Tacos are a crowd pleaser around here and a frequent flyer in my meal plans. Taco Tuesday equals happy children and clean plates, and (therefore) happy parents. Plus, tacos are quick to put together and easy to add vegetables to. I *used* to be chronic taco-kit purchaser until that time I accidentally grabbed the package of JUST taco shells instead of the dinner kit. What a bummer when I discovered there was no taco seasoning pack in the box when I went to make dinner.
That night, I googled “DIY Taco Seasoning” and made my own taco mix and guess what? It’s super easy. It took a little trial and error to get a recipe we all liked… some were too spicey for my family’s sensitive taste buds, others were too salty and left us thirsty all night, but finally, I’ve done it and I’m sharing it with you!
Why Homemade?
While making your own taco seasoning mix might not save you a ton of money (pre-made seasoning packets are just $1-2), it allows you to adjust the spices to your liking and you can skip the fillers and chemicals that are in those packets.
Since I’ve started making my taco seasoning mix, I’ve stopped purchasing taco kits and, instead, serve taco salad (lettuce, taco meat, and with chips crushed on top — plus whatever other salad-appropriate veggies I find in the fridge). It’s a healthier alternative to traditional tacos and helps us incorporate more vegetables in our diet.
My taco seasoning recipe uses just five spices, and I usually triple or quadruple the recipe and store it in a spice jar for easier dinner preparation. If your family is braver than mine and likes tacos with a kick, add some Mexican Hot Chili Powder or Cayenne Pepper.
Simple Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring well to mix.
- To use, brown 1 lb of ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken. Drain excess fat. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture, add ⅔ cup water and stir. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed.
Notes
We use this recipe weekly for our tacos, but it can be used for any recipe that calls for taco seasoning. We recently made a cheesy enchilada skillet, and it was perfect in there! If you try it out, I’d love to know! Drop a comment below!
Loved the mix. Added onion 1/2 tsp and you might double the batch to ensure nice bold flavor as needed!
Ooh! Sounds delish! Definitely going to try that. Never too much onion or garlic, right? Thanks for the feedback!
If you you make a big batch what amount do you put in with one pound? Or do you just add however much you think looks good?
A little from column A, a little from column B… haha!
I would say 1.5 T per pound, but it’s pretty forgiving. It can be harder to tell with this seasoning, too, compared to the ones in stores bc there’s no artificial coloring!
Taco Tuesday equals happy children and clean plates, and (therefore) happy parents.
Couldn’t agree more!