My son, in particular, loves tacos. Hard, soft, he doesn’t care, but he has a particular affinity for tacos made from ground beef, and a love of deep, rich flavors and just a little heat. (More heat as he’s gotten older! Can that kid go through the Sriracha now that he’s in his 20’s!) So we started making our Taco Seasoning Homemade, and don’t worry about that little mention of heat and Sriracha; this Homemade Taco Seasoning is family-friendly.

Taco Seasoning Homemade

I have a hard time turning down a taco, too. Any taco. Ground Beef, Chicken, Shredded Beef, Pork, or a veggie version. It doesn’t matter to me, they’re all delish. The only thing is, I do have a hard time shelling out my hard-earned dollars for a packet of Taco Seasoning from the store that isn’t anything more than a few spices I already have at home. Is anyone out there with me, here?

About Taco Seasoning Homemade Version:

The first time we ever made our own homemade taco seasoning, that son was just a kid. Seven or so. We were making tacos and realized, yep, you see where this is going, we were out of the packets! Not to be deterred, and this was pre-internet, I looked at some of my favorite Mexican recipes and pulled the spices from them. One of those is our beloved Picadillo Tacos, which is on my site now.

Picadillo Tacos with home-fried taco shells

Mexico doesn’t really have a tradition of ground beef tacos as we have here in the States, but they do have Picadillo, which is a ground beef mixture pretty famous throughout Latin America (especially Cuba) from the Islands to Mexico. We riffed off those fun spices for this mix and perfected it by having tacos about once a week for several weeks until we got it just “right” for our family. I still remember how excited my son was to taste each new variation. He was so proud of it.

We still use this seasoning in our house as our “HouseTaco Seasoning,” and I’m pretty proud of it, too. It’s just a bit different than most standard taco seasonings, although it contains most of the “usual suspects,” (That was a great movie!), which are the common spices you’ll see in many taco seasonings.

It’s not hot but does have a bit of a kick, and I think it’s just perfect for a family. Try it once, and up the amount of cayenne and red pepper if you’d like. If you’re looking for something a little more serious, try out our Smokin’ Chipotle Taco Seasoning.

Taco Seasoning Homemade

Why Should I Make this Homemade?

I already mentioned several reasons, including cost, replacement, flavor, and controlling the heat. You might have stopped by here for the same reason I initially made my own. I ran out. But you might find out, like I did, that there are other reasons you should keep making your own:

• Homemade is less expensive than store-bought, even more so if you have bought the initial spices at a great price.
• The recipe is nothing more than standard spices that you may have on hand; many can be bought in larger bulk containers.
• Mixes and blends like this are a great way to keep using those spices you have in your cupboard, so they don’t languish.
• Homemade Taco Seasoning couldn’t be faster or simpler to make. Just measure, dump, and mix.
• Your own seasoning is going to be fresher than any store-bought packet.
• You get to control both the sodium and the sugar in your mix and other ingredients if you are dealing with allergies or other considerations.
• It’s clean, and you can pronounce every ingredient in this homemade version.
• You can easily customize it to your family’s taste and heat level.

Why Sugar, Salt & Cornstarch?:

First of all, you don’t have to use any of the three if you don’t wish to.

• The sugar adds a bit of spark to your final recipe, but can be easily omitted or substituted with a different type of sweetener.
• There is salt, but not much. You can omit or substitute if you have concerns about sodium, substitute a different salt if that fits your standard, or use more salt if you have no worries about it.
• The cornstarch does two things. It helps to keep your mixture free-flowing, and it is the ingredient that “thickens” the taco seasoning so it clings to your ground beef or other protein. You can substitute with arrowroot, potato starch, or simply leave it out.

How to Use Homemade Taco Seasoning:

It’s fabulous in our classic Homemade Tacos when we go all out with our own shells and the works, see this post on Our Family’s Favorite Taco.

This Taco Seasoning (Homemade) is pretty straightforward and works with almost any taco with any protein.

It’s also versatile enough to flavor other Mexican/American or Southwestern dishes, and can save you from pulling out every spice jar in your kitchen.

Taco Seasoning Homemade

Saving Money on Taco Seasoning Homemade:

I buy spices and herbs that I use often in my spice mixes and rubs in larger jugs. That’s onion and garlic powder, and/or flakes of either, paprika, dried parsley, and cumin. I have small “working” jars in my spice cupboard and keep the larger jugs or jars up in a cool, dark cupboard. The larger quantities stay fresher longer because they’re out of the heat and light and aren’t constantly being opened.

I buy some of these spices at the buyer’s club; the prices are usually great. Sometimes I’ll pick them up at the grocery store. Look for the larger jars on the lower shelves. I’ve even found them from time to time at the dollar stores.

Catalina Sales:

Watch for spices to go on sale around holidays and replenish any that are getting low. Beyond that, spring is a great time to watch for low prices and specials on spices. McCormick, in particular, usually runs “Catalina” sales every Spring.

Catalinas come in two parts. Generally, when you buy something, a piece of paper spits out notifying you of the upcoming “like” product. That’s a notification of a  Catalina sale.

• Say you bought a bottle of vanilla, you might see a Catina notification that says something like “Buy 4 bottles of any McCormick flavorings or food coloring, get three dollars back.” It will let you know when the Catilina sale starts, and say something like, “Good from such and such date to such and such date.”
• That means if you go back to the store during that time period, and buy four of the items, you’ll get a Catalina, a slip of paper that spits out at the register, for the three dollars that you can spend almost any way you want in the store.
• Generally, when a company runs a Catalina sale, the producer will put out a lot of coupons, and usually, the grocery store puts the item on sale, too, so it can be quite a cost savings. Your coupon-matching site, which should notify you of good deals, not just coupons, should alert you to these. Sometimes the store doesn’t advertise the upcoming or current Catalinas.

If You’d Like to See More Spice/Herb Blends:

If you’d like to see more of my spice & herb blends, check out Spice, Herb & Flavor Packet Substitutes. I’m always adding as I go along! And if you’d like to see more of my Mexican and Mexican-inspired recipes, see this post on Recipes for Cinco de Mayo or Anytime.

You can see immediately in the recipe that Taco Seasoning Homemade has pretty standard ingredients that most people who cook probably have in their home. You might want to mix up a batch and try it, and then if you like it as much as we do, and eat tacos as much as we do, make a larger batch. It really IS that good! All IMHO, that is.

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to comment and share, and I hope to see you next time.

Mollie

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning Homemade – Our Family’s Favorite

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Long a family favorite, there’s no doubt this seasoning will become your “signature” house special for tacos!

• Author: mollie kirby
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
• Category: Spice & Herb Blends
• Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (helps to thicken and coat and helps to keep the mixture from clumping as it is stored)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (add more or less to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano or Mexican oregano, optional

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Instructions

Mix together all ingredients. Makes about 1/2 cup. Store in a tightly sealed jar in a dark, cool cupboard. Increase as desired.

Use 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons (this amount equals a 1 1/4 ounce seasoning packet) per one pound of browned and drained ground beef. Push aside the ground beef, add the seasoning, and toast for a minute, until just fragrant. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and simmer for several minutes to the desired consistency.