All-Purpose Homemade Taco Seasoning | Peak to Plate (2024)

All-Purpose Homemade Taco Seasoning | Peak to Plate (1)

Annie Weisz

Once you make your own homemade taco seasoning, you'll never need to buy a premade mix again! You can adjust the amounts to your liking and you can use it for so many different things!

Course Seasoning

Cuisine Mexican American

Servings 4

Calories 20 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Taco Seasoning:

  • 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon onion flakes
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne

Optional Ingredients for Cooking Taco Meat:

  • 1 lb ground meat
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¾ cup stock or broth
  • 1 tablespoon lard

Instructions

Taco Seasoning:

  • Add all ingredients to small bowl or jar and mix until well-combined. Use in recipes like you would use packaged taco seasoning.

  • If you'd like to make extra to have on hand for future use, 3 batches of this recipe will fit in an 8 oz jar.

  • On the top of the jar, you can write instructions like the following:

    4 ½ tablespoon per lb

    + 2 tablespoon tomato paste

    + ¾ cup stock

Optional Instructions for Cooking Taco Meat:

  • Add seasoning to ground meat and incorporate spices into meat, using your hands.

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lard to pan, let it melt, and swirl to coat the pan.

  • Add seasoned meat to pan and spread meat out into a thin layer. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until bottom side is browned and crisp. Flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.

  • Break up meat with a wooden spoon or ChopStir tool. Add in tomato paste and broth. Stir until well combined. Bring to a simmer and let liquid reduce for an additional 2-3 minutes or until liquid is no longer soupy. The mixture should be mostly meat with a little extra thickened sauce to keep it moist.

  • Use for tacos, quesadillas, taco salad, or whatever you'd like!

Nutrition

Calories: 20kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 488mgPotassium: 116mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1003IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition Information Disclosure

Love this recipe?Mention @peak.to.plate on Instagram and tag #peaktoplate

All-Purpose Homemade Taco Seasoning | Peak to Plate (2024)

FAQs

Do you add water to homemade taco seasoning without? ›

1/2 cup water: After you've browned your meat, add in 1/2 cup water with 3 tablespoons of the taco seasoning mix. Stir to combine and mix all together. Slowly add in another 1/2 cup water as some will begin to absorb – you want it with a little sauce, just not too watery!

What can I use if I don't have enough taco seasoning? ›

Packet Taco Seasoning replacement: if you only want to make enough taco seasoning to replace 1 packet, use the following amounts:
  1. 1 tablespoon chili powder.
  2. ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
  3. ¼ teaspoon onion powder.
  4. Pinch of cayenne pepper.
  5. ¼ teaspoon dried oregano.
  6. ½ teaspoon paprika.
  7. 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin.
  8. 1 teaspoon salt.
Mar 16, 2021

What are the ingredients in original taco seasoning? ›

Most taco seasoning mixes contain salt, warming spices (such as paprika, oregano, and chili), onion powder, and garlic powder.

How much taco seasoning for 1 pound of meat? ›

To use: Use about 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning for every 1 pound of meat. Use more or less depending on your preference. Brown meat and drain the fat. Add your taco seasoning along with about 1/2 cup of water.

Do you add water before or after taco seasoning? ›

Just add water before cooking to the crumbled meat and stir well and frequently as it browns. This helps the meat separate. You can drain the excess fat of when the water has cooked out of it, but I do not recommend rinsing it. Add more water before adding the seasoning if needed.

Can I use tomato sauce instead of water for taco seasoning? ›

It's so easy, cost effective and is great to have on hand. Feel free to use store-bought seasoning if desired. Salsa: Not only does mixing in fresh salsa give the meat extra flavor, it also helps to thicken it up as well. If you don't have salsa on hand, you can use tomato sauce and water instead.

What can I use if I don't have all purpose seasoning? ›

Any mixed dried herb blend will work. I usually use a mixed herbs blend with Mediterranean herbs such as oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, or marjoram. If you don't have anything like this in your pantry, feel free to use a mix of separate herbs that you have e.g. basil, oregano and parsley. Cumin.

What is the same as taco seasoning? ›

When it comes to tacos and chili, two of the most common Mexican dishes among American households, it's easy to see the similarities. In fact, these recipes are almost identical. Both use a winning combination of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, crushed red pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper.

How can I add flavor to my food without spices? ›

BALANCE WITH BRIGHTNESS
  1. A splash of vinegar.
  2. A squeeze of citrus juice.
  3. A handful of chopped herbs.

What is McCormick Taco seasoning made of? ›

McCormick Taco Seasoning is crafted with a premium blend of zesty herbs and spices including chili pepper, paprika, oregano and garlic. Blended especially for chefs, McCormick Taco Seasoning gives chefs an all-in-one, ready-to-use mix to deliver intense, concentrated flavor to Mexican-inspired dishes and beyond.

What are the most popular taco ingredients? ›

The most common toppings that you will find for crispy tacos are shredded lettuce (romaine or iceberg lettuce), finely shredded cabbage, sliced or chopped tomatoes, and onions (white onion is more popular than red onion). This list can go on for ages, but I will only mention the most popular fried tacos. Shredded Beef.

Do Mexicans use taco seasoning? ›

Mexican seasoning and taco seasoning are two popular spice blends often used in the culinary world, particularly in dishes of Mexican origin.

What can I use if I don't have taco seasoning? ›

Combine chili powder, paprika, onion powder, sea salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl; mix well. Enjoy!

What can I use instead of cumin in taco seasoning? ›

8 Good Substitutes for Cumin
  • Ground coriander. Cumin and coriander grow from a plant in the parsley, or Apiaceae, family. ...
  • Caraway seeds. ...
  • Chili powder. ...
  • Taco seasoning. ...
  • Curry powder. ...
  • Garam masala. ...
  • Paprika. ...
  • Fennel seeds.

Is fajita seasoning the same as taco seasoning? ›

Fajita seasoning and taco seasoning are very similar, but not identical. The ratios of each individual spice tend to differ. Fajita seasoning often contains more cumin, while taco seasoning contains more chili powder. Our taco seasoning recipe includes coriander and does not contain paprika or chipotle.

Do you mix seasoning with water? ›

The basic formula that I use whenever I'm converting a dry spice or seasoning into a paste for cooking is quite simple: equal parts spice, oil, and water. This helps bring out both the water- and oil-soluble flavor compounds for you to build on.

How much water do you add to old El Paso taco seasoning? ›

Ingredient List
  1. 1 box (12 count) Old El Paso™ taco shells.
  2. 1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef.
  3. 2/3 cup (150 mL) water.
  4. 1 package (24 g) Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix.

How much water do you add to Ortega taco seasoning? ›

You Will Need: 1 lb ground, 3/4 cup water, 1 pkg.

Do you add water to Badia taco seasoning? ›

Cook until they are starting to soften, then add the ground meat. Cook the meat until is totally browned, then drain the fat. Add Badia Taco Seasoning and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup hot water and stir.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dan Stracke

Last Updated:

Views: 5844

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dan Stracke

Birthday: 1992-08-25

Address: 2253 Brown Springs, East Alla, OH 38634-0309

Phone: +398735162064

Job: Investor Government Associate

Hobby: Shopping, LARPing, Scrapbooking, Surfing, Slacklining, Dance, Glassblowing

Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.