Taco Meat Seasoning

A jar of Mexican seasonings layered in a jar like sand art.

This homemade Taco Meat Seasoning is bold and flavorful with 7 common pantry spices! It's perfect for traditional ground beef tacos.

Course Seasoning

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Mexican seasoning, taco meat seasoning

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings

Calories 16kcal

Author Jamie

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.

Notes

See the full blog post for ingredient notes and substitutions, expert tips, and FAQs.

This recipe makes enough taco seasoning for 4-5 pounds of ground taco meat.

Storage: Store leftover taco seasoning in a cool and dry location for up to 6 months for best flavor.

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. For an Americanized version, use an American-style "chili powder" blend. See the "how to make it" section of the blog post for detailed notes on chili powders.

Adding flour to the mix: If you want to incorporate flour into the seasoning mix for the saucy ground taco meat variation, add ¼ cup of all purpose flour (or GF flour) to the 1x version of this recipe. Then add 4 tablespoons of taco seasoning per pound of meat, plus ⅓ cup of water.

Optional ingredients: A pinch of sugar adds some sweetness.

Nutrition