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When you have homemade taco seasoning in your pantry, you never have to worry about running out on Taco Tuesday! This flavorful and versatile mix will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.
I’m not sure what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but it’s downright swampy here in Ohio.
I’m not even exaggerating when I tell you it has been raining for weeks.
It’s so bad that my dad can’t even put his boat at his dock because the dock is completely submerged.
I had to invest in two large umbrellas because regular sized umbrellas were just no longer cutting it here in the swampland.
Needless to say, it doesn’t feel much like summer. More like early fall, except with loads of mosquitos and a disgusting thickness to the air even though it’s only been in the high sixties.
Since we rely heavily on our grill during the summer months, we’ve been having to get a little more creative in the dinner department. Let’s be real, no one wants to grill in the rain even if you do have a cute, giant umbrella overhead.
Since our summer staples like Grilled Garlic Basil Shrimp, Sweet and Spicy Beef Kebobs, burgers and grilled chicken breasts are pretty much out of the question for the foreseeable future, we’re eating all the tacos.
Because for one, tacos are amazing, and for two, tacos are super easy. And quite frankly, I’m all about that easy summer life right now.
As long as I have the essentials like taco shells, shredded lettuce, cheese and my homemade taco seasoning, we’re good to go.
WHY DIY TACO SEASONING IS THE BEST
There is nothing worse than being in the middle of making a recipe only to realize that you’re out of a key ingredient.
This has happened to me an embarrassing number of times. But these moments of pantry inconvenience have resulted in a number of my favorite recipes, including my favorite pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice and chai spice blend.
I figured there had to be a way to make homemade taco seasoning, too. After all, I might as well avoid any future Taco Tuesday mishaps, right?
A quick visit to Google told me I was only a few minutes away from a flavorful homemade taco seasoning.
A little recipe tweaking told me I was able to control the level of heat and the salt content from making my own spice mix and my tacos have never been the same.
Now whenever I made my own taco seasoning, I make a large batch and store it in my spice cabinet for everything under the sun.
HOW CAN YOU USE TACO SEASONING?
This perfect taco seasoning has become something of a multipurpose spice blend in our house.
Obviously it is great for making tacos any night of the week. But I like to add it to everything from spicy taco cheese ball to 7-layer dip to roasted potatoes.
I even like to use it as homemade chili seasoning, too.
Gasp! Yes. I know it’s controversial, but I like to use the same mix for tacos and chili.
I’ve found that taco and chili seasonings are usually so similar in flavor that it made sense to consolidate them in my pantry and use this mix for both!
So I add it to hearty chili when the weather gets cold.
Turns out, being well prepared with flavorful homemade spice blends in your pantry can lend lots of flavor to nearly any recipe you make.
Homemade Taco and Chili Seasoning
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Stored in an airtight container, this spice blend will keep for up to a year.
- When making chili or tacos using one pound of ground beef, start with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning blend and adjust according to your tastes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi. This is your usual great recipe…
I use Chimayo ground chili powder bought by mail in New Mexico to avoid fillers and ingredients like garlic that you add yourself, PLUS IT’S YUMMY and less expensive. Also Mexican Oregano..
I usually source dried ingredients at Hoosier Hills Farms in… Indiana by mail. They come in different size plastic jars and they have a great assortment for preppers! (no, I don’t work there , I just believe we are all responsible to “support” businesses we love so they stay in business as they are.
Keep up the great work with REAL recipes.
Taco I like it,tanks for sharing
This ia so great to make your own! The cost savings alone are fabulous! Thank you so much!!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Judy! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
Absolutely LOVE it, thank you for sharing! I will never buy a chili seasoning packet again.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Nicole! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
For all those who misunderstand… Chili Seasoning is used to make the dish called “CHILI”.
it is a combination of spices to be used with that dish.
Chili POWDER is pure chilis (whether Mexican or Indian or otherwise). It is usually found in the “Spices” aisle in the grocery store. BUT if you have access to an Indian store you should try that! Be warned that it is pure HOT dried chilis that have been ground into a powder! Hope that clears up the misunderstanding!
I too make this seasoning and use it for taco’s chili, and fajitas. I love it and will probably never buy the store packages ever again.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Susan! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
I’m curious. I normally use the Ortega Taco Seasoning mix and add 3/4 cup water and mix. What makes it thicken? I thought for sure there would be corn starch or flour in your recipe.
Hello! A lot of packaged mixes do have flour in them, which is why they aren’t gluten free. But you really don’t need it! You can still add a bit of water and let it simmer and it will still be similar to the packages but without any “filler” ingredients. Hope this helps!
You saved my dinner tonight. I had everything almost ready for a Pinto bean Casserole…. except the French’s Chili-O seasoning packet. Okay, Now what? Googled a copycat recipe, looked at several and gave this one a try. I had all the spices on hand and added 1/2 tsp Paprika. It’s perfect! No more packets for me. I thank you for posting your recipe. I wish others wouldn’t have been so rude with their opinions.
I am making a batch using your recipe for the 3rd time now, I believe. Very good. In passing just to say great recipe and I use black soybeans in my chili to lower the carbs and they are a nice sub for the traditional beans and much lower in carbs.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the seasoning, Terry! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie