Meatless Monday Challenge

Easy 5-Minute Homemade Taco Seasoning

Name: Easy 5-Minute Homemade Taco Seasoning
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon onion powder; ¼ teaspoon black pepper

By Marley Goldin

on June 17, 2020

last updated April 26, 2024

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5 from 2 votes

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This homemade taco seasoning is perfect for any Tex-Mex dish or chili, and tastes better than store-bought with no preservatives! Only 5 minutes required!

Having a great seasoning is like having pixie dust. You sprinkle it on your food, and it brings it to life. My easy 5-minute taco seasoning is multi-use and great to have around the house for tacos, burritos, chili, enchiladas, bowls—you name it!

I even use this seasoning to make my avocado toast and sprinkle it into my eggs in the morning. Talk about versatility!

picture of spice blend in mortar and pestle

You can buy it in packets, sure, but making your own is quick and easy, and allows you to tailor it more to your taste buds! I am a huge proponent of homemade everything because I swear you can ALWAYS taste the difference. And smell the difference, too.

Plus, the packet stuff often has extra sugar, sodium, or preservatives which we just don’t need in order to infuse GREAT flavor in a more natural way.

And did I mention it will take 5 minutes or less to throw this together?

Green tip: Food preservatives, like pesticides, are harmful to the environment. They contain toxins that are harmful to plants, animals, and soil. Homemade food with all-natural ingredients that allows you to avoid preservatives lowers your ecological footprint.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Main Ingredients

Chili Powder

Chili Powder is the base of this seasoning. It’s generally made up of a blend of milder peppers and other spices like paprika. It goes hand-in-hand with Tex-Mex. It is not the main source of spiciness in this recipe.

Cayenne Pepper

If you want to tone down or kick up the heat, do it with the Cayenne Pepper. The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon and will give you a moderately spicy seasoning.

Amp it up to 1 teaspoon for spicy and reduce it to 1/4 teaspoon for a more mild seasoning.

Using pestle to mix up chili and taco seasoning

Garlic and Onion Powder

Garlic Powder and Onion Powder are the two most pungent flavorings. They bring anything to life and together liven up your dish.

Ground Cumin

Ground Cumin has subtle hints of both sweetness and bitterness, making it a well-rounded spice that completes this seasoning. It also gives it more of an earthy taste, which will freshen up any fish or vegetables that you season with it.

Salt and Pepper

I always make mine with my trusty mortar and pestle because I use coarse pink Himalayan salt and whole peppercorns. I can then grind it down to dust and smooth out any clumps of onion or garlic powder that may have formed from moisture.

The key is having a well-mixed, super-fine seasoning to help with even distribution over your ingredients.

Overhead Image of chili and taco seasoning with parsley peaking through the side of the frame

Why You Need this Easy 5-Minute Taco Seasoning from Scratch

It’s all-natural. Preservative-free made fresh in your own kitchen.
It’s versatile. This seasoning is delicious on close to everything savory!
It’s customizable. Easily adjust your spice and salt levels.
It tastes better than store-bought! No extra unnecessary sugar or sodium, and an overall fresher taste!

If you’re loving this homemade taco seasoning from scratch and want to make more of your own spice blends, check out this Old Bay Substitute and Pumpkin Pie Spice Substitute.