We are forever eating tacos.
If my son were to be stuck on a deserted island and could only bring one food with him, it would probably be a toss between pasta and tacos. So, we eat a lot of tacos, and I was buying plenty of those little taco seasoning packets.
Yes, I don’t mind keeping a company in business, but if I can make my own seasoning at home without any additives or preservatives, you can bet I’m going to go for it. After searching the web I found this recipe at AllRecipes.com and adapted it after reading various reviews and came up with a good result that made the family happy.
And ultimately, that’s what counts, right? 😉
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 5 teaspoons cumin
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 4 teaspoons beef bouillon
- 4 teaspoons corn starch
- 4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
- Store in an airtight container.
Recipe makes just under 11 servings when using 3 tablespoons per pound of meat.
Adjustments can be made to the amounts of seasoning depending on your taste. I omitted crushed red pepper flakes, but because I used the 4 tablespoons of chili powder it had a definite kick to it. If you like it spicier, definitely add the red pepper and it would be a teaspoon based on the amounts from the original recipe, but adjust to your liking.
When using to make tacos, I used 3 tablespoons of the mix to 1 pound of ground beef. I also added 1/3 cup water to make the beef a little saucy as per the instructions on the packets.
I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Homemade Taco Seasoning earned 3 1/2 rolling pins. There was just the right amount of seasoning in the ground beef and it had a spicy kick to it. A few of the family members like their tacos a bit spicier, but they said this was good.
I’m interested to try it on some other meats and in some other recipes besides just the tacos. Stay tuned, I’ll let you know!
What ingredients do you need to make great tacos? Find out when you watch this:
I am making tacos for dinner tonight and just pulled one of those packets out of my pantry. I will be making this NEXT time and feeling better knowing exactly what is going into our bodies! Thank you! Pinning for the future!
thank you, Lois, and thanks for the pin!
I made a double batch only because my air force guys love to eat this when thy come for a visit. Taco Tuesday and Frock Pot Lasagna, these boys leave no fork untered. i even make 3 or 4 of these at aa time. cause my air force boys THINK they need one of their very own. And that just what I did. So yummy; thanks Lynne
Sounds like a great seasoning mix! Next time we make tacos, I’ll definitely keep it in mind =)
Thank you VERY much for sharing this recipe. I love the Tex-Mex flavor of those packets. I use them for pasta-ground meat recipes too. Now I won’t have to beg people to send them to me. lol
How long will the seasoning store in an airtight container?
Got a question rather than a comment. How long will the seasoning last without caking??
Do you use beef bouillon cubes?
Becca, I use the loose beef bouillon, not cubed.
What can you substitute for the corn starch?? Allergic to corn, and really we shouldn’t be eating it, it’s bad stuff!
Melinda, you can replace the cornstarch with all-purpose flour. The cornstarch is used as a thickener and the flour will be just fine.
You could also use potato starch. You can buy it, or make your own. My family loves hash-browns, so I shred my potatoes in a processor, then soak them if an ice cold water bath. this rinses the starch off them and they are crisp when you cook them instead of soggy. Rinse your potatoes into a colander that is set in another bowl. Set the potato water aside and after a few minutes, pour off most of the water….until you see the white powder start to separate out. Let it sit a few more minutes and repeat the process. When you have just a bit of water left with your potato starch, let it sit out overnight to evaporate. When it’s FULLY dry, decant to a sealed container. I haven’t bought potato starch in probably 12 years and I use it as a full substitute for corn starch.
Can anyone recommend a substitute for the bouillion cube?
Alice, you can leave the bouillon out. It isn’t absolutely necessary that it’s in the recipe. A lot of people do lprefer to leave it out because of the sodium content as well.
Looks great!
What is the starch for? Could I leave it out? Thank you
Kim, the cornstarch is used as a thickener and to help it stick to the meat. You could replace it with the same amount of flour.
Kim, the cornstarch is a thickener and will help the seasoning adhere to the meat as it cooks, but you can replace it with the same amount of all-purpose flour.
I use Mrs. Dash taco seasoning to make vegetarian fajitas, but want to try making my own. Most of the ingredients in your list are also on her list (less the bad stuff) except for the beef bouillon. Obviously I won’t add that to mine, but I think this is just the ticket for me. Thanks.
Thank you, Jennifer! I’d also love to make up some more seasoning mixes. I use McCormick’s Montreal Chicken Seasoning A LOT, so will be working on that one soon.
I use a similar recipe that does not use corn starch or bouillon. I’ve shredded rotisserie chicken and prepared it similar to how you would prep ground beef for tacos. I’ve also rubbed it on boneless, skinless chicken and grilled it, then sliced it for tacos or quesadillas. It also works as a rub for flank steak. I keep mine in a container in the pantry, and it will last a while. I use mine too often to have an issue.
That’s great, Melissa! That’s one thing I love about this seasoning, it is so very versatile and I go through it quite quickly as well.
Thanks for your comment!
I will definitely make this. Sounds better tasting then the packets. And I love some spicey tacos!
Thanks, Melissa! I won’t go back to using packets and that’s the great thing, you can make it as spicy as you want to! Enjoy!
Thanks very much for this. I hate it when a recipe says packet of this or that , for a start they may not be available in your country and you don’t know what additives there are in them ( with my eyesight anyway). If a recipe says’ box of cake mix’ or ready made pastry case and ready whip I just stop reading it.
You’re very welcome, Will. I hope it helps you!
I’ve been making my own seasoning mixes for several years now. It’s less expensive, tastes a lot better & I don’t have to run to the store if I am out. I like them a lot better than any commercial mixes. I don’t put any salt in any of my seasoning mixes but will use a bit of salt if I feel the final product needs it.
I agree with you, Tippy! It’s just so much better all around!
Can chicken bouillon be used instead?
Lisa, you can if you’d like. You can actually leave it out if you’d like. The bouillon could be left out if you’d like.
Good grief – I was just going to edit my sentence above, but think I’ll just leave it. My husband was talking to me and I can’t listen and type at the same time as you can probably tell. haha
The bouillon will just add extra flavor to the seasoning and it does add more sodium, so many people prefer to just omit it.
There’s an amazing recipe with taco seasoning and olive oil. Dredge pork chops in the mixture and pan fry.
I have a question, do you need to use the powdered onion and garlic? Or can you use fresh and cook it before browning the meat? Ive never used the powdered before so dont know if its the same flavor. Thanks
Elle, if you’re not going to store the cooked onion and garlic along with the other spices I would say go for it – cook those on an as needed basis. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend it because storing the cooked ingredients will go rancid. I think it would taste great with the fresh onion and garlic. Saute those in a little oil before browning your meat.
I always prefer fresh ingredients for taste, but using the powdered is more of a convenience. The flavor isn’t as good, but it’s adequate.
I use this all the time I keep it on hand
Thanks
This is the best recipe for taco ‘meat’ that I’ve ever eaten. I became vegetarian the end of November, 2017. I missed tacos so much. I’ve tried ‘meat alternatives’ and there’s no comparison to this! I LOVE this! Wow, I can’t say enough about it and have told everyone about it (even the grocery cashier, ha). The taco seasoning is also SO, so good! Thank you so much for taking the time to develop this recipe