Whipping up a batch of homemade taco seasoning is much easier than you think. Combine these common pantry spices into one amazing taco mix and you’ll never need a store packet again.
Back to Basics
For years I roamed the ‘Mexican’ aisle of my local grocery store in search of little yellow spice packets. Family taco nights always occurred on busy weeknights when speed and convenience reigned. It never even dawned on me that I could make my own mixture, which is THE definition of convenience food.
Making your own taco seasoning mix is so freaking easy and it takes MINUTES. You’ll probably spend more time looking for the spices in your pantry! This recipe contains regular spices that most people already own. Feel free to substitute some of your own flavours or to decrease the amount of spicy components in this mix. The mixture makes enough to season two pounds of ground beef for your next taco night.
What is taco seasoning made of?
There’s no great way to say it but in addition to the regular spices, store bought taco seasoning contains some extra ingredients. Maltodextrin is essentially a hydrolized starch which acts to thicken foods, increase shelf life, improves flavour, and provides easy to digest carbs. It must be noted that maltodextrin may not be entirely gluten free. It is considered safe for average consumption.
Other ingredients include partially hydrogenated soybean oil, silicon dioxide, and ethoxyquin. While the soybean oil is there primarily for flavour and texture, the shelf life of taco seasoning packets is made possible by the latter two. Silicon Dioxide acts as an anti-caking agent which keeps the components of the mixture from sticking together in the package. Ethoxyquin, is a preservative that allows the spice packets to sit on the shelf for months, even years.
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Chile vs. Chili
We found out the hard way that American style chili powder is MUCH different than chile powder. This wasn’t something I had thought much about until one fateful day in Australia. One Saturday for lunch, I was making the kids their favourite refried bean and cheese quesadillas. I added my usual amount of chili powder, not realizing that I had bought chile powder and that there was a difference. We all had tears in our eyes from the heat.
Australians (and most of the world) use straight ground chile powder. American style chili powder is a mixture of various spices so it gives off much less heat. I begged my in-laws to bring some American style chili powder when they came for a visit. Thankfully they didn’t have an issue at customs and we were eating our regular quesadillas in no time!
Spice It Up with Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen
If you make this Taco Seasoning Mix recipe please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making! Thank you so much for reading my blog.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Whipping up a batch of homemade taco seasoning is easier than you think and once you've made it you'll never go back to the store packets.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon ground chili powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano (Mexican if you can find it!)
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (omit or decrease according to preference)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (omit or decrease according to preference)
Instructions
- Mix all spices together in a small bowl. Use in your favourite taco inspired recipe.
Notes
*always use the freshest spices you can, it really makes a difference in the flavour of your spice mix and final dish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 11Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 393mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
I love the idea of making homemade spice blends. I make and sell spices myself and yours looks really great and you really get to control the quality of the spices.
I had a friend that inspired me to make the spice mixes…she also used to sell spice mixes. Sure wish I could get my hands on a nice spice grinder!
Hi Bernice,
I just saw your Dish’n’theKitchen in my Reader and wanted to say hi, it’s been awhile! I have a home-made taco meat seasoning too. It’s more of part of the cooking process, and consists of dumping large unmeasurable quantities of paprika and chile powder (usually American-style) into the meat while it’s frying. I love the direction you’ve been going in, so professional!
XOXO, Elizabeth
wow, it sure has been a while. Great to hear from you again. I’m trying to amp things up a bit, especially this past year with self hosting, SEO, etc. I’m a dumper too, but not everyone is able to cook like that, good thing there’s always recipes!
Love making my own homemade seasonings, and we eat a lot of taco seasoning in our house! I’ll have to give this one a try some time soon!
lol, we do too…we’re tacoing all the time (not just Tuesdays!) Thanks for stopping by Leanne.
I love this homemade spice mix! So much cheaper than those packets and the store and you know exactly what is in it! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Rachel, thanks so much for stopping by…100% agree, homemade is BETTER!