Homemade Taco Seasoning

Put down the taco seasoning packet. Homemade taco seasoning is a genius culinary trick to have up your sleeve. It’s easy to make and it seasons meat and veggies wonderfully. This homemade taco seasoning recipe gives you all the essential seasonings and spices found in Mexican food, but once you master the basic recipe you can adjust the ratios as your tastebuds see fit. That’s the best part of making your own seasoning mix, after all!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Flour helps bind seasoning to food.
• Chili powder: A variety of chiles are used in store-bought chili powder and it provides a smoky, not spicy, flavor.
• Dried minced onion: Using minced onion instead of onion powder gives a little texture to your homemade taco seasoning.
• Garlic powder: Garlic powder is optional but gives this seasoning a burst of umami flavor.
• Dried oregano: For classic Mexican flavor, Mexican oregano is recommended for this recipe. Compared to Greek oregano, it has a fresh, more citrus-like flavor.
• Ground cumin: If you’re willing to go the extra step, toasting and grinding cumin seed yields a much more flavorful spice blend.
• Cayenne pepper: Cayenne pepper is spicy, so use as much or as little as you’d like. If you’re curious to try a popular spicy Mexican pepper, look for chile de árbol.
• Ground coriander: Coriander and cilantro can be often confused. When it comes to dry seasonings, coriander refers to the seed of the plant, which tastes more herbal and bright.

Directions

Step 1: Make the seasoning mix

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Combine the seasonings and spices using the proportions indicated in the ingredient list. Mix well and transfer to an airtight container.

Step 2: Prepare the tacos

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In a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add 1/4 cup of the homemade taco seasoning and some water. Bring the seasoned beef to boil, cooking and stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup beef mixture and toppings.

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Homemade Taco Seasoning Variations

• Substitute the all-purpose flour: Corn is one of the main ingredients and foods in Mexican cuisine so if you’d like, you can substitute the all-purpose flour with masa harina or corn flour.
• Switch-up the chiles: Experiment with different kinds of dried Mexican chiles like ancho, guajillo, pasilla and chipotle. Many of these are included in the famous Mexican sauce, mole.
• Make it from scratch: Get your hands on a dehydrator and make the entire recipe from scratch using whole ingredients, drying them and grinding them into the mixture.

How to Store Homemade Taco Seasoning

Store homemade taco seasoning in an airtight container and place it in a cool, dry and dark place. It’s likely that the rest of your spices and herbs are stored in similar conditions, so you can treat taco seasoning the same way.

How long does homemade taco seasoning last?

Stored in the right conditions, homemade taco seasoning can last up to 1 year. Moisture is a common enemy to dry rubs and seasonings, so you may want to intermingle the seasoning with dried rice or food grade silica packets to absorb any excess moisture.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Tips

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What can I use if I don’t have taco seasoning?

If you don’t have the taco seasoning blend on-hand and are pressed for time, feel free to use some single ingredient seasonings like paprika, chili powder or cumin. Or, you can give the popular Mexican seasoning, Tajin, a whirl—it’s popular on foods like guacamole, ceviche and elote.

What happens if I don’t add water to the taco seasoning?

You may be wondering why this step is necessary and the answer is pretty simple: it prevents the ground beef from getting dried out as it cooks. If you’d like to reduce how much water you use, keep the top on as the beef cooks so it traps and recirculates the moisture. That said, be sure to stir the beef occasionally so it cooks evenly.

What is the basic rule of adding seasoning?

Homemade taco seasoning mix and other powdered spice blends are easy to use but very delicate. The flavor easily degrades when exposed to heat. For this reason, it’s best to add the seasoning when a dish is almost finished cooking.