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!
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 (and smell) the difference.
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? As a busy mom who appreciates bold flavors, a magic “pixie dust” like this is such a great way to easily and efficiently elevate my meals!
Use it on anything from classic beef, chicken, or fish tacos to these Scallop Tacos, or even in this family favorite recipe: Smashed Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos.
Homemade Taco Seasoning Ingredient Highlights
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.
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 ¼ teaspoon for a milder seasoning.
Garlic Powder and Onion Powder are the two most pungent flavorings. They bring anything to life and together liven up your dish.
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.
More on Making Homemade Taco Seasoning from Scratch
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.
Taco Seasoning Vs Chili Seasoning
Taco seasoning and chili seasoning can be used interchangeably. They share the same core ingredients and can easily be substituted for one another.
The biggest difference between the two is that generally speaking, chili seasoning contains a higher amount of chili powder, while taco seasoning contains a higher amount of cumin.
Easy 5-Minute Homemade Taco Seasoning
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
- Mortar and Pestle (optional)
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
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together.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
- Use immediately in tacos, fajitas, chili (and more!) or store in a sealed container for later use.
Pro Tips
- If you’re a big fan of spice, add a little extra cayenne pepper!
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1 thought on “Easy 5-Minute Homemade Taco Seasoning”
Wow!!! I never knew… going to def save those one in my recipe folder!!! Thanks, Marley ❤️