This taco seasoning is easy to make, ready in under 5 minutes, and healthier & better tasting than the store-bought kind!

I've used this taco seasoning on several taco fillings including: chicken, beef, turkey, tofu crumbles, tempeh, black beans, and garbanzo beans. It works great on all of them!
I usually triple this recipe and store the seasoning in an airtight jar. So, I always have some on hand. I can't even remember the last time I used store-bought packets!
Using this homemade seasoning is healthier than store-bought because it is all natural and lower sodium.
How Much is Equivalent to a Store-Bought Packet?
Using 2 tablespoon of this Homemade Taco Seasoning is the equivalent to using a store-bought packet.
How to use Homemade Taco Seasoning
Use a heaping 2 tablespoon of seasoning per one pound of meat. This is the standard method I have used to make taco filling, for any kind of lean meat (90% or leaner) or meat substitute. (If using a meat with higher fat content, you may not need to use the addition of broth, because it doesn't dry out as much while cooking.)
- In a large saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, over medium heat.
- Add ½ cup minced bell pepper and 1 small minced onion. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add in your meat and taco seasoning, then cook until browned and almost cooked through. (Usually at this point it starts to slightly stick to the pan if using a lean meat).
- Stir in ½ cup of chicken or vegetable broth, scraping all of the brown bits off the pan. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Ready to serve!
You can watch the cooking process in the Chiles Rellenos Video.
Recipes using Homemade Taco Seasoning
Use this seasoning for tacos in a poultry, meat, or bean filling! Then try some of these recipes as toppings:
- Healthy Mexican Crema
- Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Authentic Guacamole
- Salsa Verde or Salsa Roja (Taco Shop Red or Green Hot Sauce)
Here are some of our recipes that use this Homemade Taco Seasoning:
- Baked Chiles Rellenos (made with ground turkey meat)
- Crispy Baked Black Bean Tacos
- Crockpot Chicken Taco Meat
- Instant Pot Chicken Taco Meat
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos
Easy Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- This makes a little over 6 tablespoons.
- 2 tablespoon is equivalent to using a store-bought package. So this is like having 3 packets.
- Use 2 tablespoon per 1 pound taco meat.