This homemade Taco Meat Seasoning is bold and flavorful using 7 common pantry spices! It's perfect for ground beef tacos, and can be used with ground turkey or sprinkled over shrimp, chicken, and even chickpeas.
With optional instructions for adding flour and a little water to make saucy ground beef tacos, this recipe and guide will help you find your family's perfect blend!
Tacos are a year-round staple in my home, and this taco meat seasoning is always on hand. I make big batches and we use it every week! It's designed after my favorite Siete taco seasoning packet and while it has a little heat, it's not too spicy.
For more amazing Mexican inspired recipes, you'll love my Tex-Mex recipe category! You'll find Blackened Shrimp Tacos and a Chipotle Copycat Cilantro Lime Rice, plus my favorite Quinoa Stuffed Peppers recipe and this mouthwatering Easy Enchilada Casserole with Homemade Enchilada Sauce.
Into DIY seasonings? I think you'll love my homemade Seasonings + Sauces category! Check out my DIY Italian Seasoning Substitute and Ranch Seasoning without buttermilk powder.
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How to make it (with photos)
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This taco meat seasoning recipe uses 8 pure spice ingredients.
Chili Powder
I used 100% Ancho chili powder in my taco seasoning mix. However, it is common to use a blend of ancho and guajillo chili powders. The specific amounts are usually customized to fit individual preferences for heat and sweetness.
American style chili powder blends are labeled as "chili powder" in the USA. These are a combination of pure chili powders and other ingredients already in this recipe. Use it for a milder Americanized flavor or if it's what you have on hand.
Ancho Chili Powder is a smoky, mild chili that's great in chili recipes, taco seasonings, and more! I recommend buying this one as your first intro to real chili powders.
Guajillo Chili Powder has a medium heat and sweeter fruity flavor notes.
Chipotle Chili Powder is HOT and best used in small amounts and in combination with other chili powders. Do not use 100% chipotle chili powder in this recipe. Use just a pinch if you know it well or are feeling adventurous.
More spice ingredients
- paprika - Paprika can be smoked or not. You can also use tomato powder as a substitute.
- ground cumin - This is a must in taco seasoning!
- dried parsley - I like the nice depth of flavor added by dried parsley in this recipe. You can also use dried oregano in place of parsley.
- flour (optional) - Flour is sometimes used as an optional thickener for a saucier taco meat. This is my preferred way to make taco meat seasoning and I included instructions and amounts in the notes. I uses Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour and it works just as well as regular all purpose flour.
You also need salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make taco meat seasoning (and use it!) with these easy steps.
- Mix the seasoning: In a glass jar or bowl, add all of the seasoning ingredients. Stir or whisk well to mix thoroughly.
- Taco meat + spice: For 1 pound of ground taco meat, add 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning once the meat is cooked. Mix together well and cook for an additional 1-3 minutes for best flavor.
- Saucy Taco Meat Variation: For a saucy ground taco meat, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour (or gluten-free all purpose flour) and ⅓ cup of water along with 3 tablespoons of seasoning. Reduce heat to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Expert Tips
Make your perfect taco meat seasoning on the first try with these expert tips!
Use your sense of smell.
Since 80% of your sense of taste comes from your sense of smell, if it smells better, it will probably taste better too. Hold an open spice jar up to your premade spice mix to see if you like how they smell together. If you do, add it to your mix!
Use this trick to determine if you want dried parsley or oregano (or both!) in your homemade taco meat seasoning.
Start with less.
If there's an ingredient you're not sure of, or you're new to cooking with pure chili powders like ancho or guajilla, start with less. Try only 1-2 tablespoons of chili powder and add more based on smell and taste.
Use the same method if you're sensitive to paprika, cumin, salt, etc.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this homemade taco meat seasoning. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftover taco seasoning in a sealed container in a cool dry location for up to 6 months. If storing for a long time, it's best to buy new spices so the individual spices are fresh.
This Mexican seasoning blend can be used on meats, seafood, black beans, veggies, tofu, corn, and more! Any time you want an extra punch of Mexican flavor or a replacement for a packet of taco seasoning, this recipe is perfect. It also makes a great seasoning for taco soup and my Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.
Originally, this recipe was meant to be a copycat of my favorite store-bought seasoning packet. However, it became quickly apparent how many fillers and old spices were in those mixes! We tested the packet and homemade version on our neighbors as part of a taco bar, and this was hands-down the BEST taco seasoning. In fact, we had requests for more meat (when there was still some of the packet stuff left) and ended up gifting seasoning to neighbors afterward.
Related Tex-Mex recipes to consider...
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Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Taco Meat Seasoning
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons chili powder , Ancho chili powder or an American style blend -- see notes
- 1 ½ tablespoons paprika , can be smoked paprika or regular, or sub tomato powder
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 ¾ teaspoon dried parsley or oregano
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix the seasoning: In a glass jar or bowl, add all of the seasoning ingredients. Stir or whisk well to mix thoroughly.
- Taco meat + spice: For 1 pound of ground taco meat, add 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning once the meat is cooked. Mix together well and cook for an additional 1-3 minutes for best flavor.
- Saucy Taco Meat Variation: For a saucy ground taco meat, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour (or gluten-free all purpose flour) and ⅓ cup of water along with 3 tablespoons of seasoning. Reduce heat to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Nancy says
This homemade taco seasoning was a real hit! I made it for family night and everyone loved the saucy version. Then my son went home and made a packet of his usual stuff and said it was terrible by comparison. Good thing I gave him my leftover enchilada sauce from the previous week to save the day!