How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning – Perfect for Mexican Cooking!
Home » COOK » Recipes » Recipes by Ingredient » Herbs & Spices »Take five minutes to mix up your own Homemade Taco Seasoning using herbs and spices you may already have in your pantry. They include chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, and black pepper – let’s get mixing!
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Homemade Taco Seasoning
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions, to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
If you often cook Mexican or Tex-Mex recipes, skip the store-bought spices and make your own taco seasoning at home.
You most likely have all the spices on hand, and if not, they’re easy to get.
The combination of Mexican flavors in this mixture is perfect for any of your taco needs!

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It may not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Chili Powder – use mild or hot depending on your personal tastes and spicy heat preference!
- Ground Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Dried Oregano
- Cracked Black Pepper
- Fine Sea Salt
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).

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- Taco Stuffed Avocados – A Low Carb Tex-Mex Dinner Idea
- Cheese-Stuffed Taco Meatballs Party Appetizer
- Quick & Easy Beef Taco Salad for Taco Tuesday!
- Blackened Fish Tacos (Mahi-Mahi) with Coleslaw & Avocado Dressing
- Slow Roasted Pulled Pork Tacos
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.

Recipe Tips
- Add a bit of cornstarch to your meat when using this seasoning for the flavor to really stick. You’ll be surprised how much it assists in the flavor department.
- If you’re not a huge fan of garlic or onion flavors, reduce the onion and garlic powder by half.
- If you want an additional spicy kick, add ½ teaspoon of crushed red peppers to the mix.
- Like a touch of sweetness to your seasoning? Add a teaspoon of sugar.
- Depending on the brand of taco seasoning you use, 3-4 tablespoons usually equals one packet. You can always start with 2 tablespoons and add more if required to your preferences.
- Once you’ve used the seasoning, you can adjust the spices to match your tastes.
- Be aware that chili powders vary depending on the country they originate from. Each one varies in spices and can drastically change the flavor of your seasoning.
How Do I Make Homemade Taco Seasoning?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
Makes 4 tablespoons – multiply the recipe to make more if required.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until fully combined.
- Use as required in recipes.
- Store in a sealed jar in a cool dry place or pantry for up to a year.
Notes
- Add a bit of cornstarch to your meat when using this seasoning for the flavor to really stick. You'll be surprised how much it assists in the flavor department.
- If you’re not a huge fan of garlic or onion flavors, reduce the onion and garlic powder by half.
- If you want an additional spicy kick, add ½ teaspoon of crushed red peppers to the mix.
- Like a touch of sweetness to your seasoning? Add a teaspoon of sugar.
- Depending on the brand of taco seasoning you use, 3-4 tablespoons usually equals one packet. You can always start with 2 tablespoons and add more if required to your preferences.
- Once you’ve used the seasoning, you can adjust the spices to match your tastes.
- Be aware that chili powders vary depending on the country they originate from. Each one varies in spices and can drastically change the flavor of your seasoning.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.