Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning made from scratch is superior in every way to any store-bought packet. Drop the bland seasoning and make your own to really spice up your taco Tuesday. Fun fact: When we took the photo for this post, I spent time making a beautiful tostada photogenic, then my daughter asked if we could take a picture of hers. Hers looked way better. So hopefully her tostada makes you want to try this taco seasoning recipe. It scales up and down great, so don’t be afraid to 4x the recipe and have some on hand for quick after-work tacos!

A quick note:

No salt has been added to this spice blend. Salt your food separately! You shouldn’t rely on the spice mix to bring the salt level to your taste – that’s cooking! Also, MSG is nothing to be afraid of. I’ll spare you the blog post here about the absurdity that is the stigma against MSG, and why it isn’t “unnatural”. Omit it if you want, but know that almost everything, and I mean almost everything is better with a little MSG. Also, your tacos will taste much better. It’s safe, natural, and you should just trust me on this one.

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Taco Seasoning

Once you make your own taco seasoning, you won’t go back to those bland packets. Taco Tuesday has never been so flavorful! This recipe scales up excellent, so don’t be afraid to 4x this recipe for when you just want to whip up tacos – because any time is the right time for tacos.

This batch makes enough for about 2 lbs. of ground beef but contains no salt. Salt to taste. Recommended ratio is 2 Tbsp. of seasoning per 1 pound of ground beef.

• Prep Time5 min
• Total Time5 min
• Yield1
• Serving SizeBatch

• Cuisine
  • Mexican
• Course
  • Spice Blends
• Suitable for Diet
  • Diabetic
  • Gluten Free
  • Low Salt
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
• Tags
  • Easy
  • Mexican
  • Seasoning
  • Tacos

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. Chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. Smoked paprika
• 1.5 tsp. Onion powder
• 1.5 tsp. Garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp. Ground cumin
• 1.5 tsp. Mexican Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. MSG, optional, but recommended
• 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper, to taste optional

Method

1

Combine all ingredients and mix very well. Will store as long as you’re comfortable storing jarred spices if you keep it in an airtight jar.

2

Use 2 Tbsp. per pound of ground beef.

3

Add ground beef to a pan with a couple Tablespoons of neutral oil.

4

Brown ground beef while crumbling as fine as you’d like. Add salt to taste.

5

Add taco seasoning along with 2-3 Tbsp. of water. Stir well and cook on medium heat until water is evaporated.

MSG is nothing to be afraid of. I’ll spare you the absurdity that is the stigma against MSG. Omit it if you want, but know that almost everything is better with a little MSG. Also, your tacos will taste much better. It’s safe, natural, and you should just trust me on this one.