Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

You'll love making your own healthy, homemade taco seasoning mix. No fillers, MSG, or weird chemicals--and you can make it as hot or mild as you like!

J-man (age 11) recently discovered a song called "It's Raining Tacos." (You can check it out here.)  I think our family would love it if it rained tacos--they request them every week when I'm meal planning.

Because we grow and dry a lot of our own herbs, I thought it would be fun to make my own taco mix. That way, I know exactly what's in it (no MSG or fillers, for example) and I can make it hot or mild, depending on our tastes.

It took a few tries (including some 4-alarm spicy fails!), and we ended up with this as our favorite combination of flavor and spice.

You can use this taco seasoning mix with beef, turkey, or chicken--ground or shredded. Yes, this is a great way to use up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving!

Tools Used to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix:

Here are the tools I recommend to make this recipe quickly and easily:

Wide-Mouthed Canning Jars: perfect for holding the seasoning and keeping it fresh

 

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

This makes enough seasoning mix for 1 pound of meat.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder (store-bought or homemade)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Cayenne pepper or dried jalapenos to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and store in a canning jar or other airtight container. Add to 1 pound of cooked hamburger or ground turkey with 1/2 cup of water and simmer until most of the water has evaporated.

 

 

If your family is taco-crazy like mine, you'll probably want to make a giant batch of taco seasoning mix and store it in the pantry.

Here's  a jumbo-sized version of the recipe:

Taco Seasoning Mix: Giant Batch

2 cups chili powder (store-bought or homemade)

1/4 cup cumin

1/4 cup coriander

scant 1/4 cup garlic salt

3 Tablespoons dried oregano

Cayenne pepper or dried jalapenos to taste (start with 1 Tablespoon)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and store in a canning jar or other airtight container. Add 1/4 cup of mix and 1/2 cup water for every pound of cooked hamburger or ground turkey. Simmer until most of the water has evaporated.

Other Uses for Taco Seasoning Mix

Because everything is better when it's taco-flavored. (Well, almost everything...)

Add 1/4 cup to flavor a batch of Crockpot Refried Beans

Mix with softened butter and spread on corn on the cob

Add to grilled chicken or steak for fajitas

Sprinkle on french fries or tater tots (if you like flavored fries, check out my favorite french fry seasoning)

Toss with roasted cauliflower

Spice up your baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

Yield: This makes enough seasoning mix for 1 pound of meat.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

You'll love making your own healthy, homemade taco seasoning mix. No fillers, MSG, or weird chemicals--and you can make it as hot or mild as you like!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper or dried jalapenos, to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients and store in a canning jar or other airtight container.
2. Add to 1 pound of cooked hamburger or ground turkey with 1/2 cup of water and simmer until most of the water has evaporated.
3. If your family is taco-crazy like mine, you’ll probably want to make a giant batch of taco seasoning mix and store it in the pantry.

Notes

Because everything is better when it’s taco-flavored:

• Add 1/4 cup to flavor a batch of Crockpot Refried Beans
• Mix with softened butter and spread on corn on the cob
• Add to grilled chicken or steak for fajitas
• Sprinkle on french fries or tater tots (if you like flavored fries, check out my favorite french fry seasoning)
• Toss with roasted cauliflower
• Spice up your baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.