homemade gifts. I love crafts, but guys can be tough. Food is never a bad thing for guys. (and I’m sure that they secretly like to shake too) I’m giving food baskets this year and have really appreciated all the mixes I’ve found on your site. Thanks again. You have a wonderful sense of humor.
Would you add water to this like you would a packaged taco seasoning?
I don’t add water, but you certainly could. I just sprinkle it on the meat once it’s browned and let it simmer a bit.
Great! So how about chili seasoning?
:)
Thanks for the recipe! My mom is on a GF diet and has said that you can’t be too sure of what is added to any mixed spices, including taco seasoning. Not only is this much cheaper, but I know it’s safe to use when cooking if she comes to visit!
I finally made a batch of this great taco mix tonight. It was perfect. My husband needs to eat low sodium and this mix has much less than store brands. I reduced the salt to 1/2 a tsp and it was still great. I also like that there are no other mysterious ingredients you can sometimes find in those packets. Thank you!
I think that your homemade taco seasoning would make a lovely gift layered in the jar. It was so pretty I almost didn’t want to shake it!
So easy!
Where do you purchase your bulk spices? Would you recommend buying those organic as well?
I recommend Mountain Rose Herbs for bulk spices and yes, organic is best if possible: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=116329
I. LOVE. your sense of humor!! Seriously. It is way cool, and I am copying these recipes for my husband, who by the way loves to cook. Thank you thank you thank you and did I say thank you?? No? Then THANK YOU!
Love your website!! I love jars!! A friend just told me a couple of hours ago and I can’t stop lookin! I’m so excited! Will any jar work do you use a certain kind and certain lid?
Thank you
Meagen
Any jar will do! :)
I laughed so hard I nearly cried! :D
Thanks for your recipes.. YES jars are required for lots of things..I store spices I get at from the Asian market (in baggies in them they stay fresh longer…) plus you can see what is in the jar. I use mason jars for storing just about anything including soups that I just made as well as my morning shakes…:O) They freeze well too…
Thanks for the recipe. Just made it, and will try it tonight!
Just adding my 2 cents on jars (not for canning, but for storing): I save Trader Joe’s 10oz. fruit spread jars (I have tons) for homemade salad dressings, and for my freshly squeezed lemon for my water, etc. I also use used baby jars for my homemade coconut oil/aloe vera gel face/body lotion mixture [from Eat Fat, Lose Fat, by Dr. Mary Enig & Sally Fallon]:).
I hope to learn canning (with mason jars) this summer.
Thank you for your wonder & helpful website! Blessings!
Laura, I love finding new recipes of yours and reading the instructions you write. LOL! thanks for keeping us laughing :)
Laura, What chili powder do you use? Ancho Chili powder? I was looking up some and that seems to be a more mild powder (which I like). What’s you’re experience been with this?
I guess I’m not sure. I just have a container of “organic chili powder” that I use. Not sure what exactly it is!! :)
Really hate packaged products. So thankful for your site. I use more and more recipes off of here weekly. Just found the taco seasoning one. Have stopped having taco related items cause I refuse to buy the packages of seasoning. Very excited to find this. Today, I am making zucchini boats stuffed with taco meat (ground chicken and this taco seasoning) going to add some fresh chopped tomatoes as well…YUMMY…getting hungry just thinking of dinner and it is only 10:30 am here
I’ve been using this for everything! I put it in my rice while cooking to make rice and beans, I put it into tomato sauce to make red enchilada sauce, inside my meat mix for Mexican mini-meatloaves, who knows what next. I love this mix!
Being very discriminating, I picked up on your hint to shake the jar. However, I am wondering- is the mix in your photo properly shaken? The reason I ask is that my finished mix is much redder in color than yours- if that makes sense? I am worried that I got my proportions wrong. Or did the flash just wash the color out of yours? Thanks for a great homemade version!
Mine had been sitting a while when I took that picture – when I scoop it out to use it, it does look much more red than what is pictured here. I’m sure yours is just fine!
Actually, us husbands will be saying, let’s have tacos again tonight.
Keep up the shakin’.
My husband is on a low sodium diet, thanks for these mixes. We can still have the taste and control the sodium. Thankz
How much seasoning would you use for 1 pound of meat, water?
I usually use 3 Tablespoons of seasoning in one pound of meat. I don’t usually add water, so I’m not sure how much water to advise.
Is there a recipe for homemade chili seasoning? I searched for it on this site, and it only brought up the taco seasoning.
I don’t yet have a recipe for chili seasoning. :)
Do you use organic spices?
THANKS!
Yes I do, but you wouldn’t have to if you don’t have them on hand.
Thanks Laura. We made your taco corn fritters tonight and the kids loved them!
How long does this keep? I’m assuming as long as the spices in the recipe were dated on their own containers?
This will keep for months!
Laura, can you give measurements if you only wanted to make it for 1 or 2 meals??
I don’t know exact measurements, but I’d just put in a few shakes of each of the spices after my meat is cooked and call it good!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe! My husband is sensitive to MSG and we both find taco seasoning packets too salty. We tried it this evening and we all liked it – even the 19 1/2 month old.
I LOVE your post here — your personality comes right through!! What a great sense of humor. Your hubby is blessed to have such a fun spouse!
I have been looking for a recipe like this. I really am not a huge fan of the packets..I have tried to figure it out on my own but it just didn’t taste right. Thanks a bunch! I enjoyed your shaking instructions!!
Do you need to add water to this like you do with packets?
I don’t add water, but you sure could if you want to.
My gluten free family thanks you!!! Who would have thought those packets in the store contain gluten….we can now have real tacks again!
My gluten free family thanks you!!! Who would have thought those packets in the store contain gluten….we can now have real tacos again!
I just made your taco seasoning but made it smaller and fudged with the spices cause I had different stuff. It was really good. We had it with Santa Fe Mixed Veg. that has black beans and corn, flour tortillas, shredded cheddar cheese and salsa. I found you by googling “homemade taco seasoning”. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Now I’m going to check out what else you have.
May I ask what chili powder you use and where you get it? I’m making my own but it’s almost the same ingredients as the taco seasoning. Thanks!
I use Simply Organic chili powder from Tropical Traditions (http://tinyurl.com/3z3n3u5). Ingredients are: Organic chili powder, organic cumin, organic oregano, organic coriander, organic garlic, silicon dioxide, organic allspice, organic cloves.
Hi! I have been using your recipe for a couple of months and shared it on my blog today! Thanks for sharing!
Gonna have to try this after we used up the huge container of taco seasoning I bought from Sams
Would you say this seasoning is mild, medium or hot? Hoping it’s mild since that would work better for us :) Thanks!
It is mild. :)
Put in a decorative jar, this along with your other seansoning mixtures would make wonderful Christmas gifts.
How long are these spices good for once they are in the jar?
I find that they last for several months (unless we use it up first!).
I LOVE this mix. I use it for way more than just tacos, and have been using it for over a year now. Thanks!
I’m just curious if you could recommend a substitute for onions,(powder, minced, etc.) My son is allergic and it seems EVERYTHING contains onion…. I leave it out, but it leaves a lot of things lacking flavor wise.
Thank you
Jo
Oh wow, that’s a tough one! I don’t know of anything, but hopefully someone else will spot this comment and have a suggestion!
I made this the other day and used it without the onion powder. It didn’t affect the taste at all.
I came across you recipe on Pinterest. We go through a lot of taco seasoning so I doubled the recipe. It is great! I really like that it’s mild because the store bought ones are so spicy!
How much do you use for 1 pound of ground beef?
I use 2-3 Tablespoons.
Hi I was wondering about a post today, it is about food and ordering from costo and amazon; is the yellow tuna that you like so much, mild and the solid white type? I do not like the dark and strong type? And thank you for all the great recipes for real food for people who work!! Thanks, Susan H
The tuna I like is yellowfin. It has a mild flavor and the least amount of mercury from the research I’ve done. https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/my-favorite-tuna-is-on-sale-plus-other-great-coupons-i-found
Am making this seasoning mix right now but wanted to point out that in Australia Chili Powder is well, just chili ! So this mix made to recipe quantities would be a HOT Taco Seasoning.. Thanks
Does this taste similar to the store bought packets of taco mix? We really love the taste of the store packets. I have tried homemade recipes before and been disappointed. Also, are the heath benfits of organic spices really that much different than the ones at local stores? I was looking at your lists of prices on organic foods, and every item is so much more expensive than what I pay for non organic food-it is very discouraging. We are on a very tight budget, and have eleven people to feed, so organic food is out of the question mostly. Most of my family are not into eating a lot of health food, so I have to buy regular foods and snacks, plus whatever healthier foods we need.
I haven’t had store-bought seasoning for quite some time, but as far as I remember its taste, I would say this homemade version is very similar. The older/bigger my kids get, the fewer organics I purchase. I would say to simply stick with whole food ingredients in cooking, whether they are organic or not – because that is a very healthy focus and is much more doable on the budget!
Hi Laura! We are a big fan of this mix in our house and I enjoyed sharing your blog with my readers on my frugality post. I send everyone to your recipes – we use a bunch of them! Keep up the good work, you are a good inspiration to me! :)
Hi Laura! We are a big fan of this mix in our house and I enjoyed sharing your blog with my readers on my frugality post. I send everyone to your recipes – we use a bunch of them! Keep up the good work, you are a good inspiration to me! :)
http://risingeden.com/2015/10/01/6-frugal-tips-september/
Ack! Sorry for the double post! :)
Hi Laura, how many lbs of beef do you think the entire recipe will serve? I’m making 30 lbs of taco meat for a combined graduation party, and need to know how many times to double the recipe. Thanks!
Hey Carrie!
I added up all the ingredients, and for one batch of this recipe you would have 17 Tablespoons worth of taco seasoning. I usually add 2 T per pound of meat, so if I was making 30 lbs of beef, I would want to quadruple this recipe. Hope that helps!
-Bethany (HH Team)
I’d double it just once and use it all for the 30 pounds of meat! :)