Authentic Mexican Taco Seasoning

Sazonador Casero para Tacos

Never use taco seasoning packets again. Blend your own taco seasoning. It’s super easy and you can adjust it to your exact taste. Prepare it with eight pantry spices and mix in five minutes. It’s low sodium friendly, too.

Mild to Spicy – Your Choice

You start with a mild base of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, black pepper, ground cumin, dried parsley, and dried oregano. Then, you add or subtract spices as desired. Perfect for preparing ground beef or shredded chicken taco fillings.

In Mexico, we don’t actually use a lot of pre-made spice mixes but this taco spice mix made from scratch is a great one to have on hand. It’s versatile and you can use it for more than just seasoning taco meat.

Why No Chili Powder?

You’ll notice the base blend has no chili powder. That’s intentional. Red pepper flakes are listed as optional, only for people who want heat in the meat itself. The reason being that when you eat tacos you typically will top them with your favorite salsa which already has chilis in it. If the spice mix also has chili peppers you are doubling up on spice and heat.

A Simple Ingredient List

Here are the spices you will need for the blend. All are common pantry items. It’s a very flexible mix. Think of the ingredient quantities as recommendations and a great starting point. You can add a little more or a little less of each ingredient to get the exact flavor profile you want.

Core Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon lemon pepper
• ½ tablespoon black pepper
• ½ tablespoon ground cumin
• ½ tablespoon dried parsley
• ½ tablespoon dried oregano

Optional Ingredients

• Salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to add heat. Keep in mind that adding pepper flakes or chili powder will give your dish a double dose of heat if you are also going to add salsa to your dish like you typically would to tacos.

It Starts as a No Sodium / Low Sodium Taco Seasoning Spice Mix

The recipe also intentionally doesn’t include salt, which increases the versatility of the seasoning so that it can be used in many dishes and it allows you to salt your dishes exactly to your preferences. Don’t think of it as underseasoned, think of it as ready to be seasoned exactly to your liking.

If you are on a no sodium or low sodium diet, this seasoning mix is a great option to control the amount of salt. Note: This recipe calls for lemon pepper and some lemon pepper mixes contain salt. Look for the salt-free versions if you are concerned about salt.

How We Use Salt With the Mix to Season and Develop Flavor

We like to add ½ teaspoon of salt to the mix and then add salt to the final dish as needed. To avoid oversalting your dish, add ½ tsp. of salt, then give the dish a taste. Continue adding a ½ tsp. as needed and tasting each time until the flavor pops and the level of saltiness is just right for you.

How to Make Homemade Mexican-Style Taco Seasoning

The seasoning is super easy to put together. First, rub the oregano and parsley between the palms of your hands until they are nearly a powder.

Then put all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir until the ingredients are equally dispersed. That’s it. Easy peasy.

Your seasoning mix is ready to use. We like to use 1 tablespoon of seasoning per 1 pound of meat. You can use more or less depending on how you like your food seasoned.

Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 months. Small Mason jars are great for storing your mix.

How Much to Use?

We like to use 1 tablespoon of the spice blend per pound of meat, which gives your meat a well-balanced flavor. The flavor doesn’t fade into the background but it doesn’t overpower the other flavors of a dish. If you want a bolder more flavor forward seasoning, use 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of the mix.

Packet equivalence – 1 to 2 tablespoons of seasoning mix equals 1 store-bought packet. Note: Most store-bought packets already contain salt. You will have to add salt to your liking with our recipe.

How to Cook Taco Meat With This Seasoning

This blend is salt-free, pure spice, so a little goes a long way. Here’s the basic method for 1 pound of meat:

1. Brown 1 pound of ground beef, turkey, or chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
2. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and about ⅓ to ½ cup of water.
3. Stir to coat, then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the liquid reduces and the meat is glossy and evenly coated.
4. Taste and add salt to finish, since the blend has none, until the flavor pops.

For shredded chicken: rub 1 tablespoon per pound over boneless chicken, poach or simmer until cooked through, then shred and toss with a splash of the cooking liquid and salt to taste. For a saucier filling, try our chicken tinga.

This batch makes about 10 tablespoons, enough to season 8 to 10 pounds of meat, or roughly five store-bought packets’ worth.

Many Uses for Your DIY Taco Seasoning

You can use this taco seasoning mix for more than just taco meat. It’s a great flavor booster for the following dishes:

• Beef tacos.
• Chicken tacos.
• Chicken fajitas.
• Carne asada.
• Seasoning meatloaf. This will give your meatloaf a big flavor boost.
• As a rub for baked chicken.
• Seasoning for shrimp. Great for making shrimp tacos.
• Seasoning roasted vegetables. It's particularly good on roasted red potatoes.
• Seasoning lentils.
• Seasoning beans.
• To replace chili powder when making chili.
• Making soups.
• Use it just about on any dish when you need a flavor boost.

You’ll never want to use a store-bought packet of taco seasoning again. This blend is too easy and too delicious.

It Makes a Great Gift

A batch of your homemade mix in a pretty glass jar makes a great gift for someone in your life who loves to cook.

What else will you use it for? Let us know!

Taco Seasoning FAQ

More Taco Fillings

• Chicken Tinga
• Rajas con Queso
• Shredded Beef

More Mexican Seasoning Mixes

• Fajita Seasoning