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Move aside store-bought seasonings, we don’t need you anymore! Make your own Taco Seasoning at home that tastes just as good *if not better* than the store-bought kind. You only need a few handful of Mexican spices, some salt, and yellow cornmeal. Perfect to use for Taco Tuesday, Crockpot Chicken Taco Meat or Taco Rice!
The Best Copycat Taco Seasoning
Do you do Taco Tuesdays? We sure do and boy do we make our way through loads of taco seasoning! But what happens when we run out? Why, I make my own of course!! I will admit that I try to keep at least one or two taco seasoning packets in my pantry for when I run out of the homemade or don’t have all the ingredients on hand to make it. It is definitely a life saver in a pinch, and there is definitely no judgement here but once you make this homemade version, you really won’t want to go back to store-bought. A quick glance at pre-made taco seasoning packet ingredients can give you an idea of how to go about making your own. The recipe I’m sharing today is my favorite combination of spices and I hope you love it as much as I do!
How to Make Taco Seasoning
I think you’ll recognize all of these ingredients and most likely already have jars in your spice cabinet waiting to be put to good use. All of these are common spices…even smoked paprika is easy to find nowadays.
For a complete ingredients list and measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.
Combine Ingredients + Stir
This hardly needs to be said, but combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Your homemade taco seasoning is ready to use in any recipe you would use taco seasoning!
How to Use Homemade Taco Seasoning
One recipe of this taco seasoning is enough for 1 pound of ground beef. Simply brown your ground beef, sprinkle in the seasoning, and stir. Add in 3/4 cup cold water and simmer until ready to serve.
If you buy lean ground beef, there’s no need to drain the fat but if you have a fattier kind of beef, feel free to drain it before adding in the seasoning and water. Also, your finished taco meat might seem a little saltier because after the meat has been browned and drained, you’ll be left with less meat if you’re using a fattier beef.
Can I make a big batch of this?
Yes, I’d definitely recommend making a triple or quadruple batch (or even bigger!) of this recipe. You’ll just have to remember that 3 1/2 tablespoons of this taco seasoning is the amount you’ll sprinkle into your meat to season it properly. I’d recommend making one batch first to see how you like it and then go from there.
How to Store Taco Seasoning
Just like any seasoning or dried herb, you’ll want to store this in an airtight container in a cool, dark cabinet or drawer. It will last for months as long as it’s sealed up well.
Love Tacos? Try These Tasty Sides:
- Blender Salsa
- Fresh Tomato Salsa
- Amazing Pico de Gallo
- Classic Guacamole Recipe
- Mexican Street Corn
- Mexican Street Corn Casserole
- Mexican Street Corn Guacamole
I’d love for you to try this and give it a star review! Be sure to save/bookmark/print/pin/share this recipe. I love it and think you will too.
Have a great day, friends! Happy taco making!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal finely ground
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano Mexican Oregano is preferred, but not required
- 1 teaspoon salt course ground kosher
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Measure out all spices and ingredients into a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place.
This was great – will be my ‘go to’ taco seasoning!
We use ground chicken to make our tacos. Would you recommend the same 3-1/2 Tablespoons seasoning plus 3/4 cup of water when using the ground chicken? Thank you so much!
Yes!
Bless you, Lauren. I’m making taco soup tonight for my husband’s aunt, who is GF. But guess who didn’t have any GF taco seasoning?
Thanks for coming in clutch!
Isn’t Paprika dried bell pepper?
Made this when my son was home from college and it certainly passed the taste test! I will use this recipe from now on. Very easy to put together with ingredients I had in my cupboard.
Is this comparable to the *mild* McCormick seasoning, heat wise? My kids love that one, but every homemade mix I’ve tried has been WAY to hot for them.
I’m hoping this is what I’ve been searching for!
It depends how spicy your chili powder is! If you have a mild one, then its mild! Also double check your paprika to make sure its smoked not spicy!
Hi,
I see one of your taco recipes calls for a Lime Mojito Seasoning, but I can’t find the recipe for that. Would you be so kind as to send me your link to it? Thanks so much.
Fish Tacos! https://laurenslatest.com/mojito-lime-fish-tacos/
Hi Lauren..love your family and your recipes. My one wish is that you would make the recipes shareable. I share them to my facebook page and refer to recipes on that site. Like if I want to make a dessert, your coconut cake doesn’t come up because I couldn’t “share” it. Unless there is a specific reason you are not able to share, it would so easy for many people to refer back to the recipes quickly and easily. Just a thought…have a wonderful day😊
You can just copy and paste the link! But, yes, I am working on it 🙂 You can also find the recipes on my FB page and share them from there as well.
This sounds great! I love tacos, and I love even more than eating them, cooking them homemade! I usually add some Vigo Yellow Rice with Saffron, and a can of Goya black beans. As for seasonings, I will use your recipe, but I don’t have access to smoked paprika. I have regular paprika, but I don’t think that’s very flavorful, so could I use 1 packet of Goya Sazon instead of the smoked paprika?