Homemade taco seasoning that’s better than store-bought

Taco seasoning is a pantry essential, adding rich, spicy flavor to anything it touches. In addition to seasoning taco meat, it can be used a million different ways: as a dry brine for big cuts of meat, a seasoning for casseroles and a flavor booster for chili, to name a few.

Making your own taco seasoning at home is as simple as whisking together some pantry ingredients. It gives you complete control over its flavor, tastes way better than anything that you can buy, and saves you from having to go to the store in the first place.

Why you should absolutely make your own taco seasoning

I grew up on those little yellow envelopes of taco seasoning, and I loved every single thing my mom made with them. So, it took me a while to come around to the idea that making taco seasoning myself was actually worth the expense and the effort.

The following recipe is what finally convinced me. Most of the ingredients and spices are pantry staples I already have and use at home, and this from-scratch version makes everything, even basic tacos, so much more delicious. Tablespoon for tablespoon, homemade taco seasoning can actually be less expensive than buying a store-bought packet, too, depending on what ingredients you have on hand and

where you buy your spices.

What’s in taco seasoning?

Fresh spices make for the best taco seasoning, which is part of why homemade taco seasoning beats the pants off store-bought. Who knows how long those packets have been sitting on the shelves? Buying your spices in bulk, if possible, or from an online spice source such as Penzeys will ensure the spices are fresh. Buying in bulk is also often less expensive than buying them prepackaged.

The base of this taco seasoning is a mix of paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powders, oregano, sugar and salt, as well as two additional ingredients that may surprise you. Coriander is a sweet and warming spice that adds richness to the blend. And cornstarch acts as an anti-clumping agent, while also helping to thicken cooking liquids when the mix is added to chicken or beef tacos.

What’s the equivalent of a packet of taco seasoning?

Taco seasoning packets vary a little bit by brand, but most are about 1 ounce by weight, or 3 tablespoons. Use 3 tablespoons of this homemade version for every packet you’re replacing in a recipe, or for every 1 pound of protein, such as ground beef, chicken or tofu. In total, this recipe amounts to a little more than five packets and lasts for months stored properly in an airtight container at cool room temperature.