Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Need Homemade Taco Seasoning for Ground Beef? Or are you looking for Old el paso taco seasoning recipe?

Well, I am here to give you the best taco seasoning recipe for chicken and ground beef.

These days, I am so much in love with making homemade seasonings. Have you tried - Everything Bagel Seasoning, Ranch Seasoning, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Blackened Seasoning and more.

Making a seasoning takes just 2-minutes. Just add everything in a bowl or jar. Mix or shake and voila! Your Homemade Seasoning is ready.

And, the best part is that you can store it in your shelf for about a year. So, whenever you want to make something with Taco Seasoning, you can.

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Jump to:

• What is Taco Seasoning? 
• What you need to make Taco Seasoning 
• How to make Taco Seasoning? 
• How to store Taco Seasoning? 
• Is this taco seasoning gluten free? 
• Where can I use taco seasoning? 
• What ingredients are in Old El Paso Taco Seasoning?
• Recipe
• Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

What is Taco Seasoning? 

Taco Seasoning is your go-to ingredient when you don't know how to make anything. 😄

No, seriously! Just add a teaspoon of taco seasoning and you have it. Basically, taco seasoning is a blend of aromatics (onion powder, garlic powder), herbs (oregano), and few spices like (cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, and ground cumin). Besides that, you cannot leave out salt and pepper.

What you need to make Taco Seasoning 

You will not need to go all the way to Mexico to get ingredients for this homemade taco seasoning! You can find all the things you need at your nearest grocery store easily and at very affordable prices. 

• Chilli powder 

There are many kinds of chili powder available, and each one of them has its own unique composition. We suggest you go for the American style chili powder as it has many different kinds of spices in it and it's also not exceedingly hot like cayenne pepper. But if you want to go all out on the spice factor, then get a chili powder that contains lots of hot peppers in its composition! 

• Ground cumin 

Cumin is a mainstay in Mexican cuisine and hence on this list. If you want to add a touch of smokiness to your ground cumin, then toast them first before grinding them in your grinder. A little bit of extra effort, but very much worth the extra flavors you get. 

• Garlic powder 

Can you imagine a taco seasoning that has no garlic flavor in it? Of course not! So go ahead and be as generous as you want the garlic powder!

• Onion powder 

Onion powder makes up the base of many seasonings, and taco seasoning is no different. It especially goes well with garlic seasoning and makes for a wonderful combination with it!

• Dried oregano 

This herb is typically used in Italian cuisine, but it can also work great in anything else as well. Which also includes taco seasoning. Dried oregano will provide a good counterbalance to all the hot spices that are going in this seasoning. 

• Paprika 

You also have the option to choose between regular paprika, smoked paprika or sweet paprika. We prefer smoked paprika for a deep and flavorful taco seasoning.

• Salt and black pepper 

These two are your basic seasonings. Don't forget them among the other colourful spices in this list! 

• Crushed red pepper flakes 

This one is totally optional, but we really like to add it for its heat and color. Crushed red pepper flakes also help in adding to the texture of the seasoning by making it not so powdery. 

• Cayenne Pepper

Just to make things more amazing I like to finish it off with a touch of cayenne pepper.

How to make Taco Seasoning? 

Just like making tacos, making taco seasoning is also incredibly quick and easy! It also doesn't require any fancy spice grinder or other complicated appliances! All you need is a mixing bowl and a spoon to make this homemade taco seasoning in your kitchen! 

Time duration: less than 10 minutes in fact - just 2-minutes 

1. Assemble all your ingredients together. Measure how much portions you'd need of each ingredient according to your taste preferences. 

2. Combine all the ingredients in your mixing bowl. Make sure the bowl is completely dry and has no leftover moisture on it. You don't want your seasoning to have the slightest hint of dampness. 

3. Keep mixing until the seasoning is even and uniform. And that's it! Your taco seasoning is ready. It's ready to be stored away now for future use. 

How to store Taco Seasoning? 

All kinds of seasonings have a tendency to spoil at a faster rate if they are not stored properly. Taco seasoning is no different, and needs to be stored with care if you want to preserve it for a long time.

1. Ideally use an airtight glass jar to store taco seasoning. Avoid the use of plastic as it can affect the flavours in your seasoning. Or just make sure the plastic container you'll use is free of toxins and safe for storing edible items. 

2. Keep the airtight jar containing taco seasoning away from any heat and moisture, as these two things can make your seasoning go bad faster. So choose a dry and cool space for storing your taco seasoning. 

Is this taco seasoning gluten free? 

Many brands that sell taco seasoning come with gluten. But not this homemade taco seasoning! Not only is it free of any added chemicals or preservatives, but it's also completely gluten free. So be as generous as you want with your homemade taco seasoning because it will not upset your stomach! 

Where can I use taco seasoning? 

You'd think that with a name like this, you can only use this seasoning on tacos. But the truth is that taco seasoning is really an all purpose thing that you can use literally anywhere and everywhere. From meat, poultry, to even vegetables and beans, there is no end of list where taco seasoning would make for a great addition. But we'll make sure to get you started on the basics to give you some ideas! 

1. If you love barbeque then have you tried seasoning the meat with taco seasoning? The great spicy flavours of the seasoning will complement the sweet barbeque sauce in the best way possible! 

2. If you are looking for an easy dry rub for your meat (like pork and beef) then look no further than taco seasoning! You can even use this seasoning as a dry rub for fishes as well. 

3. If you are a fan of beans, especially the Mexican style beans then you have to try it with taco seasoning. We swear the taco seasoning was just made for beans! 

4. You can even use taco seasoning in your salads. Just add a few pinches of the seasoning to your salad's vinaigrette to give it a spicy kick! 

What ingredients are in Old El Paso Taco Seasoning?

We all love Old el Paso Taco Seasoning. Don't we? But, I am sure we have all wondered, what makes it so tasty? Well, it's spices like chili pepper, onion powder, cornstarch, garlic extract, and etc that gives it such a wonderful taste.

Recipe